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  • Design & Play STEAM Cars Kit

Design & Play STEAM Cars Kit

3.1
15 Reviews
$29.99

Design & Play STEAM Cars Kit

3.1
15 Reviews
$29.99

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Age

4 yrs. - 8 yrs.

Grade

Pre-K - 3rd gr.
Description
Our craft kit lets children create and customize balloon-powered cars—for a fun-filled introduction to early STEAM concepts! Ideal for integrating STEM with arts & crafts, the kit includes enough materials for kids to engineer 10 real-working cars. Children just use the precut pieces to build a car…customize it with their own craft materials…and put it into action! Then kids test and fine-tune their creation—until they have a car that races! You get 10 chipboard car bodies, 40 plastic wheels, 40 foam blocks, 30 straws, 20 axles, 12 balloons, 50 rubber bands and a guide. The car bodies measure 6" in length. Additional craft materials not included.
Item # TT571
Additional Information
Develops skills in problem solving, creativity, force and motion, and cause and effect.

Product Details
Warnings
WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD - Children under 8 years can choke or suffocate on uninflated or broken balloons. Adult supervision required. Keep uninflated balloons from children. Discard broken balloons at once.
Warnings
WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD - Small parts. Not for children under 3 years.

Reviews (15)3.1

Customers Say

Customers appreciate the Design & Play STEAM Cars Kit for encouraging problem-solving and STEAM learning in classroom settings. Works well for group activities in classrooms, libraries, and scout troops. Some find it frustrating due to missing instructions. The balloon system may be too challenging for younger children.

This summary was generated by AI based on customer reviews

Good STEM Project (w a few notes)

Let me start by saying that we have used this kit with over 200 students, ages 4 to 8, most being of the PreK-K age, and continue to use it. We have been very happy with the kit. The included directions are sparse, but taking 15 minutes (BEFORE trying to do it with children/students) to make one and figure out what works best for you and your purposes is all you need to do. If you expect to just open up the kit and do it with kids before even looking at it yourself, it's going to be tricky and you'll be frustrated. Take the time to make one yourself and adapt to your needs and it will go smoothly and be an activity kids love! It's not that hard. - To attach the small straw (axel) to the bottom of the chassie, use masking tape. - For the dowels, if you press and turn one end, it actually locks into the wheel. The kids put a dot of tacky glue into the hole in each tire and then put the dowel rod in two of them. The teachers then go around and push and turn until it's tight. Let dry at least 5 minutes. Next, place dowels through straw axel, and have kids place wheels on top. (There should already be a dot of tacky glue on wheel). Teacher presses each one down into place. Again, you feel when it is place. We try to let cars sit for at least 5 more minutes before using. -If you press the dowels too hard, they can break, so just be careful to apply equal pressure. There are a few spares so it's usually fine.

Andrea Gibble

September 26, 2024

from Curtis Bay, MD

Fun, Creative Learning Activity

I highly recommend these balloon car kits. As part of our library's remote Summer Reading Program, I ordered these kits in bulk and gave out the needed parts from each kit plus rolls of colorful masking tape and markers to 500 youths of our community. They then created and experimented with their own balloon car designs. What a fun, playful way to develop skills in engineering, physics, and graphic design!

Lorene Forman

August 12, 2021

from Brookings, OR

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Ratings & Reviews

Design & Play STEAM Cars Kit

3.1
15 ratings
5 Star
5
4 Star
1
3 Star
3
2 Star
3
1 Star
3
100%

100% would recommend

8out of 15 reviewers

Customers Say

Customers appreciate the Design & Play STEAM Cars Kit for encouraging problem-solving and STEAM learning in classroom settings. Works well for group activities in classrooms, libraries, and scout troops. Some find it frustrating due to missing instructions. The balloon system may be too challenging for younger children.

This summary was generated by AI based on customer reviews

Good STEM Project (w a few notes)

Let me start by saying that we have used this kit with over 200 students, ages 4 to 8, most being of the PreK-K age, and continue to use it. We have been very happy with the kit. The included directions are sparse, but taking 15 minutes (BEFORE trying to do it with children/students) to make one and figure out what works best for you and your purposes is all you need to do. If you expect to just open up the kit and do it with kids before even looking at it yourself, it's going to be tricky and you'll be frustrated. Take the time to make one yourself and adapt to your needs and it will go smoothly and be an activity kids love! It's not that hard. - To attach the small straw (axel) to the bottom of the chassie, use masking tape. - For the dowels, if you press and turn one end, it actually locks into the wheel. The kids put a dot of tacky glue into the hole in each tire and then put the dowel rod in two of them. The teachers then go around and push and turn until it's tight. Let dry at least 5 minutes. Next, place dowels through straw axel, and have kids place wheels on top. (There should already be a dot of tacky glue on wheel). Teacher presses each one down into place. Again, you feel when it is place. We try to let cars sit for at least 5 more minutes before using. -If you press the dowels too hard, they can break, so just be careful to apply equal pressure. There are a few spares so it's usually fine.

Andrea Gibble

September 26, 2024

from Curtis Bay, MD
Yes, I would recommend this product.
Was this helpful?

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

I got this kit to do with my school age kit and it was a mess! Wheels would not stay the stick that attaches to the wheels kept breaking. We even used glue it was very frustrating for the kids! Don't buy!

Olga camacho-salcido

February 21, 2024

from San Diego, CA
Was this helpful?

Fun But Challenging

I bought these to do with my summer STEAM class with kindergarten. The kids had a fun time decorating but putting the car together was more challenging than we were anticipating. There are also no assembly instructions so a true problem solving activity. Still made the best of it and had fun!

Samantha Muniz

August 10, 2023

from Irvine, CA
Yes, I would recommend this product.
Was this helpful?

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Doesn't work well and not for 4 yr olds

Bought this kit to do with a 5 yr old who is very mechanically inclined... but I had to basically do everything for him. This should be for ages 8 and up. Also, the wheels don't stick on the dowels well, blowing the balloon up with the straw doesn't work well, and to top it all off there are literally no directions. Would not recommend. Very frustrating.

Seth

July 27, 2023

from California
Was this helpful?

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Not without more guidance!

I'm not a classroom teacher, but I thought these would be fun for 8 grandchildren aged 5-12, but at the first session, we realized we didn't have the supplies to begin (no instructions, but a suggestion to use glue or tape). Second session, we tried again, but wheels did not stay on, so we had to glue and wait a couple of hours (many still fell off later). Third session -- only 3 kids were still interested, and after decorating, the set up was ok, but they quickly needed to redesign and retry, but the balloons were worn out (stretched out) after 3 or 4 tries and didn't propel the vehicles at all. Such a disappointment for so much $$ -- better explanation of supplies, time required and some basic instructions to get started would have helped. Instead I had 8 kids running around with balloons on straws to make their own kind of fun. Maybe it would work better in a classroom.

CONNIE JOHNSTON

July 27, 2023

from Boise
Was this helpful?

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

recommend for older but not 4 year olds

Great car building kit for older kits. Younger can make the car, but have trouble attaching the wheels to the axle firmly, even with help. Placing the balloon so it is most effective was very tricky and most kids had trouble blowing the balloon up for a second run.

Meg

January 26, 2023

Yes, I would recommend this product.
Was this helpful?

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Don’t bother

This kit is a dud! There were no instructions and several different iterations failed to launch.

Jane Burgess

January 15, 2023

from NC
Was this helpful?

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Poor instructions

My son was so excited to receive this toy that he'd had his eye on for a long time. Imagine his and my disappointment when we opened it and discovered that there are no instructions (just some suggestions) and then we struggled immensely to get the balloons to work to propel the cars. Its a great concept but would be better with more guidance and examples for the little ones.

Karen

January 03, 2023

from CO
Was this helpful?

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Too Difficult and Missing Supplies

We found this kid extremely difficult for the lower ages it’s recommended for. Also, it comes without a lot of the supplies that are needed. We did not know that. This may be good for an older children but it’s certainly not good for five year olds.

Cindy Munn

January 02, 2023

from Dallas
Was this helpful?

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Great idea but it doesn’t work!!

The whole concept about this toy is adorable however when you try to build a car it doesn’t work and is sooo frustrating!

flavia alves

December 30, 2022

from White plains , NY
Was this helpful?

Fun, Creative Learning Activity

I highly recommend these balloon car kits. As part of our library's remote Summer Reading Program, I ordered these kits in bulk and gave out the needed parts from each kit plus rolls of colorful masking tape and markers to 500 youths of our community. They then created and experimented with their own balloon car designs. What a fun, playful way to develop skills in engineering, physics, and graphic design!

Lorene Forman

August 12, 2021

from Brookings, OR
Yes, I would recommend this product.
Was this helpful?

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

supplies for STEM

My kids (3 and 6) enjoyed experimenting with the materials and making their own car but needed lots of help. In addition to the materials in included, you will need tape, scissors, glue, and coloring materials. It is a challenge to get these working and the set does not come with instructions.

dawn

May 12, 2020

from Eastchester, NY
Yes, I would recommend this product.
Was this helpful?

18 of 20 people found this review helpful

12
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