Home >> Toys >> Toy Vehicles

How to Make a Ramp With Books

Many children's toys are miniature recreations of vehicles that they don't yet have access to. One of the most exciting aspects of these toys is launching them into the air using ramps. Building miniature ramps out of books is a safe and easy way to get toy cars off the ground while teaching children some fundamental physics.

Things You'll Need

Cellophane tape
Construction paper

Instructions

- 1
  Lay one or more books down flat on the ground surface where you are making the ramp. Create the angle of the ramp by laying another book down so the bottom of the book is touching the stack of books and one corner is touching the ground.
- 2
  Tape a piece of the construction paper down, using the cellophane tape, with one end on the top surface of the book and one end on the ground. Make sure that it creates a smooth transition from the ground to the book by rubbing your hand along the paper. If it is too bumpy, pull the paper tighter and re-tape it.
- 3
  Create a second ramp for the cars to roll down and gain speed before launching off the first ramp. Lay one or more books down on the ground. Place a second book lying on an angle touching both the stack of books and the ground. Tape a piece of construction paper to the book and the ground so it creates a smooth transition between the two.
- 4
  Place the second ramp in line with the first ramp so that together they form a "U" shape. Build the second ramp longer and taller than the first so that the toy car can build enough momentum to reach the end of the first ramp.

Toy Vehicles