How to Make a Roller Coaster Model for Kids

Many children are fascinated by roller coasters. A child may love the thrill she feels as she rides down the tallest roller coaster or she may simply love to watch the roller coaster as it flies through the air. For this reason, roller coasters offer an excellent learning opportunity for a child to increase her understanding of the mathematical and science concepts involved. Help your child create a model roller coaster to give her a better idea of how the interesting ride works.

Choose appropriate materials for the roller coaster model you are most interested in creating. You can purchase a roller coaster model kit with all of the parts you will need or you can use products you can find in your home, such as marbles, styrofoam cups, rubber bands, tape and oak-tag paper to create your own roller coaster model from scratch.

Find a location to build your roller coaster model. This area should have a lot of free space in order to allow your roller coaster to expand as much as necessary as you build. You will also want to choose an area that is free from foot traffic, as you will not want anyone to disturb the model.

Draw out or design the roller coaster model that you are interested in creating, especially if you are creating your own roller coaster model from scratch. Many roller coaster model kits come with pictures and plans, so you can look at these before you begin to get a general idea of what the model will look like.

Assemble the model. Follow the instructions that accompany your model if you are creating the model from a set. If you are creating the model from scratch, you will need to cut pieces of oak tag into a V-shape like a tunnel so that the marble, which will serve as your car, can roll freely through your roller coaster model. Use books or other tall and stable pieces to create hills for the oak tag to travel over, which will simulate the ups and downs of the roller coaster.

Test your roller coaster model to make sure that the car can travel freely throughout all parts of the roller coaster. If your roller coaster car gets stuck or falls off the track, work on the problem area until the roller coaster cart can move freely through that location. Make improvements or changes to the model for a more dynamic learning experience.