Pinewood Derby

I hate the Pinewood Derby.

Let me explain. I have been an educator for 18 years. I am one of the biggest advocates for child completed work. My own children's projects have rarely looked like their peers. If they have a project to complete at home, THEY are the ones that complete it at home. This has always worked in our favor because these projects are graded and evaluated by teachers who get it. They see the student’s work compared to student assisted work.

Now, let me say this before I offend the legends of parents out there. I GET IT. We all want our children to do well. We want them to be successful. We want them to get that A. I just want my boys to earn those things. And trust me...it drives my control freak, Type A personality INSANE.

jumps off soapbox

Now, as I said, our student complete project philosophy has worked in our favor until the Pinewood Derby. Instead of being graded, this was a competition…which brought out the best in a lot of parents. And by best, I mean, the parent’s best work.

All of the sudden, my child’s work wasn’t compared to his own best effort. It was compared to the best effort of someone’s parent. Yes, we explained there will always be someone faster, someone better, someone smarter than him. We explained not everyone is a winner. There has to be a last place. We can only worry about trying our best.

But inside I had a growing dislike for all things Pinewood Derby.

John had taken the lead in this project the past three years. This year, I decided instead of disliking the Pinewood Derby, I was going to embrace it. It was going to be 100% kid done and we were going to be proud of their creation.

My kids had to:

Research

Plan

Recruit experts

Pick supplies

Build and customize

Prep

As all kids do, the boys started on YouTube. We watched a great video about the physics of a good Pinewood Derby car. The boys took notes and decided which attributes they wanted to include in their car. We read the rules together and made sure the modifications to their cars met all the requirements.

The boys then planned what they wanted their cars to look like. We called on a wood-working expert friend, Mr. Climie to help us cut the wood. The boys drew their lines and Mr. Climie showed them which tools he uses to cut and sand the cars.

We then took off the Hobby Lobby to buy some supplies we learned about through our research.  The most important part of a fast car was the weight placement. So, we bought weights that would fit exactly where they plan placed them. The boys learned that the nail holding the wheel was also a very important piece. We bought some sanding tools and lubricant for that. We also spent waaaaay too much time (and money) picking out paint.

Before they started our modifications, the boys designed their car. We sketched, revised, drew on the car and then painted. Trust me….my momma hands were DYING to get in there.

While the cars were drying, the boys spent some quality time with the drill and sanding papers. Each boy decided how long to sand and how smooth each axle should be. They then enlisted the help of their daddy to connect the wheels to the car.

Then came the weight placement. They picked exactly where their weights should go (again, all based on their research). The boys glued the weights in place and voila! Cars were complete.

Pinewood Derby morning I was still nervous the boys were going to get there and compare their cars to the others, but they DIDN'T!! What I saw was a group of boys getting together to not only celebrate hard work but each other. I was so impressed with how these guys congratulated each other when their cars won or spent a great deal of time admiring someone else's paint job. And not only that, each kid was proud of their own creation! 

The boys ending up coming in first in their troop, but I wouldn't have cared if they came in last. They learned what preparation, hard work, and a great attitude can do for you. Way to go boys!!