Make a Mini Luge Runner

Luge is one of the most fast-paced and exciting events at the Winter Olympics. Hurtling down a slippery chute at breakneck speeds sounds thrilling to children, but to parents it's a recipe for a concussion and broken bones. In this fun and simple activity, however, your child can participate in the fun of luge without the safety risk! With just a few materials from around the house, your child can make his very own luge track and mini luger.

This activity teaches your child that with a little imagination and ingenuity he can make fun toys and games by reusing items that are usually thrown away. Designing the luger and constructing the luge track will also help him hone his fine motor skills, improve his focus, and exercise his creativity.

What You Need:

• Cardboard paper towel tube
• Cardboard toilet paper tube
• Scissors
• Construction paper
• Hot glue gun
• Penny

What to Do:

1. Have your child carefully cut the paper towel tube in half lengthwise to create two curved pieces resembling half pipes.
2. Have your child stand the toilet paper tube on end on a table or other hard, flat surface. Using the hot glue gun, help your child carefully glue the underside of one of the paper towel tube halves to the top edge of the toilet paper tube to create a sloped chute. Use the above photo as a guide.
3. To make the mini luger, have your child draw a small person on the construction paper, making sure he (or she!) is small enough to fit on the luge track. Ask your child to choose a country for his luger to represent and pick the colors for his uniform accordingly. If your child chooses the U.S., France, or the Netherlands, for example, the luger's uniform can be red, white, and blue to match those countries' flags. For extra fun, look up the flag of your child's chosen country and have your child copy the flag onto his luger's uniform.
4. When your child is done drawing, have him cut out his mini luger. Carefully dab a small blob of hot glue on the back of the luger, then affix him to the penny. The penny adds weight to the luger and will help him slide down the track more easily.
5. Now it's time to compete! Have your child set up the luge track on a table, then place the luger at the top of the slope. Watch as the mini athlete slides down the chute and onto the table!

Your child will love playing with his mini luger while watching real life lugers compete during the Winter Olympics. To add an extra dimension to the fun, make multiple luge tracks and lugers from other countries and have them all compete against each other for the gold!