The Wheel

The Ideal First Race Car
When Mikey was six months old he received as a git his first Race Car. Never before had a toy gotten so much of his attention. The little handle and shape of the car made it perfect for him to push. He pushed it, flipped it, watched it roll. He chased it, laughed at it, and generally delighted in all aspects of it. For me, the most interesting thing to see was his attention on the rotational translational motion. As the wheels turned the car moved forward or backward. It was amazing to watch him gaze as he watched that simple and powerful phenomenon.


Videos, Music and Books
 Besides rotational translational motion, wheels are awesome because they are attached to amazing tools. Cars, bicycles, trucks, tractors, wheel barrows, you name it! Mikey could relate to his toy car and all the toy trucks. Together we have learned the names and jobs of trucks of every kind. We sing songs about trucks. We build with trucks. We race trucks. Cars and trucks and things that go will forever be the seed from which Mikey's "career" as a preschool engineer has sprung.




A Piece of Advice - Alongside Your Preschool Engineer, Learn Your Trucks!
As for me, I was trained as an electrical engineer and studied ultrafast optics so trucks are pretty far from being my forte as an engineer. However, as the mother of a preschool engineer I am fascinated by these new things to learn. Together we investigate mechanical topics and materials topics - always on the look-out for new and interesting ways to see the world. And just look at what we've found! A dancing Excavator!!