Toilet roll hot rods

Got a million empty toilet rolls in your bathroom bin?  Well get them out and make a great homemade toy with your kids. These toilet roll hot rods will wheel along the floor and the kids can race them!

What you need:

• 1  empty toilet roll
• 4 plastic milk carton / juice lids (or similar)
• 1 drinking straw
• 2 toothpicks
• paints
• glue
• scissors or a craft knife

Number of players:
1

Activity:

Paint your hot rod in racing colours. Put your initials or your lucky number on it if you want.

Use a hole punch to punch four holes either side of your hot rod, for the straw and toothpick axle.

Cut a square out of the top of the toilet roll – this is where your driver will sit.

Use the toothpick to measure a straw length that is about 1cm shorter than the toothpick.

Thread the toothpick inside the straw.

Thread the straw – with toothpick inside- through the front holes, then do the same at the back for the back wheels.

Now get your plastic lids – these are your wheels. To pierce a hole in the centre, heat up a metal skewer (hold it over a gas stove flame) then burn a hole in the centre of each lid.

Push the end of each toothpick through the pierced hole you have made in each plastic lid/wheel.

Your hot rod is ready to race.

• If you have hygiene concerns regarding the use of making crafts from toilet paper rolls, you can cut a paper towel roll or gift wrap tube to use instead, or roll your own tube using card stock.
• Thanks to our sister company Kidspot Australia for creating the instructional video.