Pinewood Derbies, with the Cub Scouts, are a lot of fun for both the kids and the adults. Well...some of the adults. Regardless of whether you're joining in a pinewood derby with the Cubs or your local AWANA, you're going to find some crazy dads.
Kids of these dads don't REALLY get to help create the cars, not really. Maybe they get to paint the cars, but they're not setting the wheels and making the car shape. No. The Pinewood Derby dads are a bit too into the car creation to let that happen.
I've ran into dads that have their own track in their house, that turn the nail axles 100th of an inch at a time to get a .001 faster second on their runs, and that willingly cheat by breaking the rules on things like sanding the wheels down. Kids may be watching that dad turn that axle 100th of an inch, but I'm certain they're not doing it. The car that had the shaved wheels? The kid didn't even know about it! I mentioned to a dad I know that is always the most common-sensed, nice dad that I don't turn my axles for greater speed, and he thought I was pulling his leg! My boys, therefore, don't expect the fastest car. They design the car with their own vision, Bat cars, Ghostbusters ambulances, and a Spiderman car with a little Spiderman sitting in the driver's seat.
These cars don't win for speed, but they do win for coolness of design. Even if they don't win anything? My boys are happy, win or lose, because they have fun making their own car with Daddy's help rather than vice versa.
And, Daddy has fun too.
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