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  • Calling all dads

    Okay this is going to sound a little pathetic but I'm going to throw it out there. I've been collecting Cars for my 4 year old daughter for a couple of years now. Have about 155 cars and made her Radiator Springs for Xmas etc etc. So it's definitely something we bond over but when she asks me to play Cars with her, all creativity goes out the window and I just can't think of what the hell to play with her that involves the Cars. The only game we ever seem to play is the Lightning fixes the road game. There's only so many times I can do this. I made a bunch of roads, so we 'drive' around her room but that's got stale too.

    So....for someone who prides himself on being quite creative but seemingly is falling massively short on the Cars playtime, can any of you Dads out there share the games you play with your nippers. I'd to collect your experiences and have a go to list for playtime.

    Thanks very much.

  • #2
    I have a similar problem with my 4 year old, one suggestion I can give you is that I use them as educational toys, so he can count them, sort them into colours, sort them into sets where the first letter of their names match, sometimes il set up a group like WGP racers or Lemons and leave one or two out and he has to figure out whos missing and go find them. it sounds a bit boring but it can be challenging as we have nearly 300 of them, I hope that helps a little although I will keep an eye on this thread and hope to gleen some ideas off the other forumites

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    • #3
      We line them up and zoom them across the room or crash them.

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      • #4
        You have a Radiator Springs set-up, so do you have the World Grand Prix Cars? If so, you guys could stage a race around the town. Set up the other Cars as spectators around the track. Do you have Sheriff and the Tunerz? Have Sheriff run them out of town. Have the Lemons try to take over Radiator Springs. Send in Finn and Holley to help Mater save the day. You can do a whole lot more creative things with these Cars than ordinary diecast cars!

        signature courtesy of BomBom77
        http://www.pixarcarsdiecast.com/foru...ars-for-trades

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        • #5
          Originally posted by bobbyjack View Post
          You have a Radiator Springs set-up, so do you have the World Grand Prix Cars? If so, you guys could stage a race around the town. Set up the other Cars as spectators around the track. Do you have Sheriff and the Tunerz? Have Sheriff run them out of town. Have the Lemons try to take over Radiator Springs. Send in Finn and Holley to help Mater save the day. You can do a whole lot more creative things with these Cars than ordinary diecast cars!
          that sounds like fun, think il have to get me some of the radiator springs accessories!

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          • #6
            Particularly with girls, they can even act out non-cars related activities, since they are "people" and not just cars.

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            • #7
              Just the fact that you're playing with your daughter means the world to her. It might seem boring to you, but it's heaven for her.

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              • #8
                My grandson and I used to play War... We'd each get a Pit Row Race-off launcher and 8 Cars... We'd connect the launchers and push the button... If my Car traveled further, I'd get his Car... If his traveled further he got my Car... The game continued until one of us had all the Cars... I never won.


                I am cac1959... I am a Cars-a-holic... and a proud supporter of Nathan's Playroom

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                • #9
                  I played Cars with my kids (all too old now, sadly) and still do with my nephews (I'm the favorite uncle ) . We usually did group story-telling to imagine a new adventure. Someone lost a lugnut. Who is the second-fastest backwards driver? What makes Fillmore's brews so good? Where do cars sleep in Radiator Springs if there's no room at the Cozy Cone? Tractor infestation! Drive-in Movie night! Van and Mini get lost (again!). New Truckstop in Radiator Springs. When they were younger, we did a lot of "who is this?", or alphabetizing the cars, or ordering them according to size or color. Or we'd play "same and different", grouping the cars according to some sort of criteria.

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                  • #10
                    We tend to re-enact/adapt a lot of the Mater's Tall Tales stories. Kabuto will challenge just about anyone to a drift race. Our Kabuto is a pretty poorly adjusted fellow and he cries a lot when he loses. Just about every car as one point or another has had a rocket mounted to them with masking tape and tried to jump Carburetor Canyon. My son has a pretty broad definition of rocket, a pen, toilet paper roll, toy drill bit, crayons - pretty much anything longer than wide can be a rocket, apparently.

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                    • #11
                      My boys often would pick their favorite Car. And act out a different movie. Substituting (McQ for example) for a different character.

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                      • #12
                        Roleplay - acting out certain movie/toons scenes (Damaged Rod vs. Grem and Acer, in fact anything Lemon-related, Moon Mater taking Impala home, Mack and LMQ on the interstate, Kabuto drift racing anyone, etc.).

                        Parking - have a multi-storey garage, and parking his cars neatly is also fun.

                        Crash/traffic jam - might be different for girls but typically ahe also likes (lightly) crashing them into big pileups which kind of becomes artistic like building blocks. The next Dalí might be a Cars fanatic

                        Geography - one other thing you could try (something a little more educational) is matching cars (WGP racers mainly but others too) with their countries on a world map. You can then progress to discussing all the other things about the countries.

                        I think the key in general is that engagement with all the various personalities of all the cars.

                        Originally posted by John in Missouri View Post
                        Just the fact that you're playing with your daughter means the world to her. It might seem boring to you, but it's heaven for her.
                        Well said John. Couldn't agree more.

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                        • #13
                          In between Cars 1 coming out at the theater and coming out on DVD, we bought the music soundtrack CD. My kids -- then 4 & 5 -- with the aid of the CD and storybooks, would take their Cars characters and re-enact the scenes from the movie.

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                          • #14
                            Thanks so much for all the ideas folks. There are a couple that appeal immediately. Thanks also for your comment, John in Missouri. I can see how much it means to her, which is why I'm so motivated to be more involved with it. Anyway much appreciated everyone and keep them coming! Now how do I find a Rip Goneclutchski!!!

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                            • #15
                              We play 'Frank the Combine' - my twin boys love it. I get to be Frank and drive the tractor trying to eat the other cars. My boys then race their cars away from me so it's like I'm chasing them and they scream and love it.

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