Nature Ramps: A Simple Toy Car Activity Kids Can Do While Camping (or Anywhere Outside!)

We first tried this on a camping trip up north at a private camp ground in the Haliburton Forest Reserve. Honestly, it was the perfect spot for it. We didn’t have a picnic table or any big playground setup, but that didn’t matter. We set up a few toy cars, gathered sticks, stumps, rocks, and flat pieces of wood we found around our site, and let the kids build their own ramps and tracks.

In between building, we rented a canoe, did a little fishing, and soaked up the perfect weather. The trip itself was a total win—and Nature Ramps became one of those simple activities the kids kept coming back to all weekend.

Why You’ll Love Nature Ramps

• Low-prep, no-fuss setup – You really just need toy cars and whatever nature provides.
• Perfect for camping or backyard days.
• Encourages creativity and problem-solving – Building ramps from scratch gets kids thinking like little engineers.
• Totally free and eco-friendly – Use sticks, rocks, leaves, and logs right from your site or nature walk.
• Works for all ages – Toddlers love the simple ramp building, while older kids get really into creating complex tracks and challenges.

Materials You’ll Need

• Toy cars or small trucks (Hot Wheels, Matchbox cars, or similar)
• Flat pieces of wood (scraps, bark, sticks, or even thick cardboard)
• Rocks and stumps (for elevating ramps)
• Leaves, sticks, twigs (for track decorations or obstacles)

Bonus items if you have them:

• Clipboards or notebooks for kids to draw track plans
• Stopwatches for timing car races

How to Set Up Nature Ramps

1. Gather Materials
   While you’re out on a nature walk, in the backyard, or at your campsite, collect sticks, pieces of bark, flat stones, and anything else that could serve as a ramp or prop. Flat pieces of wood or bark and small planks work best as the ramp surface, while rocks or stumps make great bases.
2. Choose Your Ramp Location
   Look for a natural slope or clear spot on the ground. You can lean ramps against logs, over tree roots, or set them up between rocks. If the kids are old enough, let them scout out the best “ramp zone” themselves.

1. Build Your Ramp
   Place your flat board or stick on top of a rock or stump. Test it to make sure it’s stable and not too steep (unless you want a wild crash!). Adjust height and angle until the cars roll smoothly.
2. Create Obstacles or Tracks
   Use twigs as guardrails, leaves as finish lines, or create tunnels out of bark. Kids can add extra challenges like bumpers or ramps that jump off into a pile of leaves. Of all the steps this was the most challenging for my 7 year olds. To get leaves to stand up you can prop them in-between rocks or if you available use molding clay.
3. Time for Racing and Testing
   Let the kids test their ramps with the toy cars. Which ramp is fastest? Which sends the car the farthest? They can experiment with different materials and adjust the angle to see what changes.

The Science Behind Nature Ramps

While your kids think they’re just having fun, they’re also exploring basic physics—especially gravity, friction, and force:

• Gravity pulls the toy car down the ramp. The steeper the ramp, the faster gravity pulls.
• Friction happens between the car’s wheels and the surface of the ramp. Smooth surface = less friction = faster cars.
• Force and motion let kids test how much of a push their car needs. A taller ramp creates more speed without needing extra push.

It’s basically a hands-on STEM lesson disguised as outdoor play!

Variations and Extra Fun Ideas

• Nature Ramp Challenge: Set up multiple ramps and let kids time which one is fastest.
• Jump Ramp: Add a gap and see if they can jump the car over a leaf or stick.
• Obstacle Course: Combine ramps with tunnels, bridges, or car washes made from leaves or grass.
• Design It First: Older kids can sketch out their ramp ideas on paper before building.

Where You Can Do This

• Camping Trips: Like we did at Haliburton Forest Reserve!
• Your Backyard: Collect sticks and rocks from around your garden or deck.
• On a Nature Walk: Pack a couple of toy cars in your backpack and build ramps wherever you find a good spot.
• Parks and Playgrounds: If you don’t have natural materials nearby, small playground structures can stand in as ramps too.

What I love most about Nature Ramps is that it’s one of those easy activities that feels like a big adventure to kids. They’re exploring, building, testing, and getting fresh air—all without needing any special supplies or setup.

So next time you’re packing up for a camping trip, or just looking for a way to make backyard play a little more exciting, grab some toy cars and challenge your kids to build the best ramp in the yard.

No picnic table? No problem. Nature’s playground is ready whenever you are.

Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers

There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!

But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.

Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.

Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again! 

These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!

Click here for more information: Play2Learn

Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids

Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon. 

Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.

Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.

Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids

Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more. 

Find out more and grab your copy here.

Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.

Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids

Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles tha. t show them how to think outside the box.

• 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
• Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
• Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.

Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!

Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.