Who doesn’t remember going to work with their parents at some point as a kid? Some of us had parents with cooler jobs than others, but probably very few of us had a parent who worked for Ford. Take your child to work day has become a national phenomenon. What started as just a way to open kids minds up to what their parents do, and the possibilities that surround them, has evolved into an immersive, and educational experience.
Ford dyno technician Matt West was inspired by his son to create something truly special for this year’s bring your child to work day. West wanted to move his son Blade towards something more creative than the electronic gadgets that seem to be in every child’s hands these days. They began building Hot Wheels tracks with a loop in Blade’s toy room. “Eventually we got to the point where we were dropping cars from the ceiling” says West.
Father and son moved out to the back yard, and created a 5-foot diameter loop for their Hot Wheels experiments. The idea was to teach blade about physics in a fun way, and get him interested in working with things in the physical world.
Fast forward to this year’s take your child to work day. West used the design from his son’s Hot Wheels track to create the world’s largest Hot Wheels loop. At over twelve feet in diameter the loop was installed in the atrium at Ford’s research and innovation center in Dearborn. Cars were placed on the track at a height of 35 feet, and there were plenty of kids, parents, and Ford engineers taking part in the fun.
We just wish take your child to work day was this cool when we were kids.