Why do this At around 17 months, your child starts to figure out how things work mechanically and that they can solve problems with tools. They learn about cause and effect as they see what happens after dropping the cars onto the ramp. How to do it • Show your child how the cars speed down the track • Let them explore the cars, racing them down one after the other and (with coordination, time, and patience) even two cars at the same time • Describe the parts of the ramp and explain that the car goes fast because the track is steep • When they squat down to get the cars from the bottom and put them back on top of the ramp, they're learning to pick something up from the floor without falling over— practice controlling balance