Make a Firetruck

What can we use instead of skewers or straws for axles if those are hard to find?

Use pencils, wooden chopsticks, or thin dowels as axles and slide the cardboard circles or bottle cap wheels onto them, securing with a little tape as described in the axle step.

My wheels don't roll freely—what can I try to fix them?

Make the center holes in the cardboard wheels slightly larger or add a small bead or washer between the wheel and the truck body, and check that the tape attaching the axles under the truck base isn't pressing the axles too tightly.

How can I adapt this activity for different ages?

For toddlers, have an adult pre-cut the side panels and use bottle caps for wheels while the child tapes and decorates, for school-age kids let them measure, draw with a ruler, and cut with supervision, and for older kids add precise measurements, stronger materials like thicker cardboard or dowel axles, and more detailed decoration like a painted emblem and window cutouts.

How can we enhance or personalise the firetruck beyond the basic instructions?

Create a movable ladder by attaching the paper ladder to a folded cardboard hinge on the roof, add real hose details with a piece of string or a coiled pipe cleaner, and personalise the paint, windows, and fire emblem before sharing your finished firetruck on DIY.org.