Our Amateur Experience (very amateur)

Pinewood Derby Time for Cub Scouts. Need I say more.  The adrenaline.  The need to make the perfect car.  Buying new woodworking tools.  Anxiety.  Competition.  FUN!
We have never participated in one before.  We read the instructions on how to build one, we read online tips, we followed the specifications, but we still had a lot to learn.
The boys designed their own cars (Gavin got to do one too for the sibling race) and drew the designs on the wood block.  We tried using our little saw and it was no good.  We borrowed my dad's jigsaw and the clamps weren't holding it strong enough.  So Frank bought a Dremmel tool for carving them out.  He had quite a good time.  He burned through and wore out several of the bits, but as time went by (a long time) the cars formed into the shapes the boys wanted.  They painted their own (of course) and then weighed them.  We knew they couldn't be over 5 ounces, but we did not know the closer to 5 ounces the better.
We show up on game night and the certified checker gave us a $1.70 in coins and told us to glue them on the bottom of Jackson's because it was way too light. Gavin's needed a few coins but not much.  We also weren't prepared with spacing to have most of the weight over the back wheels.  We didn't come with spare tools in case our car fell apart.  We didn't come with sand paper to sand the wheels.  We didn't come with graphite.  We didn't come with super glue. Oh we have learned so much.  We will be better prepared for next time.

These are all of the Cub's cars.  Jackson's in on the bottom row 2nd from the right.

Jackson's is the grey one on it's first run down the track, he lost.

Everyone anxiously waiting and watching.

Gavin's black car on it's first run down the track, he lost.

Showing off his cool car! It says: "Loded Diper" from Diary of  Wimpy Kid.

Some of the younger siblings showing off their cars.
L-R: Gavin (not wanting to show his face, but wanting to show the spiderweb), Jordan, and Carson

This is what the littlest ones were doing when they finally got bored.

Our super awesome Cub Master came fully prepared for the younger ones. Posterboard and markers to make roads and maps, little plastic ramps and tracks with Matchbox cars to race around, and coloring books of car pictures. The girls were happy.