First-year physics students often have a difficult time grasping Newton’s laws of motion and recognizing the forces that these laws depend on. The “Paper Car” project is an experiential activity that is rich in application of force principles. It is also simple enough that students are able to integrate straightforward but non-trivial physics concepts they have learned in class. With some teacher guidance, students gain a much deeper understanding of forces and begin to see how physics principles can be used to aid in the design of real objects.