A low wooden platform and metal wheels form the body of a Cuban chivichana. The wheels can be steel bearings, known in Cuba as cajas de bolas. On one design, the front crosspiece pivots around a central point. A rope tied to its ends lets the rider pull the cart and steer it.
Children’s versions can have a single wheel at the front, with the crosspiece extending to one side as a steering arm. That gives the small cart a different outline from the four-wheeled model. A few pieces of wood, the bearings and a movable front end make up the toy used for gliding along streets and parks.