travel art projects for preschoolers

50 Easy Transportation Crafts & Activities for Preschoolers

• Last Updated: April 29, 2022

By Xyla Clarito

Trucks, cars, rockets and airplanes must be top of the list when it comes to toys that little kids love to play with, particularly little boys. For my toddler boy, it was anything with wheels! And now at the age of 4, this is still yet to change.

Whether you have a little one at home or have a gaggle (?!) of 3 or 4-year-olds in your care (hats off to you!), you’re sure to enjoy this list of easy and fun transportation crafts for preschoolers.

These art and craft ideas are perfect for your transport theme at preschool, or at home. I did several of these with my two little ones and a few of their friends when doing “school with Mommy” as they called it, back in Africa.

From air and water transportation crafts to car art projects, you’ll be sure to find something preschoolers will enjoy. Most are simply transportation-themed crafts so good to practice fine motor skills while getting the imagination and creativity going.

There are also several crafts with a more specific learning objective, from counting practice, to shape recognition as well as STEM crafts and activities – with the transport theme, there’s so much opportunity to engage little learners!

In terms of age, these transportation crafts are for 3 and 4-year-olds, your typical older toddler and preschooler age.

But if you’re looking for a fun car, boat or air transport craft for your 2-year-old, when the wheel fascination seems to start, you’re sure to find something easy enough too.

Table of Contents

Free Printable Transportation Crafts & Activities

If you’re short on time or have a lot of preschoolers to keep entertained, a free printable transportation craft might be a good place to start.

There are lots of fun and easy activities for preschoolers with a transport theme on this list. From land and air to water transport activities there’s quite a selection. All will help those all-important fine motor skills.

For supplies and materials for these activities, check out our recommended product list .

Do A Dot Transportation Art Project (with Free Printables!)

Paper School Bus Kids Craft and Photo Book

Letter B is For Bus

Alphabet Wheels Transport Activity Sheet

Here’s a fun way 2 and 3-year-olds can learn about matching colors, while for older toddlers and preschoolers they can match upper and lower case letter, all with a car theme. Grab the free printable and some dot stickers and you’re good to go.

Alphabet wheel transport activity from playtolearn_prek.

Fire Truck Craft – Free Template Included

Here’s a fun way to teach preschoolers about community helpers and fire safety. This fire truck craft includes a free printable template that you can precut; older preschoolers can practice their scissor skills, while younger toddlers can simply stick together to complete this fun transport craft.

Fire truck craft from craftingjeannie.

If you’re a lover of free printables and want to create some personalised artwork with your preschooler, check out our  free Valentines handprint art templates .

Car Art Projects for Preschoolers

Of all the transport-themed crafts, cars seem to be where the love starts. From small world play to learning activities, making cars center-stage is sure to engage little ones. So here’s an extensive list of car art projects and activities that’ll engage your toddlers and preschoolers.

For supplies and materials for these crafts, check out our recommended product list .

Juice Box Balloon Car Craft

Rubber Band Car

DIY Wooden Toy Cars and Trucks

Clothespin Car Craft

Rainbow Mini-Parade

Enjoy a mini-parade with rainbow cars made from rainbow-painted cardboard and wheels from old toys. You can use a paintbrush for a semi mess-free activity, but if you’re up to a bit of a challenge, finger painting can be fun. Kids will enjoy using their hands to paint.

Rainbow parade from allsmallcrafts.

Toilet Paper Roll Vehicle

Use some old toilet paper rolls and bottle caps for this fun and easy transportation craft for preschoolers. They’ll love decorating their vehicle to make their own unique set of wheels.

Toilet paper roll vehicle from treasures4teachers.

For more creative ways to use a toilet paper tube, check out these fun and cute toilet paper roll crafts .

Match Box Car Park

Practice and review basic colors with this matchbox car park. Young kids will love parking their cars, which will be a good test of coordination, fine and gross motor skills.

Match box car park from elyamama.learning.

Another good test of fine motor is this homemade twist-top board and for plenty of gross motor practice, try these fun movement games for preschoolers .

Car Treats – An Edible Transportation Craft!

Make crafting a little bit tasty with these car treats made of crackers, mini donuts, frosting, and sprinkles. They will definitely have a great time assembling and decorating it. Perfect for a transport-themed birthday or preschool party for your 2, 3 or 4-year-old.

Car treats from creative_cub_and_playful_pup .

Other Land Transportation Crafts for Preschoolers

Expand your toddlers’ love for transportation by introducing them to more vehicles seen on land. This includes school buses, farm vehicles, trains and so on. Through these land transport arts and crafts, ideal for preschool or home learning, you can teach your little learners how they work and how they’re involved in the community.

For more arts and crafts ideas, try these other popular posts:

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School Bus Craft – Template Included

Popsicle Stick Tractor Preschool Farm Craft

For some easy fun with popsicle sticks try this list of no-prep toddler activities to do at home .

Recycled Paper Tube Train

School Bus Shape Craft

Snowplow Craft with Moveable Parts

Construction Zone Sensory Bean Box

For more sensory fun of the minimal mess variety, try one of these dry messy play ideas . Or if you’re not afraid of a little bit of wet and stickiness, try one of these easy sensory activities or how about some finger painting ?

Train Craft & Math Activity

This is another shape-based craft and activity, ideal for preschoolers and toddlers with shape and number recognition as well as counting practice,

Cut your shapes out of construction paper, then have your little learners piece them together to make the train engine. Write numbers onto rectangular blocks – the task is then to recognize the number and place them in the correct order.

Finally, stick the wheels on – some old bottle tops. A great art and craft idea for a transport theme, my two really enjoyed this one.

Truck Popsicle Stick Ornaments

These Christmas-themed popsicle stick ornaments will get everyone in the festive mood.

Truck popsicle stick ornaments from littleproblemsolvers.

For more cute and easy ornaments, check out these adorable Christmas tree ornaments for kids to make.

Air Transportation Crafts for Preschool

Paper airplanes are a hit with young children, but guess what? There are lots of different ways to make the “best airplane” that are both easy and fun for preschoolers. You’re sure to enjoy watching your 2, 3 and 4-year-olds zooming around the house afterward!

STEM Adventures with Dragon Paper Airplanes

Dr Seuss Hot Air Balloon Craft

Easy Straw Rockets with FREE Printable

Airplane Toilet Paper Roll Craft

Rocket Craft for Preschoolers

Paper straw rocket craft

Either you print out a rocket template or have your toddler draw one, this paper straw rocket craft will still be as fun.

Paper straw rocket craft from le.club.des.bidouilleur s via Instagram

Toilet Paper Roll Airplane Craft

Another easy airplane toilet paper roll craft, but this one you paint and then decorate – sure to get your preschoolers creativity going.

Toilet paper roll airplane from hekolbeekboys.

Popsicle Stick Helicopter

Help your toddler or preschooler make a cute airplane using glue, clothespins, and popsicle sticks. For a little less mess, simply skip the painting.

Popsicle stick helicopter from playideas.

Egg Carton Mini Copters

Turn an egg carton into cute mini helicopters. This easy DIY toy and transportation craft is a fabulous way to recycle your old egg cartons and would definitely keep my helipcoper-loving preschooler busy for hours!

Egg carton mini copters from playbahrain

Easy Serviette Parachute

I kept my toddlers and preschoolers busy for several afternoons by making a simple serviette parachute.

Tape some string or yarn to each corner of the fabric with some painter’s tape. And for the weight, let them choose their favorite character – Playmobil people are perfect.

My two loved this one and regularly asked to make more and more. A good STEM activity too – you can really make them fly far.

You’ll find plenty more tried and tested activities for outside in this list of easy outdoor activities for preschoolers .

Rocket Ship Name Craft

This transportation craft is an easy name and letter recognition activity for preschoolers. Cut out shapes from construction paper and add the relevant letters to each, then, have them put them together in the correct sequence to form their rocket.

Pretty sure your toddlers will enjoy this – just like my kids did – and they make a great keepsake too.

DIY Rocket Ship Juice Box

My preschooler became a little obsessed with rockets when we were learning about transportation at “school with Mommy”. This rocket craft is hardly Pinterest-worthy, but he loved it and played with his creation (which was mainly my creation) for hours.

Just goes to show that the best crafts aren’t necessarily the prettiest! The body of the rocket is made from a juice box and we used cardboard to make the cone on the top and the legs of the ship.

The yellow tissue paper flame was the final, and very important (!), addition. Such a fun air transportation theme craft for preschoolers.

Water Transportation Crafts for Preschoolers

How do ships sail? How deep can a submarine go underwater? What makes a boat float? So many things for your preschooler to learn and experiment with! Let your preschoolers explore different means of water transportation with these fun-filled arts and crafts.

Sponge Boat Craft

Sail away with this fun water transportation craft for 2 and 3-year-olds. All you need is a sponge, popsicle stick, some markers and cardboard. With that all set, your preschooler will be ready to set sail!

Boat craft from artia_crafts.

Potato Stamp Boat

Make cute sailboat art using potatoes. Just dip them in different colors and press them onto the blue cardstock to make adorable boats. It’s a great summer activity that’ll make potato stamping super fun!

Potato stamp boat from ourkidthings.

Footprint Sailboat Craft

Use your toddler’s footprints to make this cute sailboat artwork. You will need a bit of time and patience to get a good footprint but if the outcome is as good as those above, this water transportation craft for preschoolers will be so worth it.

(Make sure you use baby-safe paints for hand and footprint crafts.)

Foot print sailboat craft from preschoolactivities.

You could also turn this into a cute birthday card for someone who likes boats or loves sailing. Check out these handprint and footprint birthday cards for more inspiration.

Egg Carton Sailboat

Upcycle egg cartons to make sailboats that your toddler or preschooler can decorate. They’re then sure to have fun boarding their favorite characters to their boat and setting them sail.

Egg carton sailboat from ourtripswithtwo

Rocking Boat Paper Craft with Video Tutorial

DIY Propeller Boat

For preschoolers who are fascinated by understanding how things work, this boat STEM activity is sure to engage. Fill the bathtub and see how far watch this cute boat can go! Lots to learn with this fun transportation craft.

DIY propeller boat from toddler_ed.

Edible Boat Craft

Here’s another fun way toddlers can learn about water transportation. It’s a tasty boat lunch made out of watermelon, cheese, pretzels, and some salami. This is also a great way of getting them involved in helping them prep the lunch and try new foods.

Boat lunch from creative_cub_and_playful_pup.

DIY Floating Egg Carton Boats

Here’s another fun water transportation craft I did with my preschoolers. Similar to the boat egg carton craft above, but again, much less picture-worthy. We wrapped the egg cartons in tin-foil to make them water-tight.

My preschoolers and their friends enjoyed blowing them across the water-filled plastic shell. Lots of learning opportunities here, making it perfect for a transport theme.

Best taken outside, this is one of many simple outdoor activities we’ve tried.

Paper Plate Transport Crafts

Paper plates are cheap and so versatile – there are so many crafts and activities you can do with them. We’ve enjoyed many a paper plate craft in our house. (These paper plate Santa faces were a hit!)

So here are some fun transportation crafts for preschoolers made with paper plates.

Paper Plate Plane in the Clouds

Rocking Paper Plate Submarine Craft

This rocking paper plate submarine is a great water transportation craft for preschool. This is so simple! Just use a paper plate for the base, yellow paint for the submarine, and blue tissue paper for the ocean.

Ripping the tissue paper into pieces and gluing them onto the plate will be a good test of fine motor and a fun sensory activity. There are so many easy ways to stimulate their senses using simple materials.

Rocking paper plate submarine craft from redtedart.

Paper plate cars

These paper plate car crafts for toddlers and preschoolers look easy and fun. Cut the plates in half first and you have your basic car shape. Spread glue or paint and then decorate.

Paper plate cars from Artlabtry via Instagram

Easy Fire Truck Paper Plate Craft

Here’s a simple fire truck paper plate craft for preschoolers. Start by having them paint the paper plate red. Once dry, add the different parts of the truck.

Fire truck paper plate craft from myparentsjob.

Police Car Craft

Introduce community helpers through this police car craft.  It’s a simple transportation craft activity that your 3-year-olds will enjoy.

Police car craft from teachingtinyhumansabcs.

ACCESSORY arts and crafts for your transport-theme

DIY Paper Tunnel

With colored construction papes and decorative tape you can create these DIY paper tunnels for toy cars. Have your preschooler decorate them if they want to. Pretty sure this activity will keep them busy!

DIY paper tunnel from mycrafty_home.

DIY Cardboard Toy Car Parking Garage

DIY Cardboard Parking Garage

Painters Tape Tracks

Simple and Fun DIY Cardboard Car Wash

Which transport-themed craft will you start first.

So there you go – 50 different fun and easy transportation crafts for preschool. There are so many ideas, from rocket ships, submarines and trucks to train and car art projects, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

Time to crank it up a notch and get crafting!

_______________________________________________

Looking for more fun and engaging activities for little ones? Check out these popular posts:

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Around the World From Home: Travel Theme Preschool Activities

Wishing you could get out and travel…but can’t? Looking to introduce travel to your littles or classroom? Find our favorite around the world activities and travel theme preschool crafts to spark wanderlust from home.

Disclosure : This site contains affiliate links for products and services I recommend. When you make a purchase through an affiliate link, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. Read our full disclosure here.

As much as I’d love to travel all the time, I can’t.

We have jobs. Travel isn’t cheap. My kids are a handful to deal with. Sometimes things just happen and you’re stuck at home!

But who says you need to put the travel bug on the shelf?

Travel, adventure, and having some sort of understanding of the vastness of the world is part of our everyday lives, too. We continue to teach about and introduce travel and culture, even from home.

From reading books, to doing map puzzles, to learning languages, our hearts and minds are often immersed in worlds way beyond our living room windows.

Whether you’re looking to fill the days stuck at home or simply wanting to introduce new places and cultures for later, you’ll love the suggestions below.

I’m sharing my favorite theme activities, preschool crafts, and DIY adventures so you can travel around the world without leaving your home.

After reaching out, five travel and family bloggers submitted their favorite travel activities for kids. You’ll find their incredible suggestions, as well.

So, go beat the boredom and start sparking that wanderlust with your kids.

Adventure Around the World with these Travel Theme Preschool Activities

Read some travel books.

My librarian years haven’t failed me yet.

I may be home with my kids now, but in a past life, I planned hundreds, if not thousands, of children’s storytimes. I adored taking kids around the world through stories, and then following it up with preschool crafts and on theme activities.

With library books, digital resources, and even materials you may have at home, you can easily recreate a travel themed book-venture.

Reading books about and set around the world is great for prepping your kids – whether they’re in preschool or high school – for an upcoming trip. Even with no travel plans, though, introducing a lesson on a specific country, keeps their views of the world vast!

Teach Kids to Navigate With Analog Wayfinding

Are you dreaming of fun family hikes? Exploring forested trails, splashing through creek…wait, the phone with the trails map just fell in that stream!

Did this dream hike just turn into a nightmare? In a GPS world, adventurous families still go off-grid (sometimes on purpose, sometimes by accident).

Kids of all ages can navigate without digital devices—it’s a life skill best learned before getting lost on a trail. Here are three ways to begin wayfinding:

• Look for Landmarks: In the car or on bike rides, even preschoolers can navigate the way home. Asking “Which way should we go from here? How do you know?” trains them to pay attention to landmarks. Older kids can take on trail-boss responsibilities, in charge of the rout out and back.
• Get Comfortable with Paper Maps: Drawing maps is more than a fun art project—it helps kids internalize spaces. Start small, drawing the neighborhood. Include favorite places—even the dog’s! Work up to reading printed maps symbols and identifying hills and valleys by topo lines.
• Compass Games in the Backyard Develop Orienteering Skills: Start with basic skills like holding the compass flat so the needle floats freely. To find magnetic north, hold the compass straight and turn until the needle points to N (red goes in the shed!) Low-tech geocaches and treasure hunts are a fun way to grow orienteering skills. Most importantly, stash a compass in each backpack, ready for the next real adventure!

*Submitted by Suzanne from Blue Planet Travels .

Go on a Home Safari

Our DIY home safari adventure was one of my finer ideas as a parent. You know you’re winning when something keeps your kids engaged for more than 20 minutes.

The best part about this adventure, was that I didn’t really need to do much. My son has a safari play set, so we simply pulled it out and highlighted the safari theme with other books and activities.

Some of his favorite add-ons were putting animal stickers on his map and watching a virtual safari on our TV.

Even if you don’t own a safari play set, this is easy to recreate with a few stuffed animals and books or DIY flashcards.

Create a Travel Vision Board

Kids can get excited about travel without ever leaving home by designing a travel vision board. Vision boards are a crafty and creative way to spark kids’ dreams about future fun trips and adventures.

Creating a travel vision board simply consists of cutting out inspiring words and pictures of places you’d like to visit from magazines – or printing some off the internet – and pasting them on to poster board.

My daughter likes to customize her visual creations using crayons, markers or colored pencils, decorating with stickers and glitter, designing borders around each picture and including fun quotes.

Young children may need a little help getting their imagination rolling. You can ask questions like “if you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? What would you do while there?”

Let children run wild with their ideas. Are they dreaming of an Arctic dogsledding adventure in their future? A visit to a theme park or waterpark? Or maybe a trip to Italy for pizza and gelato?

Whether children tailor their board for ultimate bucket-list destinations or for upcoming family trips, designing a travel vision board helps kids visualize and look forward to future exciting experiences.

*Submitted by Deanne from Scenic and Savvy .

Play Travel Related Board Games

One of my favorite indoor activities for young children is to play board games.

A travel-themed board game young children particularly like is Ticket To Ride First Journey. It is suitable for ages 6 and up. You can either purchase the Europe or United States of America map. The goal of the game is to be the first player to complete six Tickets. You complete a Ticket when you have built a continuous line of trains between the two cities printed on your Ticket. The map, pieces and cards are all bright and colorful, which will appeal to young children. It inspires children to travel to and visit different cities in Europe or the United States of America, depending on which version you purchase. 

Another favourite travel-themed board game for young children is My First Carcassonne, which is suitable for ages 4 and up. The first player to place all their meeples down wins the game. The game consists of placing a tile down to build the medieval city of Carcassonne in France. You can place a meeple down when you close a street. The tiles and meeples are also bright and colourful like Ticket to Ride First Journey. The tiles fit together no matter the placement, which makes it easy for little ones.

Playing board games is a fantastic travel activity to do at home with young children.

*Submitted by Clara of Petite Capsule. Check out her roundup of indoor activities for babies for more at home ideas.

Learn a New Language

Learning a new language has never been as popular as it is right now! Experts all agree that the younger children learn a new language, the more easily they will learn it fluently and remember it throughout their lives.

Not only will it strengthen their brains, but it will also help them to understand other cultures. If your family can’t travel, you might as well learn.

Fortunately, there are several ways to help your children learn a language – even if you don’t know the language yourself. There are tons of apps out there for a variety of age groups.

My personal favorite is Mondly Kids. It covers a multitude of languages and uses sounds and pictures (in addition to words) so children who can’t read can still learn. This would be good for children about 4 to 10, but I have known 2-year-olds who could have figured it out. If you help them learn how to use the app for a few levels, most kids will pick it up pretty quickly.

Different apps have different features, so be sure to explore your options. Any type of helpful app will have music, stories, or videos in another language. YouTube has tons of options, but there may be better apps for specific languages.

While immersing your child in the language (without any English words during learning), bilingual videos also have their perks. Since children under 3 are still learning English, it doesn’t hurt to sing songs that teach them words for both languages.

* Submitted by Raquel of Meals and Mile Markers. Check out more of her recommendations to feed your wanderlust from home.

Camp in Your Living Room

Did you not grow up setting up a living room tent and begging your parents to let you sleep in it?

Why not set up a simple home tent (use a sheet if you don’t have a play tent) and transport your family to the mountains? Maybe your kids prefer the National Parks? Or the Grand Canyon.

We’ll pack some “camping” snacks, roll out our sleeping bags, read books and listen for animal sounds. Set your TV for theme-appropriate background noise!

Take a Virtual Theme Park Ride or Tour

Theme parks are a special place, especially for kids! No other destination combines so many varieties of fun – thrill rides and rollercoasters, playgrounds, candy, shows and live entertainment, animals, and the chance to meet your favorite characters in person. When we aren’t able to visit our favorite theme parks, we can experience some from the comfort of our own couch.

Make sure nobody suffers from motion sickness before proceeding .

To watch as a family, access YouTube through your smart TV, or project your laptop screen to your TV. Google has plenty of tips on how to do this if you have any trouble.

If you have a VR headset, there are many options to install virtual rollercoaster apps, which are heaps of fun, but only one person can use these at a time. If you don’t have one, there are plenty of options to play along with just your TV or computer.

Disney teamed up with Google to create a street-view virtual visit of their parks, allowing you to walk through. You can choose which direction you want to go, look from side-to-side, and, just like always, there are crowds. You may even spot some of your favorite characters around the park! Start here and just use your mouse to click through!

If you want something slightly more thrilling, there are rollercoasters you can virtually ride! To make it as realistic as possible, try clearing some space in front of the T.V, and put some chairs in front, side-by-side.

Here are a few YouTube options to get you started:

• Virtual Disney World
• Canada’s Wonderland
• Universal Studios

Best of all, there are no crowds, and lunch won’t cost a fortune! Until we can go back, enjoy these virtual theme park experiences.

*Submitted by Jenna of I Know The Pilot .

Cook an Ethnic Recipe

Sometimes I serve Ikea Swedish meatballs from a bag and call it a Scandinavian delicacy. Other times, we make curry from scratch.

My kids love ethnic food, because they’re exposed to it frequently. It’s one of my favorite family travel benefits . Recently, I’ve started trying to teach about the places certain foods come from.

This doesn’t work for boxed mac and cheese, though. Sorry.

We’ll talk about where a certain food comes from and if we’ve been there or are planning on it soon. Sometimes we read stories from that area and look at maps.

Personally, cooking is one of my favorite activities and I love being able to transport my family anywhere around the world right from my kitchen.

It makes trying new food fun and gets them excited to travel. My toddler also loves helping me in the kitchen…then eating his creations!

If you’re enjoying these at home travel activities, check out our Travel Gifts for Kids . Many gift suggestions are geared towards preschool kids, and are ideal for venturing around the world when you can’t travel!

Around the World Theme Preschool Crafts

Anytime my kids have a chance to create something or get a little messy, their day is made!

With simple craft supplies, household products, and recyclables we’ve created instruments from around the world, masks, toy airplanes, nature mandalas, binoculars, and many more preschool theme crafts!

A quick online search will yield more global crafts and activities like printable passports and flags, along with an endless supply of free coloring pages.

Typically, when we spend some time learning, reading, or planning an at home adventure, I’ll search for related crafts and activities to keep my toddler engaged and busy!

We have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to learning about and introducing travel at home. You can find our favorite travel theme crafts, preschool books, and other fun activities to take you and your kids around the world.

What activities and adventures take you around the world? How do you keep the wanderlust alive for your kids when you’re stuck at home. How do you prep them for an upcoming trip, whether it’s tomorrow or in ten months? I’d love to hear your favorite at home travel ideas.

Save these travel theme activities and around the world adventures for later. Pin to Pinterest:

The at home safari sounds like a ton of fun! Connor already gets super excited to go see his Winnie the Pooh, so I’m sure he’ll love finding animals around the house as he gets older! I like the idea of camping inside your house or in the yard too. I remember doing that as a kid!

Awe that’s so cute!! Camping inside is always a hit..it’s like they’re allowed to make a mess!!

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Gift Guide: 17 Engaging Arts & Crafts Kids Can Do Anywhere

By Author Eileen P. Gunn

Posted on Last updated: November 27, 2023

2 Compact Kits for Drawing & More

1. sketch pads can be anything, 2. super easy knitting for tweens, 3. 2 mess-free glitter substitutes for girls & boys, 5. reusable coloring kit, 6. classic crayola modeling clay, 7. play-doh to go…anywhere, 8. not-messy fun with water, 9. compact clay + an ideas book, 10. 2 crayola wonder-ful mess-free craft kits, 12. a crayola backpack for little artists, 13. kids colored pencils with a twist, 14. teens need art supplies, too, 15. here be paper dragons, 16. lots of paper airplanes, too, 17. a llama lap desk that goes where you do, pin it for later.

My first attempt to bring travel arts & crafts supplies on a plane did not turn out the way I expected. I handed 2YO Tiny Traveler a plastic box full of crayons. She spent most of the flight carefully taking them out of the box and putting them back in again.

Not long after, though, she became a kid who loved drawing, gluing, painting, covering things with glitter and playing with Play-Doh anywhere and everywhere. So I became adept at finding crafts that traveled well for every age she grew into.

Here are 17 travel arts & crafts supplies that will pass muster with both your kids and TSA security. Readers love these, too, so pack a couple in your kid’s backpack for your next road trip or flight.

Need more kids gift ideas? Try these books , gadgets , puzzles and building toys. • Also, Make Flying Time Quality Time With Your Kids

Creative & Compact Travel Arts & Crafts Your Kids Will Want To Bring Everywhere

When your kids reach an age where they just want a blank notebook for doodling, drawing and journaling, grab this three-pack of mini sketch pads from Melissa & Doug.

Each has 50 pages of acid-free paper for markers, pens, pencils, pastels, or whatever else your kid tosses in their backpack.

They’re part of Melissa & Doug’s extensive On The Go line of craft activities and toys kids can take with them anywhere.

The Creativity for Kids Pocket Scarf kit comes with color-coded needles, wool and instructions for a scarf that has a pocket for a phone, cash or whatever else tweens want to slip into it.

Tip: The TSA says some knitting needles are OK in your carry-on.

Kids. Love. Glitter. Parents don’t. And it definitely doesn’t travel well.

Skillmatic’s Foil Art kits let kids make shiny puffy stickers and use them to fill in themed scenes. And, there’s no glittery mess.

In addition to animals, the themes include unicorns, space, dinosaurs and bugs & butterflies.

These kits are small and flat. They’re the sort of thing I’d stash in my bag and hold onto for that moment when I really needed something to engage my child. Like when our plane was delayed or a waiter is glacially slow bringing our dinner.

4. Brain Games makes spiral-bound books with sticker puzzles in 19 themes including robots, monsters, awesome animals and ocean treasures .

Each book has ten pictures that can keep kids from ages 4YO-to-8YO busy for up to half an hour.

Several of my readers like these kits that feature a reusable drawing book .

The kit comes with erasable markers and a storage bag for them, stencils, and a spray bottle and cloth to wipe the drawings away when kids are ready to start again.

You can toss both the book and the cloth in the washing machine.

There are 16 themes, including monsters, unicorns, dinosaurs and a wide range of animals.

If you want to keep things simple, just pick up a pack of Crayola modeling clay . It doesn’t dry out easily and kids can do a lot with it without molds or accessories.

The first time I brought it along I wondered why I didn’t do it sooner. It’s the kind of thing that sucks adults in without us realizing it.

Tiny Traveler would make simple animals, beads and pretend food. My husband would amuse her with pastel elephants and kangaroos.

Tip : Bring a Ziplock back to keep the clay in. Once you start shaping it, it’s never going back in the box.

Before there’s modeling clay there’s Play-Doh. And these party size containers and a few molds and shapes were one of my most reliable airplane activities.

I had to cobble a “travel kit” together. But you don’t have to, thanks to this Play-Doh Create ‘n’ Go Pet Playsets .

A compact case holds four small Play-Doh cans, a rolling pin, mold and shape-cutter. The top has five more molds built in.

For kids who aren’t pet people there’s also a cupcake-making kit .

My readers can’t get enough of Melissa & Doug’s Water Wow coloring books in themes that include jungle, safari, dinosaurs, under the sea and adventure.

There’s also a set of Paw Patrol books for young fans of the series,

Fill the pen with water before you head out. As kids “color” in the 4-page books, colors magically appear.

The colors disappear when the water dries, too, so kids can use them on several legs of your journey.

My readers also like Melissa & Doug’s Clay Creations kit. It’s compact and self-contained with ideas for things to do.

School-age kids can make some cool things with it. Younger kids will be less artistic, perhaps, but equally engaged.

Water Wow and the clay are two of many On The Go Crafts sets for kids from this toy company that I’ve long loved.

For more mess-free art coloring for preschoolers, my readers also love Crayola’s Color Wonder series .

Most popular is the travel size Mess-Free Activity Kit .

Refill it from an extensive line of Color Wonder coloring and activity pads , some of which incorporate popular characters like Peppa Pig .

The mess-free finger painting set is especially clever, IMHO.

11. If you like the Color Wonder concept but want something a bit more compact for travel, several of my readers are buying this Mess-free marker set .

The compact carrying case holds 25 mini markers that only work on Color Wonder sheets. It also comes with Includes 12 pages of animals and four pages of stickers to color, plus 12 oversize blank pages.

Once, again refresh the kit with any Color Wonder pages .

This Crayola art buddy backpack is a new find to me this year. And I love it.

This preschooler-sized backpack with all the basics little kids need to create on the go: regular markers and stamp markers, crayons, chalk and a drawing pad.

There’s just enough room for your child’s favorite snack bar, which will make them surprisingly happy.

They’re likely to find other uses for the little backpack, too.

My readers found these Crayola Twistable colored pencils .

The 25 pencils don’t need a pencil sharpener to keep them sharp. The flat travel case also includes 40 pieces of paper, too, and fits easily in a kid’s backpack.

I loved the Twistable crayons when my teen was in elementary school; they were longer than regular crayons and were unbreakable. So I’m sure we’d love these, too.

Tweens and even teens will love this tube of 48 pencils from Arteza for travel arts & crafts.

They’re not-quite-round shape keeps them from rolling away. And they’re stored in a slim eco-friendly tube they can pop in a backpack.

And they can have just about any color they want at their finger tips.

For the 10+ set, Klutz has quirky and fun kits with appeal for boys as well as girls. The Flying Paper Dragons kit includes paper, instructions and other essentials.

Kid can make their flying creatures en route, then have something to play with when you arrive at your destination.

I love Klutz . They have kits for every age and I’ve never bought a kit of theirs that wasn’t a hit with my kid.

Readers who like the paper dragons are also buying this paper airplane kit from Creativity for Kids , another of my favorite brands for craft kits.

It comes with 20 two-sides pieces of paper, instructions for three types of planes and stickers for decorating.

There’s something zen about making paper airplanes, even for kids. So this is a great way to get them absorbed in a project for a bit when yuo need to.

Just don’t try flying your planes inside an airplane; that won’t land well with the cabin crew.

A lap desk like this one from Lapgear gives kids a flat surface for crafting and drawing in the car.

It’s slim enough to pop into a car’s seat-back pocket so it’s always handy. And the handle lets kids take it with them when you get where you’re going.

There’s a dog, shark and unicorn, too.

The Best Travel Crafts for Kids

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As you know we love traveling with the kids, but we also love to remember the trips we go on for years after we return. Creating travel crafts for kids is one of the best ways to remember the memories.

These travel crafts for kids can be made while on vacation or when we return home from our vacation souveniers.

I thought it would be fun to share with you some of the best travel crafts for kids so you can remember your trip for years to come! By the way, if you are traveling to the Lego store soon, be sure to pick up this free Lego Souvenir on your trip!

• 3D Salt World Maps , Kid World Citizen
• DIY Airline Ticket Invitations , Fab Fatale
• Shiny Map Magnets , How About Orange
• Create a Travel Brochure , Layers of Learning
• Packing Your Suitcase , No Time for Flashcards
• A Road Trip Mini Book , Here’s Looking at Me Kid
• Pen Pal Kit , Making Mondays
• Matchbox Suitcase , Craftster
• Vintage Postcard Journal , A Beautiful Mess
• Map Letters , Callaloo Soup
• Travel Print Candle Holders , Craft and Creativity
• Catapult Paper Airplane , Minieco
• Printable Pretend Airport Play Set, Learn Create Love
• Vacation Map Frame , Alyssa B Young
• Corkboard Travel Map , Crate
• Vacation Letter Writing Printable , Thirty Handmade Days
• DIY Vacation Countdown , The Dating Divas
• Coffee Can Travel Kit , Crafts Unleashed
• Paper Hawaiian Lei , The Crafting Chicks
• Mini Travel Playset , Crafts Unleashed
• Personalized Photo Travel Map , Cut Craft Create
• Backyard Destination Signs , Fresh Picked Whimsy
• Travel Timeline , Housing a Forest
• Craft a Post Office Playset , The Frugal Crafter
• Craft Globe Garland , Poppy Talk
• Travel Map Corkboard , Life Blessons
• Souvenir Ornament , Dukes & Duchesses
• Mom and Me Travel Journal , Art Beads Blog
• Reclaimed Map Luggage Tags , Activities for Kids
• Vacation Photo Scavenger Hunt , Crafting in the Rain
• DIY Envelop Travel Book , Instructables
• Postage Stamp Bookmarks , What We Do All Day
• Mod Podge Travel Memory Boxes , Surviving a Teacher’s Salary
• Printable Fill-in-the-Blank Trip Journal Page , Brute
• License Plate Map (you could probably do a printable version of this too), Creating Really Awesome Free Things
• Vacation Rocks , Quarry Orchard
• Road Trip Travel Packs , Design Mom

Whether it’s getting the kids excited about an upcoming trip, looking for ways to capture vacation memories or turn a staycation into something bigger, these travel crafts for kids will have you dreaming about family travel time.

Do you have a favorite way of preserving vacation memories? Share in the comments!

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11 Ingenious Kids’ Craft Ideas for Travel

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Have you ever found yourself midway through a long-haul flight, car trip, or even a ferry journey and you hear that infamous question – “Are we there yet?” As parents, we understand that travelling with children can be a joyous yet challenging experience. From restlessness on a plane to impatience in a car, every journey has its own trials and tribulations.

Children are little bundles of energy and curiosity, eager to explore, learn, and play. And that energy doesn’t wind down just because they’re on the move. This is where the challenge lies for us parents: how can we keep our children engaged and entertained during those hours on the road or in the sky?

This is where creativity comes to the rescue! In this article, we’re about to dive into the exciting world of crafting. But we’re not just talking about regular craft ideas. We’re focusing on crafts that are perfectly tailored for travel – easy to pack, captivating for our little ones, and ideal for creating unforgettable memories.

You see, crafting isn’t just about producing a product; it’s also about the process. The process of creating sparks joy, curiosity, and learning. So buckle up and join us as we explore fabulous and inventive craft ideas for your kids that are designed to turn travel time into a fun-filled, educational adventure.

The Importance of Crafting While Travelling

There’s something magical about crafts. They hold the power to transform an ordinary piece of paper into a soaring airplane, a handful of pebbles into a family of little rock creatures, or a simple notebook into a vibrant travel journal. Crafts ignite children’s imaginations, foster their creativity, and at the same time, play a vital role in their cognitive development and the enhancement of fine motor skills.

However, beyond the developmental benefits, crafting while travelling offers another distinct advantage. It turns the often-unproductive ‘downtime’ during travel into an enriching, enjoyable experience for kids. It can turn a dreary rainy afternoon in a hotel room into a cozy craft session, or a long train ride into a bustling art studio.

Crafting allows children to engage with the journey in a meaningful way. It lets them express their impressions of the new places they visit, the new sights they see, and the unique experiences they encounter. Moreover, it offers them a sense of control and involvement in their surroundings, which can be incredibly valuable, especially in unfamiliar environments.

When choosing craft activities for travel, it’s important to consider the practicalities. The materials should be lightweight, portable, and versatile. They should be easy to pack and able to withstand the rigours of travel. And most importantly, they should be capable of capturing your child’s interest for more than a fleeting moment.

Whether it’s creating a necklace from seashells collected on a beach, sketching a landscape viewed from a mountain peak, or personalizing a travel diary, crafting can add a new dimension to your child’s travel experience. It allows them to not just see a place, but interact with it, imprint on it, and carry a piece of it with them in a very personal and memorable way.

Crafting Safety during Travel

Crafting on the go can be a fun-filled adventure for children, but as with all activities, safety comes first . While crafting, we’re often dealing with various materials and tools, some of which can be potentially hazardous if not used appropriately. It’s essential that parents take the necessary steps to ensure their little crafters are safe, no matter where the creative process takes them.

Firstly, age-appropriate crafts are key. A craft that’s suitable for a ten-year-old may not be safe or engaging for a three-year-old. Always consider the child’s age, interests, and abilities when selecting crafts for travel. If sharp tools are involved in the craft, ensure that an adult is always present and active in guiding the process.

Next, be mindful of the craft materials you’re using. Avoid materials that are toxic or could present a choking hazard, particularly for younger children. Look for child-friendly materials and supplies that are non-toxic and large enough to prevent any risk of swallowing.

A crucial yet often overlooked aspect of crafting is cleanliness and respect for one’s environment. Crafting during travel isn’t an excuse for littering or leaving a mess behind. Teach your kids the importance of cleaning up after themselves once the crafting session is over. After all, a good traveller is one who respects their environment and leaves a place as they found it – or even better!

Remember, the goal is to have fun and learn, but it should never come at the cost of safety or respect for our surroundings. Happy and safe crafting, everyone!

Craft Ideas

Crafting on the go opens a world of possibilities, even with limited resources. Here are some travel-friendly craft ideas that are engaging, fun, and perfectly suited to making the journey as enjoyable as the destination.

1. Travel Journaling

Travel journals are more than just a log of events; they’re a creative outlet where children can chronicle their journey in their own unique way. Encourage your kids to write about their experiences, sketch the places they visit, and even glue in mementoes like tickets or postcards. All they need is a sturdy notebook, pencils or pens, and a glue stick. The best part is that they’ll have a personalized souvenir at the end of the trip!

The Ultimate Travel Journal For Kids

• Room for four adventures : Divided into four sections, each created to record one trip, this journal will keep kids entertained again and again.
• Relive every memory : Guided prompts encourage kids to write about their hopes for the trip, their favourite moments, new discoveries, and so much more!
• Games galore : Banish boredom with engaging activities like word searches, scavenger hunts, and crossword puzzles.

2. Wearable Art

Who said art has to be confined to paper? Bring along some fabric markers or patches, and let your kids personalize their own hats, t-shirts, or tote bags. Not only is it a fun activity, but it also gives them something special to wear during the trip.

Crayola Fabric Markers

• Creative Detail: Draw in detail on any colored fabric & watch the colors pop! These unique fabric markers are designed to work on dark AND light fabrics.
• Custom Fashion: Personalize and decorate fabric clothing, accessories and more with these fine line markers. The bright, bold Crayola colors work on light & dark fabrics, and the fine tip allows for intricate details! Includes 10 fine line Fabric Markers.

Origami is a fantastic craft for travel – all you need is a pack of origami paper, and you’re set. It’s lightweight, versatile, and can keep kids engaged for hours. From simple paper boats to intricate animals, the possibilities are endless. And the bonus? Kids will love showing off their creations!

Craft Origami Paper for Kids

• Colourful Origami Paper Kit: Our kid origami set comes with 108 pcs double-sided vivid folding sheets of 54 different patterns (2 sheets of each design) & 100 pcs practice colourful papers & a Guiding Book. Brightly coloured paper can be folded into colourful shapes, such as fruit, animals, car or any DIY art crafts.

4. Window Cling Art

This is a great craft for car or plane travel. Using static cling vinyl sheets, children can create their own designs and stick them to the window. They’re easy to remove and reposition, making them perfect for on-the-go creativity.

Create Your Own Window Art

• Design 20 Window Art Creations: Make your windows pop with 20 whimsical window art creations! Color 12 suncatcher shapes and create custom peel & press window clings with vibrant suncatcher paints that are large enough for the littlest hands to hold!
• – 5 Easy-To-Use Paint Pens & Tubes: Trace illustrations from the included instructions or create custom creations with the acetate sheet and non-toxic window paint pens to make one-of-a-kind window cling

5. Scavenger Hunt Drawing

Before your journey, create a list of items for your kids to find along the way. However, instead of collecting the items, they have to draw them. This activity combines the excitement of a scavenger hunt with the creative fun of sketching.

6. Nature Crafts

This is an excellent option if you’re travelling to a place with natural beauty. Encourage your children to gather safe and permissible items from nature – like leaves, flowers, or pebbles – and create something out of them. They could make a leaf collage, paint a pebble, or build a miniature fairy house. Always remind them to respect nature and take only what is permissible.

7. Story Stones

Story stones are a perfect travel craft. All you need is a collection of smooth stones, some paint, and imagination. Children can paint different images on each stone – it could be a person, an animal, a place, or an object. Once the stones are dry, they can be used to create endless stories, sparking creativity and enhancing narrative skills.

8. Pipe Cleaner Sculptures

Pipe cleaners are lightweight, easy to pack, and versatile. Encourage your children to create sculptures using pipe cleaners. They can make anything from animals to abstract designs. This craft is excellent for promoting fine motor skills and spatial awareness.

Pipe Cleaners Craft (200 Multi-Colour Pack)

• Great value for money: 200 pcs, 20 colors, color 10 pieces of each colour
• – Premium Quality for all 20 colours: Manufactured with high standards, our pipe cleaners are flexible, easy to band and durable. They are made with fine fiber which is not easy to shed.

9. Travel Collage

Throughout your travels, encourage your child to collect safe, flat items like tickets, postcards, or leaves. Then, they can use these to create a collage on a piece of cardstock. This craft is easy to do on the go, and the end result is a beautiful, tangible memory of the journey.

12″ x 12″ Cardstock

• The perfect start to your next scrapbooking or kids collage project!
• This package contains six 12×12 inch double-sided sheets with a different design on each, one 6×12 inch sticker sheet, one cardstock sticker, brads, and clips

10. Friendship Bracelets

Friendship bracelets are a classic craft that’s easy to take on the road. All you need is some embroidery floss or yarn, and your kids can spend their travel time creating bracelets. This craft not only keeps kids engaged but also encourages patience and focus. Plus, the bracelets can serve as gifts for new friends they might make on the trip.

Bead Bracelet Making Kit

• Great Variety Colors: The pony beads kit comes with vibrant colours and good pattern selections, providing you with a great assortment for making necklaces, bracelets, hair braids, keyrings, jazzing up backpacks as well as many other craft and jewellery projects

11. Paper Plate Masks

Paper plates are lightweight and easy to pack, making them perfect for travel crafts. Children can create masks of their favourite animals, characters, or even their own imaginary creatures. All you need are some paper plates, markers or paint, and some string. This craft is sure to spark creativity and provide a fun role-play tool.

Remember, each of these crafts can be adapted to suit your child’s interests and the resources available. The key is to have fun and use these crafts as a way to enhance the travel experience.

These craft ideas are designed to entertain, educate, and inspire your children as they journey through new experiences. They’re more than just time-fillers; they’re tools for your children to connect with their surroundings, express their creativity, and create tangible memories of their travels.

Turning Crafts into Keepsakes

Crafting during travel isn’t just a pastime; it’s a creative way for children to document their journey. With a little effort, the crafts they create can become treasured keepsakes . Here’s a guide to helping your child turn their crafts into cherished mementoes:

Travel Journal: A Personal Narrative

Encourage your child to fill a travel journal with sketches, mementoes, and notes about their experiences. This will serve as a personal narrative of their journey, a tangible memory they can revisit in the years to come. Once you’re back home, dedicate a space on a bookshelf for these travel journals. They’ll serve as a series of storybooks about your family’s adventures.

Picture Frames: Capturing the Moments

Have your children create beautiful picture frames using materials like popsicle sticks, seashells, or even twigs. Print out their favourite pictures from the trip, and let them decorate their frames. This activity will keep them busy and also result in a personal piece of décor they can be proud of.

Treasures from Travels: From Souvenirs to Keepsakes

Don’t forget about the treasures your children might collect during your travels, like seashells from a beach visit or pine cones from a hike. These can be transformed into creative keepsakes with a little imagination. For instance, seashells can be painted and turned into fridge magnets, and pine cones can be decorated and displayed in a beautiful bowl.

Turning crafts into keepsakes adds a layer of significance to the creative process. It allows your children to hold onto a piece of their journey, preserving their memories in a unique and personal way. It also provides them something to look back on and share with others, fostering a sense of pride in their creativity and experiences.

As you set out on your travels, let those creative juices flow, and watch as your children create not just crafts, but beautiful keepsakes that they’ll cherish for years to come.

As we’ve journeyed through the world of travel crafts, we’ve seen the myriad ways in which this simple yet powerful activity can transform our children’s travel experiences. From travel journaling to nature crafts, the possibilities are as boundless as your child’s imagination.

Crafting during travel provides more than just a distraction. It offers an engaging, fun way for children to explore their creativity, connect with their surroundings, and enhance their developmental skills . Moreover, it turns their creations into personal mementoes, preserving the memories of their journey in a tangible form.

However, in all this creative hustle and bustle, let’s remember one important thing: It’s not about perfection. Crafting is about embracing the joy of creating, the thrill of turning an idea into reality, and the learning that happens along the way. So, let your children experiment, make a mess, and, most importantly, have fun.

Also, remember that the magic of crafting isn’t confined to your travel days. These craft ideas can be carried over into everyday life, turning mundane weekends or holidays into creative escapades.

As we conclude, we encourage you to embrace these crafting adventures on your travels. Pack that extra set of markers, bring along that origami paper, and get ready to craft some unforgettable memories. After all, in the grand journey of parenthood, it’s the shared experiences and happy moments that we treasure the most.

Happy crafting, and even happier travels!

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Travel Crafts for Kids: Best no-mess Activities

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Travel Crafts for Kids

What are the best travel crafts to keep kids entertained on a long journey? These crafts for children are no-mess, pre-packaged, simple and easy for busy Mom’s who are packing for a family vacation. I am asked regularly, by parents, how to avoid too much screen time for kids while traveling. They are interested in non-electronic options for their little ones. Above all they need ideas to prevent boredom while traveling with kids. Travel Crafts for Kids are a great option to add into the rotation of activities to keep children occupied while you travel. In this post we discuss our favorite travel crafts for kids , to help keep kids (and their parents) sane!

Use the Table of Contents below to quickly skip to any section of this post.

Travel Crafts for Family Vacation

When preparing to leave on a family road trip or a flight with kids, parents are looking for kid’s travel activities or travel toys for toddlers. Traveling with kids means your journey will consist of activities such as craft or activity sets, printable road trip games , coloring, books, toys, travel games , sticker books, workbooks, family audiobooks , screen time, or family road trip movies , followed by  travel snacks , then rinse and repeat!

Before leaving on a family vacation I find myself on Pinterest looking at all the super cute craft ideas. I often think how such crafts would be perfect activities for my kids on our next trip. However, the reality of trying to pull together all the needed craft supplies – while I’m busy getting my family packed for vacation – means it never happens. So, no matter how good my intentions, I’m never able to pull off DIY travel crafts.

📌  Pin it for later  📌

Pre-packaged, all-inclusive, ready to go Travel Crafts

Certainly my kids love to craft, especially my 8 year old daughter. Therefore, as a busy Mom I love to order pre-packaged, all-inclusive, ready to go craft options, that don’t require any prep when I’m in a hurry. We have tons of craft supplies at home, and we spend hours crafting new creations, but when it’s vacation prep time I’ve often got too many other things on my mind.

Similarly, the intention of this blog is helping parents to simplify your family adventures. Traveling with children is challenging and exhausting, but it’s worth ALL the extra effort. Therefore, we want to remove the stress of family travel so you will look forward to creating family memories, and not dread preparing for your next family vacation.

Best 5 Travel Crafts for Kids

These are our favorite travel crafts for kids age 4-9 years . These travel crafts are no-mess, pre-packaged and ready to go activities for your next family adventure. They are lightweight and can be easily packed in a BE Family Travel Tray or in your carry-on luggage. Above all, these travel crafts are the perfect activities to  entertain your child on an airplane or on a road trip.

Melissa & Doug On-the-Go Felt Friends Craft Activity Set

The  Melissa & Doug On-the-Go Felt Friends Craft Activity Set  comes with illustrated step-by-step instructions that help to teach kids how to use the set safely and inspire creative ideas.

Also, this activity set is great for traveling, and ideal for children ages 4 years and up.

Wikki Stix Traveler Playset

Wikki Stix  is made with non-toxic food grade wax and hand knitting yarn.

Furthermore, this product offers clean, quiet, hands-on and engaging play for any occasion – in the car, or on the plane. This travel craft is a great on-the-go activity!

The kit includes a convenient, bright red carrying case for imaginative play during travel.

Paint by Sticker Kids

Paint by Sticker Kids  is available in multiple designs including: The Original , Unicorns & Magic , Zoo Animals , Beautiful Bugs , or Under the Sea .

This travel craft for kids includes everything you need to create ten sticker paintings on sturdy card stock. Plus, all the pages are perforated – making it easy to tear out each finished work to frame and share! Your child will paint their design with stickers! Furthermore, it’s simple – find the sticker, peel, then place the sticker, and watch your painting come to life!

The Original

Unicorns & Magic

Zoo Animals

Make-a-Face Sticker Pad

Create a Face Sticker Pads are available in various designs including: Characters ,  Princess  or  Animals . They include 170+ stickers and 20 full color background pages for kids to create their own face designs. This activity promotes fine motor skills and creative expression for children age 3+.

Crazy Characters

Sparkling Princesses  

Crazy Animals  

Melissa & Doug Design-Your-Own Jewelry-Making Kits

Melissa & Doug Design-Your-Own Jewelry-Making Kits include Bangles, Headbands, and Bracelets.

Each all-inclusive design kit includes at least 50 decorative stickers. There are multiple items in each kit and the simple process creates amazing results.

Therefore, this is the perfect travel craft for kids age 4+ when your family is on the go.

Also, for more great at home crating ideas visit our friends at JK Crafts who provide tons of helpful crafting tips and craft projects that your family will love!

Travel Activities for Kids

Another recommended travel activity for children is our  FREE Printable Road Trip Games . Download these games that we created, they are tried and tested by kids, to provide hours of entertainment on your family travels. Including Road Sign Scavenger Hunt, Coloring Page, Tic Tac Toe, Word Search, License Plate Search Game – and our favorite – Road Trip Bingo. Download our FREE Printable Road Trip Games HERE .

In the meantime, we hope your kids will enjoy these travel crafts and these activities will help to simplify your family adventures. Having plenty of activities to rotate between will help to occupy your child. Plan to take regular breaks to stretch your legs, especially if you’re traveling with a potty training toddler . Also, make sure you’re aware of how to avoid to motion sickness in kids to make your journey smooth and uneventful.

Let us know what travel crafts your kids enjoy that would be a great addition to our next family vacation.

And remember, let’s BE Family so you can enjoy the journey.

Until next time, 💕💖 Ruth

For more about family travel check out these posts: Audiobooks For Family Road Trips Simplify A Road Trip With Kids The Best Travel Activities For Kids Age 4-8 The Best Road Trip Activities For Kids Age 9-12

BE Family Products Inc., or (BE Family Travel) participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Using any of the links on this website does NOT cost you anything but does help us continue to create content on this blog. Thank you so much for your support and for partnering with us. Let’s BE Family.

Ruth Hutchins grew up in England and now lives in North Carolina with her husband, Doug, and their two young daughters. They always loved to travel, but once having children everything changed because family travel is more complicated. Traveling with a baby may feel overwhelming to new parents. Travel with a toddler can really test your patience, and traveling with kids can lead to utter chaos. However, travel with your little ones doesn’t have to be that stressful or exhausting. On the BE Family Travel blog Ruth shares her parenting wins, and even epic failures about traveling with kids. She provides resources to help you feel empowered to plan a family vacation and travel with your children.

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60 Transportation Arts and Crafts for Kids

Categories Arts and Crafts

Do your kids love vehicles and anything to do with machines? Here are 60 Transportation Arts and Crafts for Kids . Preschoolers and kindergarteners will have lots of fun making any of these fun craft ideas. From dump trucks to submarines, explore all the amazing machines during your next transportation theme with your class.

Disclosure: Some of the links provided in this blog are affiliate links. I will be paid a commission if you use this link to make a purchase.

Transportation Arts and Crafts

1. Paper Plate Hot Air Balloon

Turn a simple paper plate into a hot air balloon craft . This is a fun craft for young kids, like toddlers and preschoolers to try.

2. 14 Transportation Fingerprint Art Ideas

Any of these fingerprint transport art ideas are perfect if you’re enjoying a vehicle theme with your children. Check out the different ways to turn a thumbprint into different machines.

3. Bottle Rocket Craft for Kids

Learn how to turn an old plastic bottle into a rocket ship craft . This is a fun way to turn your recycling into a toy that is ready for your next adventure into outer space.

4. Car Painting

While toy cars are perfect for small world play. You can also use them to create your next artwork. Use the tyres on your toy cars to make a car painting and explore the different patterns the wheels make.

5. Traffic Light Silhouette Art

Transportation arts and crafts aren’t all about vehicles. You can make road signs or this traffic light silhouette art too. It’s never too early to teach your children about road safety and the things to look out for when you’re driving around.

6. Surfboard Craft for Kids

While a surfboard won’t get you far, it sure is a fun way to travel on ocean waves. Get your copy of this free printable template and make your own surfboard picture this Summer.

7. Paper Plate Boat Craft

Turn a paper plate into this boat craft and get ready to sail the seas with your toddlers and preschoolers. This is a fun and easy way to make a sailboat with your early years students.

8. Sponge Boat Craft

Use a kitchen sponge to make a boat craft that will actually float on water. This is a simple craft that is perfect for little kids who love playing with water.

Photo: The Craft Train

9. Traffic Light Color Matching Craft

Turn your next transportation art activities for toddlers into a color matching game too. Match the colors on this traffic light craft and help your little learners with some color recognition.

Photo: No Time for Flashcards

10. A is for Airplane Craft

A is for Airplane is a free printable transportation craft that is perfect for preschoolers. Start exploring beginning sounds or letter recognition with this fun craft idea.

Photo: Planning Playtime

11. Egg Carton Fire Truck

Turn your old egg cartons into some bright red fire trucks . Fun transportation crafts like this are the perfect way to help toddlers and preschoolers learn about fire safety.

12. Toilet Paper Tube Race Cars

Make race cars out of old cardboard tubes and race them around the living room. This is a fun craft idea for anyone whose child loves racing cars.

Photo: Thrifty Jinxy

13. Textured Name Trains

Combine craft ideas and name recognition with this textured train craft . This is a fun way to work some sensory play into your next craft activity.

Photo: The Preschool Toolkit Blog

14. Shark Surfboard Craft for Kids

I love these shark themed surfboard pictures , they’re such fun art and craft ideas for kids. Perfect for shark week, summer or transportation themed lesson plans.

Photo: Artsy Momma

15. Puffy Paint Rocket Craft

Make a rocket craft using puffy paint . You can transform any transportation arts and crafts idea into a fun new art project just by using puffy paint

Photo: Toddler Approved

16. Toilet Paper Roll Submarine Craft

There aren’t too many options for water transportation crafts, but a toilet roll submarine is definitely the first on the list. Young children will love playing with this craft once it’s been made and is ready for an underwater adventure.

Photo: Crafty Morning

17. Rocking Paper Plate Boat Craft

Make a paper plate boat that rocks to and fro on the ocean waves. This is a great way to spend some quality time with your children and make something fun.

Photo: Red Ted Art

18. Toilet Paper Roll Airplane Craft

Learn how to turn an old cardboard tube into this airplane craft . This is a fun craft project for kids who love planes.

Photo: Sunshine Whispers

19. Rosa Parks Rocking Bus Craft

Learn a bit of history with this Rosa Parks Bus craft . Use this idea for any number of bus crafts, from school buses to double decker buses. 

Photo: Happy Toddler Playtime

20. Paper Plate School Bus Craft

Turn a paper plate into this simple school bus craft . Grab the yellow paint or tissue paper and make this lovely bus.

Photo: Kids Activities Blog

21. Dump Truck Footprint Art

Turn a footprint into this cute dump truck picture . This is a wonderful way to remember how small your children’s feet used to be.

Photo: Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

22. Rocking Paper Plate Submarine

Make a rocking submarine out of a paper plate . Out of all the arts and craft ideas for transport theme, this one is my favorite.  

23. Cardboard Tube Space Shuttles

Don’t you just love this cardboard space shuttle ? Take a regular cardboard tube, add some bits and pieces and you’ll be ready to blast off into space.

Photo: A Little Pinch of Perfect

24. Toy Surfboard Craft

Now here is a different means of water transportation that your kids will love. Make a surfboard craft for your toys to ride on. This is such a fun idea for preschool and kindergarteners.

Photo: Play Trains

25. Clothespin and Buttons Car Craft

Simple is always best when it comes to transportation arts and crafts. Let your kids make their own unique wooden car out of regular clothespins and buttons. These clothespeg cars look great and are so much fun to play with afterwards.

Photo: Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

26. Paper Rocket Craft

Make a lovely rocket picture out of construction paper . All you need are several different bright colors, scissors and some glue to make this beautiful artwork.

Photo: Simple Everyday Mom

27. Back to School Process Art for Kids

Celebrate going back to school with this process art idea . Let your child drive the school bus through some paint and make tyre tracks on the paper.

Photo: Still Playing School

28. Clothespin Airplane Craft

Make an airplane out of clothespins and craft sticks. This is an easy craft project that toddlers and preschoolers will love making.

Photo: DIY Inspired

29. Paper Car Crafts

Make this paper car craft with some sponges and paint. This easy craft is perfect for when you need a car art and craft for preschool classrooms. 

Photo: Buggy and Buddy

30. Recycling Truck Art

Make a recycling truck picture out of recycled newspaper. This is a wonderful way to reuse materials instead of using art supplies with the extra cost involved.

31. Egg Carton Helicopter Craft

Make sure to save your next empty egg carton, because your kids are going to love this egg carton helicopter craft . These cute machines will be flying around your class in no time.

32. Fire Truck Footprint Art

Turn a red footprint into a fire truck artwork . This is a great project for little ones who love fire safety or trucks in general.

33. Self Propelled Boat Craft

Learn how to make a boat craft that will actually propel itself across the water . This is the perfect project for older kids who love to build and learn how things work.

34. Craft Stick Peg Doll Boats

Use craft sticks to make a boat for your peg dolls. This easy craft is perfect if you’re a fan of small world play and like to use crafts after you make them.

Photo: Rhythms of Play

35. Traffic Light Suncatcher Craft

Place your transportation arts and crafts on the window and let the sunlight shine through the different colors. This traffic light suncatcher is a great craft for the window where the colors will brighten up the whole room.

Photo: And Next Comes L

36.School Bus Craft

Who’s riding on the school bus this year? This school bus collage craft is a fun way to talk to your kids about taking the bus to school. Put their pictures in the window and talk to them about this new experience.

37. Fill a Truck Craft

What goes in the truck? I love crafts like this that also double as fun transportation activities. Let your kids fill the back on this truck craft with objects to take to the recycling center or the dump.

Photo: Craftulate

38. Egg Carton Rocket Craft

Make this colorful rocket out of old egg cartons . This fun craft looks wonderful hanging from the classroom ceiling as it whizzes through the stars.

Photo: Emma Owl

39. Recycled Helicopter Craft

Grab old bottles and containers out of the recycling to make some transport craft ideas. This helicopter craft is made from recycling and encourages your kids to use their imagination to create anything they want.

Photo: There’s Just One Mommy

40. Footprint Motorcycle Craft

Does the dad in the family love motorbikes? Make this footprint motorcycle picture for fathers day. It’s a great craft and memento for the motorbike enthusiast in your family.

Photo: Fun Handprint Art

41. Tour De France Racing Bikes Craft

When you think of preschool transportation crafts, you probably don’t think of the Tour De France. But nevertheless, those racing bikes are an amazing way to get around. Learn how to make your own racing bike craft the next time the Tour De France is on.

Photo: Play Learn Everyday

42. Tape Resist Surfboard Craft for Kids

Use masking tape to make a tape resist surfboard craft with your kids. This is a fun way to reuse some cardboard from old boxes and go surfing on your living room floor.

43. Suncatcher Submarine Craft

Make a submarine suncatcher craft that glows in the window. This fun craft idea is easy to make and so much fun for toddlers and preschoolers.

44. Spray Bottle Helicopter Craft

Turn an old spray bottle into a helicopter. This is a fun way to recycle some of those irregularly shaped spray bottles once they’re empty.

45. Bamboo Helicopter

Are you interested in transportation arts and crafts that can actually fly? Try making these bamboo helicopters with your class and see how high they can go.

Photo: Picklebums

46. Cardboard Tube Aeroplane Craft

Use those old toilet paper rolls to make this adorable cardboard tube aeroplane craft . With a few simple supplies and a bit of imagination, your kids can fly anywhere they want with these marvelous creations.

Photo: Learning 4 Kids

47. Airplane Wings Craft

Sometimes it’s not enough to just make something, you have to play with it. With these DIY airplane wings , your kids will have a lot of fun flying around like a plane.

48. Bottle Airplane Craft

How many transportation crafts can you make from an old bottle? Why not start with this bottle airplane craft and see how much fun you have.

Photo: Paging Fun Mums

49. Pool Noodle Boats

These pool noodle boats are such an easy craft that even toddlers can join in on the fun. This is a wonderful way to play with some water on those hot summer days.

Photo: The Best Ideas for Kids

50. Cork Boat Craft for Kids

Grab some rubber bands and corks because your kids are going to love making these cork pirate ships . This is such a fun way to celebrate Talk Like A Pirate Day.

51. Avocado Boat Craft

Half of an avocado peel is the perfect shape for the hull of a boat. Use some colorful paper and popsicle sticks to make the sails and you’ll have some avocado boats ready to go sailing.

Photo: Kids Craft Room

52. Twig Boat Craft

Make a twig boat craft with your kids and practice weaving and tying string. This is a fun activity for kids who love nature or building things by themselves.

Photo: Easy Peasy and Fun

53. Paper Plate Car Craft

Make your own car craft out of a paper plate . This easy craft is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers.

Photo: Real Life At Home

54. Tissue Box Toy Car Craft

Turn a tissue box into a car for your toys. This tissue box car is easy to make and it’s so much fun to have toy vehicles for your teddy bear.

55. Sponge Painted Car Art

Start your list of transportation arts and crafts with these cute little cars. All you need is some paper, scissors and glue to make this simple car picture .

56. Paper Plate Monster Truck Craft

Turn a paper plate into this monster truck craft . This is a fun addition to a transport theme in your classroom.

57. Delivery Truck Craft

Make your own delivery truck out of old cardboard boxes . This is a fun idea to add to your dramatic play area, where the toys can do deliveries around your classroom.

58. Fire Truck Art

Make a fire truck picture out of colorful construction paper. This is a fun transport art idea that will also work with a fire safety or community helpers theme.

Photo: JDaniel4’s Mom

59. Cardboard Box Fire Truck Craft for Kids

Save your cardboard boxes to make this lovely fire truck box craft . Drive around and save all of the teddy bears from fires.

60. 3D Bicycle Craft

Weave some ribbons around the buttons and strengthen fine motor skills as you go. This 3D bicycle craft is a wonderful gift for fathers day.

Photo: Kiddy Charts

61. Black Glue Hot Air Balloon

Use watercolor paint and black glue to make this simple hot air balloon picture . This is a great craft for kids who dream of floating through the clouds.

62. Paper Plate Bus Craft

This simple paper plate bus craft is a great way to get kids excited about going to school. Glue apicture of your childrens faces in the window to make this craft extra special.

63. Free Car Coloring Pages

Grab your copy of these free printable car coloring pages . Perfect for a quiet time activity with kids who love machines.

Are you going to try any of these Transportation Arts and Crafts for Kids? Don’t forget to pin the idea for later.

More Play Based Learning for Kids

74 Arts and Crafts for Kids

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Free Travel Printables For Kids: Pretend Passport

This post is part of the series We’re going On A Trip! Free Travel Printables For Kids . I have split up the original post written in 2014 because my kind readers let me know that the PDF printables were hard to find! The new links are below:

• Original post
• Pretend Passport (this post – see below)
• Free Suitcase Craft and Printables
• Free Travel Tickets Printables

Please feel free to post comments and questions below. Thanks so much for visiting!

Pretend Passport

The Pretend Passport and Pretend Passport Stamps set is a project that I created in 2014 for the kindergarten class in our homeschooling co-op. (Note: I did not attempt to duplicate real passport stamps.)

For this project, you will need:

• Double-stick tape or glue stick
• Heavyweight paper for the cover, and lighter weight paper for inside pages
• Pretend Passport Craft PDF

Click on each thumbnail below to open the PDF files and print. For best viewing/printing/downloading results, open in Adobe Reader. Opening in a browser sometimes makes the documents look scrambled.

The first thumbnail will open the Pretend Passport printable, and the second is the set of pretend passport stamps.

Terms of Use

These printables are provided at no cost for personal or classroom use. Print as many as you like! If you are linking to this blog post for a round-up type post on your blog, you are welcome to use the button image above in your post.

Restrictions: Please do not sell this document or upload it to your web site or any other web site. If you would like to link to this printables pack, please link to this blog post and not the PDF file.

Copyright 2018 Kathryn Depew

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Transportation Planes, Train, and Ships Activities, Crafts, and Games

Transportation, Train, Planes, Ships, and Travel Preschool and Kindergarten Activities, Crafts, Games, Lessons, and Printables.

Zoom into this theme to discover a well-packed arrangement of preschool and kindergarten songs, rhymes, literacy ideas, math activities, movement activities, recipes, and literature focusing on airplane, ship, and train travel. Children are given many opportunities to learn about adventuring to new places via the high seas, railroad tracks, and the friendly skies. They participate in hands-on activities that immerse them in the world of going somewhere. Along the way, they count, sort, graph, participate in oral language activities, learn about compound words, practice word recognition, act, sing, and much more. So, purchase a ticket, hop on board, and enjoy the ride! 

Samples of our transportation, train, ships, planes, and travel preschool and kindergarten activities, crafts, and games available inside our KidsSoup Resource Library.

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Transportation, Travel, Train, Ship, Airplane Activities, Games, Printables, Songs and Rhymes

Enjoy our travel and transportation preschool and kindergarten activities and ideas for all areas of your classroom. During the holiday season many people will be traveling by land, air, or maybe even water to visit loved ones. Take this opportunity to talk with your children about different ways to travel: by car, by plane, by train, or by boat. Here are some travel ideas to help you get your discussion started.

How do we get there? You will need a puppet, suitcase or bag, toy vehicles (ship, train, airplane, car, truck, motorcycle, boat, rocket ship) Place all the toys in the suitcase. Introduce the puppet and explain to children that the puppet needs their help. "Can you help me? I want to go to _____. How can I get there?' Let children name different ways the puppet can travel to the destination.

Explain that there are different ways we can travel from one place to another. Another word for it is transportation. Explain that you have different modes of transportation inside your suitcase. Let children guess what's inside the suitcase. Remove one toy at a time and discuss the transportation vehicle. 

Use the puppet to ask: "Can you help me? I want to go to visit my friend that lives across the town. How can I get there?" "Can you help me? I want to go on vacation on an island. How can I get there?" "Can you help me? I want to go to Africa on vacation. How can I get there?" etc.

Transportation Print or cut out a variety of transportation pictures (airplane, train, ship, bus, car). Have each child choose a picture and name the mode of transportation. Play some music and let children move around the room pretending to be that type of transportation. When the music stops, all children stop in place. 

Grandma's ABC Suitcase Game   Play this memory game with kids about the items Grandma packed in her suitcase when she went on a trip. Start the game by saying, "Grandma went on a trip and she took along an apple." Explain that each child will add one thing to Grandma's suitcase in alphabetical order. For younger kids, they can just name the next object, for example, "Grandma went on a trip and she took along a basketball." For older kids, encourage them to try to add the new item after reciting all of the previous items, for example, "Grandma went on a trip and she took along an apple, a basketball, and a canary." Continue with the game until all the alphabet letters have been used or play the game a little at a time.

Keep a record of the children's responses for each letter of the alphabet for a class book, Grandma's ABC Suitcase.

Free Travel and Transportation Printables and Coloring Pages

Classroom decoration.

Ride the Train! Take pictures of children's faces and create a train scene. To make the train, use small boxes covered with construction paper and add wheels. Cut out rectangle windows and glue the pictures of the children inside.

Getting Ready for a Trip:

Talk about the clothing we need to pack to go on a trip. Sing the song and act out the movements that go along with the song.

It's Time to go on a Trip, Hurray! (Tune: Old Mac Donald Had a Farm)

by Jolanda Garcia, KidsSoup, Inc.

It's time to go on a trip, Hurray! E I E I O, I pack some socks and fold them tight, E I E I O, With a sock sock here, and a sock sock there, Here a sock, there a sock, everywhere a sock sock. It's time to go on a trip Hurray! E I E I O,

I pack some shirts I pack some pants I pack some shoes I pack some underwear Etc.

Dramatic Play Area

Packing a Suitcase  Place some old suitcases and baskets of clothing items in an area of the classroom. Show children how to fold different items of clothing to fit into a suitcase. Provide time for children to pretend in small groups that they are packing for a trip. They can practice folding and packing for dramatic play.

New Going Places and Travel by Train, Airplane, Car, and Ship Activities, Games, and Crafts

The airplane has great big wings: (stretch arms out horizontally) Its propeller spins around and sings, "Vvvvvv!" (spin one arm around) The airplane goes up, (lift up arms) The airplane goes down, (lower arms) The airplane flies high (stretch arms out horizontally again and spin self around) Over the town!

Did You Ever See an Airplane? (Tune: Did You Ever See a Lassie?) Author Unknown

Did you ever see an airplane, an airplane, an airplane Did you ever see an airplane way up in the sky? There are big ones and small ones, And short ones and long ones Did you ever see an airplane way up in the sky?

Did you ever see a train, a train, a train Did you ever see a train on the track? There are big ones and small ones, And short ones and long ones Did you ever see a train on the track?

Did you ever see a ship, a ship, a ship Did you ever see a ship on the water? There are big ones and small ones, And short ones and long ones Did you ever see a ship on the water?

On the Train Movement and Song

Use masking tape to create pretend train tracks on the floor in a circle. Let children follow you around the track as you sing the song. Use a wooden train whistle to add a fun sound effect.

Here Comes the Choo-Choo Train (Tune: Itsy Bitsy Spider)

Here comes the choo-choo train, Puffin’ around the track. First comes the engine, The freight cars are in back. Now the bell is ringing. Now the whistle blows. What a lot of noise it makes, Everywhere it goes.

Other transportation KidsSoup preschool and kindergarten activities and resources:

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Travel Crafts and Hands-On Activities for Preschoolers

At Our Whole Village, we plan meaningful vacations for families who want to create lifelong memories and show their kids the world in a more conscious and intentional manner. 

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August 2, 2020

Since the pandemic began, family routines have changed drastically. Between remote work and homeschooling, it’s been a trying time. From closed pools and play areas to canceled family vacations, the summer months have also taken on a different feel. If you’re in a state with a government order to stay home, you may be spending a lot more time indoors with your family.

How do you keep your smallest learners active and engaged despite the rigors of social distancing? Check out these captivating, hands-on activities for preschoolers.

Educational Activities for Preschoolers

Crafts and activities for preschoolers should encourage children to burn off energy while mastering gross motor skills. They should introduce kids to new concepts while fueling their curiosity about the world around them.

That said, you shouldn’t have to spend an arm and a leg acquiring all of the materials needed for each project. So, we’ve searched the internet for fantastic geography crafts and activities that rely on items you already have sitting around the house. With this in mind, let’s dive into the fun!

1. Continental Bowling Challenge

This indoor bowling challenge is easier to assemble then you might think, and it’ll let you reuse and recycle in the process. You’ll need one small ball and seven paper towel or toilet paper rolls. (Toilet paper rolls don’t topple over as readily as their taller counterparts.)

Have your preschooler decorate each roll with a photo or image (taken from a magazine or newspaper) representing each continent: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North American, and South America. Use tape to secure the photos around each roll. Then, set up these continental “pins” equidistant. After that, let bowling for continents begin!

Each time the ball knocks over a continent, discuss what it would be like to visit that part of the world. Topics might include the weather, the animals and plants that live there, and the cultures, languages, and countries associated with that continent.

The original version of this game was created by No Time for Flashcards using images of family members, and that’s fun, too. But we love the idea of familiarizing kids with geography while they’re staying active. You could also do this with countries you’d like to visit.

© No Time for Flashcards

2. Ocean in a Bottle

The oil and water science experiment is one of the oldest in the book. It’s been a staple of preschool science classroom activities for many years. But that doesn’t mean it ever gets old. What’s more, when you add a twist to it with this ocean theme, your child is in for a treat.

For the activity, you’ll need water, cooking oil, blue food coloring, a two-liter clear plastic bottle, and a funnel. To avoid unwanted messes, opt for an empty mouthwash bottle if possible. That way, your mini ocean comes with a tamper-proof lid.

Once you combine all of the liquid ingredients in the bottle, your child will be amazed by the beautiful marine world inside. Get the instructions at Happy Hooligans . For precocious kids (and their older siblings), check out this article explaining the science behind why water and oil don’t mix . Armed with this information, you can describe the phenomenon as they watch it swirl before their eyes.

© Happy Hooligans

3. Travel the World from Home

With this activity, you turn your home into an adventure by crafting different “travel destination” stations. To do so, include pictures of iconic landmarks or landscapes as well as music, traditional foods, and more.

Then, have your preschooler grab a backpack and pack it as if they’re going on a mini-vacation. Encourage them to travel from one destination station to the next, learning about world cultures each step of the way. For example, you might have a French station with an Eiffel Tour image, some Madeleines to snack on, a few flashcards with handy words, and the soundtrack from Amelie.

To encourage them to learn about each location, and spend a little time there, set out children’s storybooks from each destination that you can read together. Check out our comprehensive list of around-the-world children’s picture books to get started. Or, explore We Need Diverse Books’ (WNDB) list of bedtime stories . Gain even more geographic inspiration like this from Atlas Mission .

© Wong Sze Yuen | Dreamstime.com

4. Dutch Windmill Craft

We can’t get enough of this cute craft that reminds us of Holland’s iconic windmills. What’s more, like the other crafts in this post, you can make it with items stashed in your pantry and craft drawer. Materials include Solo cups in red or blue, green and black construction paper, and flower stickers.

This activity gives your child the chance to improve their cutting skills, and they’ll learn how to fold a pinwheel in the process. You’ll also have the opportunity to tell them more about the rich history of windmills and wind power in the Netherlands and Europe. Check out the full instructions for this whimsical project at Grandparents Plus .

© Grandparents Plus

5. Pool Noodle Boat Racing

Get ready to set sail with this fun activity perfect for curious preschoolers. You’ll need some pool noodles, pencils, foam board, and a hot glue gun. You can stage the final race in a large plastic bin filled with water, have your kids head to the bathtub, or set up a splash area outside using a small backyard pool.

After cutting the noodles in half and then into six-inch sections to make the bottoms of each boat, you’ll use pencils for masts, and the foam board for sails. You can cover each sail with colorful tape to add extra pizzazz to the race day fun.

Learn more about this exciting project and check out loads of inspiring photos at See Vanessa Craft . Then, get ready to host your version of America’s Cup!

© See Vanessa Craft

Beat the Summertime Blues with These Hands-On Activities for Preschoolers

With the hands-on activities for preschoolers above, you can spark your child’s interest in travel and the world. Each project is designed to help them burn off a little energy, learn about our beautiful planet, and feel more interconnected with the global community. And don’t forget, we still have two summer camps and cooking classes for families that are interested. Find out more at the link below.

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15 Fun DIY Travel Crafts to Keep Kids Busy on Long Trips

Modified: Jan 17, 2023 by Vanessa Beaty · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

Traveling can be fun but if you have little ones, it can also be a long and often frustrating experience.

Kids can get so bored on long road trips and without something to keep them busy, they are going to be constantly asking the dreaded, “Are we there yet?”.

If you are planning a long trip, you need something to keep your little ones occupied.

Luckily for you, I have just the list that you need. I have found 15 fun DIY travel crafts that will keep your kids occupied on those long road trips, and make traveling a bit less stressful for you.

1. Fun DIY Alphabet Travel Game

2. printable mad libs for kids, 3. diy coffee can travel kits, 4. diy cookie sheet activity tray, 5. simple diy crayon keeper, 6. cute diy cozy car caddy, 7. editable family travel map, 8. fun family candy question game, 9. homemade felt tic tac toe game, 10. finger crochet, 11. diy lego travel case, 12. homemade magnetic travel games, 13. cute little matchbox suitcases, 14. mini travel playset, 15. diy travel felt board.

This fun DIY alphabet travel game is so easy to make and your kids are going to love it. Not only is it a great way to occupy and entertain them on long road trips, it is an excellent way to help toddlers and preschoolers to learn their ABCs.

And, it doesn’t require a lot of expensive materials to make. You can make this with materials that you have in the kitchen and the craft room!

Tutorial: handmadecharlotte

Mad libs are so much fun – for kids and for adults. You can print off your own and have a little collection of them that will make those long vacation trips so much fun.

You do these from your home computer and then just take them along on road trips. You can even put together a little folder of mad libs for the kids and organize them by age to make them easier for the little ones.

Tutorial: classroomjr

Don’t throw out those empty coffee cans. Use them instead to make these amazing DIY travel kits. This is a great way to upcycle empty coffee cans and it gives your kids something fun to do on long road trips.

You can fill these with just about anything that you want from coloring pages to printed games and even smaller toys. The kids get crafts and games to do in the car and you get some peace and quite on your trip.

Tutorial: craftsunleashed

An old – or new – cookie sheet makes an excellent activity tray for little ones for long road trips. They can use their activity trays for coloring, crafts or to keep their snacks handy.

These are so easy to make and only take a few minutes. You use Velcro to make them easy to put on and take off and they work well with car seats and arm rests in most vehicles.

Tutorial: burlapanddenim

You can easily sew a little crayon keeper so that your little ones can take crayons along on your road trips. Just a few scrap pieces of fabric are all you need.

You can even make a zippered section to keep the crayons safe from falling out and put in a section to hold a small activity book. I found this one on Etsy for inspiration and it’s just $10.95, which crayon sections and a space for paper or small coloring books.

Tutorial: Etsy.com

If you have little boys, or little girls, who love playing with cars, this DIY cozy car caddy is a must for long road trips.

This is a really easy one to sew together and it has a space to keep their cars safe as well as a little road section for on the road play. It all folds together so it’s really easy to pack or they can keep it right there with them on the seat.

Tutorial: thecraftingchicks

Your little ones are going to love creating their own little maps of your travels. These editable maps can be printed out on your home computer and then your kids can create their own itinerary of your trip.

Just have them fill in where you are going and any fun stops along the way. It’s a fun travel activity that makes for wonderful wall art when you get home.

Tutorial: iheartfamilytravels

Here’s a really fun game that combines get to know you type questions with candy. Kids are going to love it! You don’t necessarily have to use M&Ms, you could use any candy that has colors.

The questions are so much fun and your little ones are going to spend hours getting to know you and the rest of the family. You could customize this to answer any number of questions.

Tutorial: shescraftycrafty

Kids really love tic tac toe and they will adore this homemade felt version of their favorite game. This is a great one for long road trips.

The felt makes it so easy for little ones to play in the car and the pieces are really large so they’re perfect for tiny hands. This is a really simple one to sew together, too and won’t take you longer than an hour or so to complete.

Tutorial: childhood101

If you are planning a super long road trip, teaching your kids how to finger crochet is an excellent way to entertain them while they’re riding. Finger crocheting is super easy even for toddlers and preschoolers and you don’t have to take anything along on the trip but some yarn.

They can make any number of bracelets, headbands or other things while they’re traveling and even give them to grandma and grandpa when you arrive.

Tutorial: makeandtakes

I found the pattern for this amazing Lego travel case on Etsy for just $6.55. The pattern includes all of the instructions that you need to make a travel case for your kids to enjoy playing with Legos in the car.

There’s a section for them to build on and the case holds those little Legos perfectly in place while you are traveling. It packs easily into a suitcase or tote bag, and takes up very little space. Talk about fun DIY Lego crafts !

Those little magnetic travel games that you can get at the Dollar Store for a few dollars each are great for road trips, but this homemade version is even better. You can put this together in just an hour or so and your kids are going to adore playing with it.

It gives them hours of fun, which makes it perfect for those super long road trips this summer.

Tutorial: sayyes

Here is a cute little travel craft that your kids can do in the car and that fits in perfectly with your family vacation.

These little matchbox suitcases are really easy for kids to make and they will adore decorating them in the car. You can use stickers or crayons or markers to decorate them and there is very little work required aside from finding some empty matchboxes.

Tutorial: craftster

A wooden cigar box and a few toys are just about all you need to make this adorable little mini travel playset. Your kids could use this for playing with any number of toys from dinosaurs to Army men and even tiny dolls.

The cigar box doubles as a case for the toys so they will stay perfectly in place in the car and they’ll have hours of fun playing with this one.

This DIY felt board is really easy to make and it will give your little ones hours of fun playtime in the car or on a plane.

You just a file folder, a glue stick and some felt to make this one. Then, just cut out felt pieces for whatever type of play they want and keep them all neatly stored inside the folder until they are ready to play. This would be great for dress up dolls or bears or cars for little boys.

Tutorial: mamasmiles

From alphabet games for toddlers to great crayon keepers and even some Lego crafts, you are going to find some wonderful ideas for keeping your kids occupied on those long trips.

These DIY travel crafts are also great for planes so if you have a long flight coming up, you will definitely want to check these out. Keeping kids busy during boring times is important and it gives you a wonderful opportunity to foster some development.

Speaking of development, you should give these 30 DIY sensory toys and games a look, too.

There are so many wonderful travel activities in this list, from homemade travel games to travel kits that give them numerous things to do. You are going to find the perfect way to keep those little ones occupied for your entire trip.

If you’re planning a vacation to a faraway destination, you definitely want to check these out. They only take a short time to make so you have time to do more than one – keep those little ones entertained for the entire trip! And, be sure that you check how to pack 100+ items into a carry on easily.

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Hands on kids activities for hands on moms. Focusing on kids activities perfect for toddlers and preschoolers.

Fun and Easy Travel Journal Keepsake Craft for Kids

Activities Crafts Learning Grade School Kindergartners Preschoolers Family Travel Traveling 3 Comments

Discover a fun and easy way for your child to record the memories of a family trip or an exciting adventure with a travel journal! Use this tutorial from Alisha to DIY your own.

This journal keepsake craft is a super simple way for kids to capture their memories and fun experiences along the way. It’s also a great learning tool and keepsake for years to come.

Try these traveling activities for kids on your next trip!

Make a Fun and Easy Travel Journal with Your Kids

Capturing those vacation memories is so much fun! It’s so nice to be able to look back afterward on all the wonderful experiences you had together.

I love being able to see our adventures from my children’s perspective. A travel journal helps all of us to remember our trips at these ages.

You only need a few items to make the travel journal and the rest of the items you gather along the journey.

To make your own travel journal, you’ll need:

• Cardstock (affiliate link) or construction paper
• White copy paper
• Crayons or colored pencils
• Pen or pencil
• Optional: Freezer bag

How to Make Your Travel Journal

Once you have gathered your supplies, the journal is very easy to put together. You could do it yourself or have your child make it with you.

The cardstock or construction paper will be the cover because it is sturdy to hold up during the trip. Simply fold it in half to form a book.

Then take a few pieces of white copy paper (lined paper would work too) and fold the pages in half as well.

The number of pages will depend on the length of your trip. I decided to have enough paper for at least one page per day.

You can choose to use only the front of each page or front and back.

After you fold the white paper, slide it into the cover and match up the folds the best you can.

Then staple everything together on the middle crease. I do have a long reach stapler (affiliate link) that I used, but you can use a regular stapler as well.

Now your book is made and you’re ready to personalize it with your child.

Decorate Your Travel Journals

To personalize your child’s travel journal, they can start by decorating the cover.

You could have them write their name (or you could write it) and put travel journal (i.e. Alisha’s Travel Journal).

They could think of a more creative title and also add stickers or drawings on the cover as well.

You could also include a map of where you are going, a plane ticket, or even a hand-drawn compass on the inside or back cover.

Now pack the journal and you’re ready to go!

How Your Kids Can Journal on the Trip

What worked best for us was to write the date at the top of the page. Then, during the day I collected loose items from our travels.

I saved receipts, tickets, leaves, pictures, flowers, postcards, check-in bracelets, and other physical objects. You could carry a baggy with you to keep things organized.

Before you leave on your next trip with kids do these 5 things !

Each night we would choose pieces to add to their journals together. If we had more memories they wanted to record, we just went to the next page.

I recommend working on a page or two per day as a reflection activity of your experiences that day.

If your child is young, I recommend gluing for them and helping them to make drawings of the day, even scribbles are fine.

Then you can add a small description sentence, phrase, or word. My preschooler enjoyed tracing some of the words that I wrote.

If you have an older child, they can choose the pieces for their journal, glue them down, and write a journal entry for the day Encourage your child to use words, sentences, phrases, or pictures.

Here are some ideas of things you can include in the travel journal:

• ticket stubs
• daily drawings
• nature or animal sketches
• simple phrases or description sentences
• printed photos
• nature items
• ticket bracelets or stickers
• full written entries
• brochures or pamphlets

Don’t worry if your plan to create a page or two each night doesn’t work out. There were a few times it didn’t for us.

When we found time later, we just made a few journal entries from the last few days. We always remembered what we had done.

Just remember to collect items each day and store them in a closed bag for safe keeping.

When you get back from your trip, encourage them to share their journal with family and friends. It’s a great conversation tool and a wonderful experience for them to have something they created to share with others.

Store the travel journals somewhere safe and enjoy taking it out every so often to reflect and remember the wonderful memories made.

How do you save memories from your family’s trips?

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About Alisha Warth

I have raised my children doing activities with them. As a homeschool mom, I am always looking for ways to make our learning fun. I'm honored to be able to contribute my ideas to the awesome site that is Hands On As We Grow.

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Traveling With Kids? Pack This Bag of Tricks

Traveling with kids is not easy. Listen closely to people who do and you'll rarely hear them describe it as a vacation . Packing reserves of patience, compassion, and new things to play with does make downtime more relaxing and enjoyable for everyone involved. As someone who almost exclusively travels with kids, a bag of tricks has become my travel essential. I take mine everywhere so that I'm ready for action at the first sign of airline delays, broken in-flight screens, long car rental lines, slow restaurant service, and when I'm just not quite ready to get out of my hotel bed in the morning.

For those new to the concept, I recommend employing the parenting technique known as The Slow Reveal, which involves strategically introducing one item at a time (over the course of the trip) rather than showing all your cool stuff to your kids at once. It doesn't even have to be all new stuff — I keep things fresh by rotating through a mix of old favorites and new finds.

Cupkin Side-by-Side Sticker Books

You’d be surprised by the lack of pragmatic thinking when it comes to product design for kids. Cupkin is thoughtful and clever in its approach — as if their designers have actually spent time crafting with 4-year-olds. This sticker book is spiral bound, so it’s very easy to flip and balance on a small lap. Instead of all of the sticker pages being at the end of the book, as is standard, each themed sticker page is next to its blank scene page, meaning nothing needs to be ripped out of the book and lost on the floor of your car. Chubby toddler fingers can peel the (hand-drawn!) stickers easily — kids won’t have to ask for help every three seconds. There are themes you expect (dinosaurs, princesses) but also a few fun twists (food trucks, winter whimsy). ($18)

Mad Matter Unbelievable Dough

This super-soft building compound is a little bit stiffer than kinetic sand but easily molds and holds its shape. Stretchable and addictively squish-able, the tactile material calms kids and is pretty easy to clean up. Gluten-free, toxin-free, and made in Sweden, this is a great thing to break out while waiting for dinner to be served at the restaurant. ($13 for a 10 oz. pack)

Easy and Fun Paint with Water Book

Another good one for the restaurant, as the only other thing you need is a flat surface and a glass of water. These coloring pages are primed with paint dots that are blended together with a wet paintbrush. The Easy and Fun brand is nice because the images are nice and big and the paper is a bit thicker and holds the water a little better than the super cheap versions, which — if your tiny artist is as generous with the water as mine is — can become a soupy mess. ($8)

My First Bananagrams

Kind of like a crossword puzzle without the board, the kid version of the popular spelling game (so beloved by Fathom adults ) includes letter combo tiles to help new readers with spelling progression. Letters are colored and lowercase and come in a green banana bag (instead of the OG game's yellow one), perhaps as a clever nod to young bananas everywhere. ($15)

Ooly Chroma Blends Watercolor Paint Set

This San Diego-based arts and crafts company delivers quality across the board to its imaginative product line. Everything about it is joyful and clever. My 7-year-old in particular was psyched when I broke out this pearlescent paint set on our trip to the desert. All of our landscape paintings had a cool metallic sheen. ($11)

Ooly Window Cling Art Kit

My kids go crazy for these things and find it especially tantalizing when I let them use it on hotel windows. Each kit includes a variety of stencils, a sheet of vellum, and colorful tubes of fine-tipped glue. When squeezed out on the vellum, the glue is smooth and sticky; when it dries, it can be peeled off and stuck on windows for a makeshift stained glass effect. ($18)

Super Sunprint Kit

This quick craft will get kids moving outside. Perfect when hiking, camping, or hanging at the beach, it involves a little bit of foraging for natural materials like leaves, flowers, rocks, and shells, which are placed on sheets of acrylic paper and exposed to the sun for a few minutes before being rinsed in water. This version is slightly pricier than SunArt (which is also fine!) but I like how the subject matter shows up like a white shadow on bright blue paper. It makes a neat souvenir and is a cool intro to cyanotype. It feels like a little bit of magic. ($20)

This game is a real crowd-pleaser. Just about any kid of any age can play (it says 6+ but my 4-year-old son is as into it as my 42-year-old husband) — and age doesn't necessarily have a bearing on who will win. The picture-matching game involves observational chops and reflexes and is fast to teach and fast to learn. It comes in a spiffy tin carrying case and only involves flipping over two cards at a time, meaning it's easy to break out even in tight spaces (like a bus stop or airplane tray table). ($13)

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50 Easy Preschool Art Projects

Preschool art is much more than making a mess and is also more rewarding than the normal preschool craft activities. Just like our science activities for preschoolers , our preschool art projects are totally do-able and use simple supplies! Check out the fun and easy art activities for preschoolers you will want to try!

Art For Preschoolers

Young kiddos benefit greatly from the free use of materials in a less restrictive environment. See them create their own personal masterpieces and experience a sense of wonder and accomplishment all at the same time!

Preschoolers are naturally curious. 4 year olds love to observe, explore, and imitate, trying to figure out how things work and also how to control themselves and their environments. The opportunity to explore helps them form connections in their brain, helps them learn, and it’s also fun!

Art is a natural activity to support this essential interaction with the world. Preschoolers need the freedom to explore and experiment. Art allows children to practice a wide range of skills that are useful not only for life but also for learning. These include the aesthetic, scientific, interpersonal, and practical interactions that can be discovered through the senses, intellect, and emotions.

ALSO CHECK OUT: Sensory Play Ideas For Preschoolers

Making and appreciating art involves emotional and mental faculties. Art, whether making it, learning about it, or simply looking at it – offers a wide range of important experiences for 4 year olds.

In other words, preschool art is good for them! Yes, prepare for it to get messy sometimes but also prepare for an incredible sensory-rich art experience led by kids!

Art encourages…

• Fine motor skills through grasping pencils, crayons, chalk, and paintbrushes.
• Cognitive development from cause and effect and problem-solving.
• Math skills such as understanding concepts like shape, size, counting, and spatial reasoning.
• Language skills as children share their artwork and process with each other and with adults.

Tips For Preschool Art Lessons

How do you teach art to preschoolers and beyond? Here are a few ideas to support learning through art activities.

• Provide a diverse range of supplies . Firstly, gather a wide range of materials for your child to use like paint, colored pencils, chalk, play dough, markers, crayons, oil pastels, scissors, and stamps. See our helpful supply list below.
• Encourage, but don’t lead . Secondly, let them decide what materials they want to use and how and when to use them (make an accessible art cart or cupboard). Let them take the lead.
• Be flexible . Then, instead of sitting down with a plan or expected outcome in mind, let your child explore, experiment, and use their imagination. Secondly, they might make a huge mess or change direction several times—this is all part of the creative process.
• Let it go ! Next, let them explore. However, they may only want to run their hands through the shaving cream instead of painting with it. That’s OK too! Children learn through playing, exploring, and trial and error. If you give them the freedom to discover, they will learn to create and experiment innovatively.

Quick List of Preschool Art Supplies

Preschool art is all about exploring art techniques with a variety of simple materials! I find having a specific cupboard, bin, or cart handy with easily accessed art supplies is helpful. While young children will need help getting out what they need, older kids will love the freedom to create.

The supplies listed below are all inexpensive and readily available at hobby or art supply stores. Grab a storage caddy and create your own art cart to make setting up art projects in your classroom or home super easy.

Homemade Paint Recipes

Note: Check out how to make DIY Paint Recipes including watercolors, traditional paint, puffy paint, finger paint, and edible paint!

• Flour Paint
• Finger Paint
• Edible Paint
• Puffy Paint
• Watercolors
• Fizzy Paint
• Washable Paint : Choose a set of assorted colors in bottles or jars. Tempera paint is safe for young kids and easy to clean up.
• Watercolors : Watercolor paints come in trays or tubes and can be diluted with water for a more translucent effect.
• Paint Brushes : Provide a variety of paintbrushes in different sizes and shapes, including flat, round, and foam brushes.
• Sponges and Foam Brushes are great for creating texture and experimenting with different painting techniques.
• Finger Paints : Use washable finger paints in vibrant colors for a tactile painting experience.
• Drawing Paper : Have large sheets of white drawing paper or rolls of paper for kids to use as a canvas.
• Construction Paper : Assorted colors of construction paper for collages and other cut-and-paste activities.
• Markers : Washable markers in various colors for drawing and doodling.
• Crayons : Non-toxic crayons for drawing and coloring.
• Chalk : Sidewalk chalk or chalk pastels for outdoor or indoor drawing on different surfaces.
• Playdough : Store-bought or homemade playdough in various colors.
• Clay : Air-dry or oven-bake clay for sculpting and modeling.
• Glue : Non-toxic, washable white glue or glue sticks for collage and sticking different materials together.
• Scissors : Child-safe scissors for cutting paper and other materials.
• Collage Materials : Provide various materials for collage making, such as colored papers, old magazines, tissue paper, fabric scraps, buttons, feathers, and yarn.
• Nature Materials : For nature printing and other outdoor-inspired art , collect leaves, flowers, twigs, and other natural objects.
• Stamps and Stamp Pads : Rubber stamps and stamp pads in different colors for printing and pattern making (my favorite and great for older kids too)
• Bubble Wrap : For bubble wrap printing .
• Cardboard Rolls : Use them for stamping, decorating, and making sculptures.
• Washi Tape or Craft Tape : Use patterned tapes to create pictures, borders, patterns, and shapes or to attach collage materials in an artistic way

TIPS: Remember that safety is important when choosing art supplies for kids. Always opt for non-toxic and child-safe materials if you have young kids! In addition, include some thrift store button-down shirts as smocks!

Helpful Art Resources To Get You Started

Here are a few resources to help you introduce process art more effectively to your kiddos or students and feel confident when presenting materials. You’ll find helpful free printables throughout.

• Free Color Mixing Mini Pack
• Process Art Projects
• How to Make Paint
• Easy Painting Ideas For Kids
• Free Art Challenges
• The 7 Elements Of Art
• Outdoor Art Activities
• STEAM Activities (Science + Art)

Get your FREE printable Preschool Art Calendar!

50 Easy Preschool Art Activities To Try

Check out these creative activities you can do with preschoolers. Click on the image to be taken to the full instructions and supply list.

All About Me Collage

This simple art activity encourages kids to explore themselves as well as things they enjoy. Includes free printable body outline template to use.

Baking Soda Painting

Making art with baking soda paint is a fun and easy art activity for young kids. What makes the art fizz?

Blow Painting

Have you ever tried blowing into a straw to paint a masterpiece? Now’s the chance to explore awesome process art with easy materials.

Bubble Painting

Mix up your own bubble paint and grab a bubble wand. Talk about budget-friendly preschool art!

Bubble Wrap Painting

Who doesn’t love playing with and popping bubble wrap! Make sure to set aside your next bubble wrap packaging to create colorful stamped designs inspired by famous artist, Alma Thomas.

Coffee Filter Flowers

Learn how to make coffee filter flowers for a fun and easy preschool art activity. You could also make coffee filter rainbows .

Corn Painting

Forget the paint brushes, and try this fun corn on the cob art project instead! Corn painting makes for awesome process art to explore the colors and textures of Fall.

Drip Painting

Similar, to our marble painting except this fun process art technique involves flicking or dripping paint onto canvas.

Fly Swatter Painting

You only need a few simple materials for this easy process art activity. Therefore, fly swatter painting is great for toddlers still learning to use a paintbrush.

Ice Cube Painting

Make these really easy ice paints, grab some large sheets of paper and let the kids have fun with this outdoor art activity!

LEGO Sun Prints

Make these construction paper sun prints. Quick and easy to set up, this is a fun science activity with an added art bonus!

Magnet Painting

Painting with magnets is a fantastic way to explore magnetism and create a unique piece of art. This magnet art project is a hands-on way to learn using simple materials.

Marbled Paper

Mix up your own shaving cream paint from kitchen supplies and make this colorful DIY marbled paper. You could also try marbled paper with vegetable oil .

Marble Painting

Can you paint with marbles? Absolutely! Get ready for art that’s a bit active, a bit silly, and a little messy. Roll ’em around, mix up a few colors, and create a Jackson Pollock inspired masterpiece!

ALSO CHECK OUT: Leaf Marble Painting

Nature Weaving

Explore the natural world around you or add in some everyday objects or found art. For example, a nature weaving project also doubles as found art!

Nature Paint Brushes

Make your own paint brushes out of natural materials and test them out!

Pinecone Painting

Nature’s bounty makes a cool paintbrush in this super simple to set up a process art activity for fall! Grab a handful of pinecones for a fantastic pinecone painting activity.

Paper Sculptures

Make these easy paper sculptures from simple shapes and explore abstract art for kids.

Paper Towel Art

This fun paper towel art is very easy to make with just a few simple materials. Combine art with science, and learn about water solubility.

Rainbow Coloring Page

Use as a coloring page that is perfect for preschoolers or older kids too! Mix up some puffy paint and paint the colors of the rainbow.

Rainbow Tape Resist Art

This tape resist rainbow art is easy to set up and fun to do with kids at home or in the classroom. Plus, they will have the opportunity to learn about the tape resist art process.

Rainbow In A Bag

If you love the colors of the rainbow, here’s a simple and mess free sensory bag painting for kids. Make your own rainbow painting in a bag.

Reverse Coloring

Combine painting and coloring for a fun art project for kids of all ages. Download our free printable art project and create your own colorful art.

Salad Spinner Art

Combine a popular kitchen tool and a bit of physics for cool art and science that everyone is sure to love! Take this STEAM activity outside on a nice day!

Salt Painting

A simple to set up salt painting activity for kids. Any theme, any season, all you need is a little imagination, glue, and salt.

In addition, try these fun variations…

• Snowflake Salt Painting
• Ocean Salt Painting
• Leaf Salt Painting
• Watercolor Galaxy Painting with salt!

Shape Stamping

Painting or stamping with shapes is a fun art activity to do with young kids! Use everyday items to learn, for an easy way to teach kindergarteners and preschoolers basic shapes.

Skittles Painting

Learn how to make skittles paint and explore a simple color wheel activity for easy preschool art any day.

Snowflake Tape Resist

A super simple snowflake art project that is perfect for winter art! Our tape resist snowflake painting is easy to set up and fun to do with preschoolers this season.

Snow Paint Spraying

Can you paint snow? You betcha! Just a few simple supplies to make your own homemade paint and your have a fun winter process art activity for the kids.

Splatter Painting

Kind of messy but a totally fun process art technique, kids will have a blast trying paint splatter! Jackson Pollock is one of our favorite process artists! Give paint splatter a try, but maybe take it outside!

We also have these fun variations for you to try…

• Crazy Hair Painting
• Shamrock Splatter Art
• Halloween Bat Art
• Snowflake Splatter Painting

String Painting

String painting or pulled string art is a great way to develop kids’ fine motor skills, and strengthen grasp and manual control. Plus, it’s fun!

Tie Dye Art

No t-shirt for tie-dye? No problem! Plus, this tie-dyed paper towel is a whole lot less mess! Find out how to make tie dye paper as a cool way to explore colorful process art with minimal supplies.

Water Drop Painting

Try this simple to set up water droplet painting activity for kids. Any theme, any season, all you need is a little imagination, water, and paint.

Water Gun Painting

Squirt guns or water guns instead of paintbrushes? Absolutely! Who says you can only paint with a brush and your hand! A fun preschool art activity for the summer months!

Fun Art & Craft Activities With A Holiday Theme

Additionally, you’ll find a variety of art projects for kids grouped by season or holiday!

• Valentine’s Day
• St Patrick’s Day
• Thanksgiving
• Christmas Ornaments

Printable Famous Artist Pack

You’ll find each of our famous artists featured in our Famous Artists Project Pack 👇   including a bonus Andy Warhol Coloring Book!

22+ artists and growing with unique projects not available on the website!

~ Projects to Try Now! ~

Travel Activities for Preschoolers

Travel with a little one this summer? Luckily, there are plenty of travel activities that can make the journey just as exciting as the destination with these Travel Activities for Preschoolers !

If you loved these preschool ideas, check out more Fun Preschool Activities !

Who says travel has to be boring for preschoolers? As parents, we know that keeping young kids entertained during long trips can be challenging.

From scavenger hunts to educational games, there are endless ways to keep your little ones engaged and happy while on the road. And the best part is, these activities are not only fun, but you’ll be able to sneak in some learning too.

This post may contain affiliate links meaning I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Read my disclosure policy here.

How do you entertain kids when traveling?

Traveling with preschoolers may seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be stressful. Keeping kids entertained while traveling is one of the biggest challenges, but there are plenty of fun and educational activities to keep your little ones happy and engaged.

One great idea is to pack plenty of books, coloring pages, and crayons. These are easy to carry and can provide hours of entertainment while on the go. You can also bring along small toys like dolls and cars to keep them occupied.

Another fantastic activity is playing games like “I Spy.” These games help pass the time and encourage children to use their imagination. Don’t forget to take advantage of the scenery outside the window, pointing out interesting things along the way and making the journey feel like an adventure.

Taking breaks along the way so kids can use the washroom and stretch their legs outside is always a good plan to get them tired before you have to continue along on your long ride.

With a little creativity and planning, traveling with preschoolers can be a fun and enjoyable experience for the whole family.

Recommended Travel Books

These enchanting tales will transport young readers to far-off lands, introduce them to diverse cultures, and ignite their love for adventure. With captivating illustrations and engaging storytelling, these travel story books are perfect for inspiring kids to travel and read.

Recommended Travel Games

Keep your little adventurers entertained on the go with this exciting range of travel games! These portable, engaging toys are designed to spark curiosity, encourage learning, and inspire imaginative play during long journeys or quiet moments.

Our Travel Activities for Preschoolers provide the perfect blend of fun, education, and adventure to keep your child engaged and entertained during any journey.

Countries and Landmarks

Make kids excited about traveling around the world with these activities and printables. What a great way to prepare your little explorer for places they can visit!

Travel Mini Book for Kids

This Travel Mini Book for Kids is the perfect way to get them excited and ready for traveling!

Printable Passport for Kids

Use this printable passport for kids to keep track of the countries you learn about. Make them feel like they’re really traveling to another country as you stamp their passport.

Free Printable Australia Activities for Kids

Engage young minds with fun, interactive activities that teach them about Australian culture, geography, animals, and more.

Maps & Globe Learning with Free World Pack Printables

These engaging resources will help your young explorers discover geography, understand different cultures, and navigate the world with ease.

Activities to Introduce Your Child to the French Culture – Rock and Roll Daycare

Introduce your kids to French culture with all of these fun printables!

9 Fun and Easy Printable Activities for Kids to Learn about Singapore

These activities will inspire your little ones to explore Singapore's rich culture, history, and traditions while developing essential skills like creativity, problem-solving, and fine motor coordination.

Japan Matching Game - Raise Curious Kids

Get the kids excited about going to Japan by learning about what they can find in the wonderful country.

Fun Activities To Do While Traveling

Don't forget to prepare some fun activities for kids that will keep them entertained while learning during your trip. Check out these cool activities and games that kids will love!

Apple Tree Tic Tac Toe Game

With its adorable apple-themed design and classic gameplay, it's sure to become a favorite travel companion for kids and parents alike.

Rainbow Coloring Pages

Kids can let their imaginations run wild as they explore different color combinations and patterns with these Rainbow Coloring Pages!

Summer Lacing Cards

If your kids love penguins, they'll love these Summer Lacing Cards that will help them develop their fine motor skills!

Popsicle Counting Clip Cards

Make learning math fun with these Popsicle Counting Clip Cards you'll kids will love!

Beach Letter Dot Printables

If you're going on a trip to the beach, these Beach Letter Dot Printables will excite your kids about the things they'll see while still learning!

Camping I Spy Printables

Take your kids on a camping trip and they'll love searching for different objects with these Camping I Spy Printables!

Dinosaur Counting Cards and Puzzles

Make the kids love learning math and solving puzzles with these Dinosaur printables!

Heart Coloring Pages

If your kids love coloring, this activity will keep your little ones entertained during long journeys.

Space Counting Mats

If your kids love space, they'll love this activity! They'll have tons of fun learning about numbers with these Space Counting Mats.

Playdough Alphabet Games

Develop the kids' math skills and fine motor skills while learning and still having fun!

FREE Farm Animal Matching Game for Kids

Bring the excitement of the farm on your next trip with this Farm Animal Matching Game!

DIY I Spy Bag

Easy to make and customize, the I-Spy Bag encourages curiosity, sharpens observation skills, and keeps kids entertained.

Color Match and Clip Cards – Free Printable

Promote color recognition, fine motor skills, and focus while keeping your little ones entertained during long journeys.

I hope you found a fun travel activity to bring along for your preschooler on your next trip. So, pack your bags, embrace the spirit of adventure, and let your child’s imagination take flight with these fantastic travel activities!

More Preschool Activities

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Preschool Earth Day Printable by Homeschool Preschool

Penguin Math and Counting Activities by STEAMsational

I share educational printables and activities to help homeschoolers make learning science fun and engaging!

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'Pup in a gravel pit?' Kimberly Guilfoyle mocked for new children's book about a puppy

Sarah K. Burris

Senior editor, sarah burris is a long-time veteran of political campaigns, having worked as a fundraiser and media director across the united states. she transitioned into reporting while working for rock the vote, future majority and wiretap magazine, covering the millennial generation's perspective during the presidential elections. as a political writer, burris has had bylines at cnn, salon.com, bnr, and alternet and serves as a senior digital editor for rawstory.com..

Women in Media Cente

It has only been a few days since South Dakota Republican Kristi Noem outed herself as a puppy killer. Still, Kimberly Guilfoyle decided to release her new children's book about a best-friend puppy to the world.

It prompted questions online about whether it was a dig at Noem, whose autobiography rails against the family's dog she "hated" so much that she led to a gravel pit to shoot.

It is unknown if "The Princess & her Pup" is autobiographical in nature, but Guilfoyle claimed that it is a "heartfelt story that teaches children that it’s easier to be courageous with a friend by your side."

Noem has since doubled down on the story, explaining that it's tales like her shooting the dog that show she's an authentic leader .

Her announcement prompted questions online about whether the new book was a dig at Noem, whose autobiography rails against the family's dog she " hated " so much that she led it to a gravel pit and shot it.

“It was not a pleasant job,” Noem wrote, “but it had to be done."

ALSO READ: 16 worthless things Trump will give you for your money

Among the many questions Guilfoyle faced was from X user The United Spot, who asked simply, "Too soon?"

Another X user named David had a more specific question: "Is that a remake of ‘The Governor Shot Her Pup’?"

"Does this end with the pup in a gravel pit?" asked Cecelia .

Inside Edition's Lisa Guerrero also took part in the mockery, tweeting a picture of Guilfoyle and Noem with the message, "Either A) You’re very good at trolling or B) You should send a copy to your friend."

"If this is a dig at @GovKristiNoem, good job," Bruno Amato said . "If not, stop grifting!"

ALSO READ: Revealed: What government officials privately shared about Trump not disclosing finances

Matthew Arthur-Gray suggested that the book be read at a "Drag Queen story hour." He went on to ask, "Any chance we can have @KristiNoem also read a few pages?"

"Hey @GovKristiNoem look: one of the real housewives hired a ghostwriter to create a book about you!" quipped X user "Overheard at the Costco."

"Man, is this an example of Really Horrible Timing!!" Robert Elisberg added . "I hope there isn't a sequel planned, 'The Prince & His Goat.'"

Stories Chosen For You

Should trump be allowed to run for office, 'nonsensical': analyst shreds new maga's newest theory about trump's classified documents.

Former President Donald Trump's supporters are out with a bizarre new "nonsensical theory" about the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case that doesn't hold up to the slightest scrutiny, wrote the Washington Post's Philip Bump on Tuesday.

"There is a rumor rumbling around the right-wing media universe in which Biden and officials in his administration are accused of framing Trump on the Florida allegations. And, as is often the case with rumors that course through that universe, the claim being made is obviously not true," wrote Bump. "This one was first elevated by Julie Kelly, a right-wing commentator whose efforts generally focus on defenses of individuals charged with participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. On Saturday morning, she shared a snippet of a court filing on social media."

The court filing in question showed that an unidentified individual who referenced "six pallets" of boxes shipped to Trump by the General Services Administration (GSA), and another person who recalled seeing them and that they matched the description of the boxes of classified documents seized by the FBI.

“So an entire pallet full of boxes that had been held by GSA somewhere outside of DC is dumped at Mar-a-Lago,” wrote Kelly. “Apparently these are the boxes that ended up containing papers with ‘classified markings.’"

This theory was immediately picked up by a number of MAGA commentators like far-right filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza, noticeable for his " 2,000 Mules " documentary incorrectly alleging evidence of voter fraud in 2020. And Trump himself repeated it, telling reporters at the courthouse, “You probably saw last night that Jack Smith got caught with his hand in the cookie jar ... It was released late last night, and it’s a big story. The documents case is a hoax created by them for election interference purposes."

This is completely false, argued Bump.

While boxes of documents were shipped from a GSA office building to Mar-a-Lago, those boxes were left at the GSA office by Trump, after his team worked out of there office for several months, Bump writes.

Trump's team was just packing up boxes Trump left at a GSA office and sending them on to Mar-a-Lago, Bump reports. Furthermore, it's not clear these are the same boxes that contained the classified documents.

"There’s no smoking gun related to the material shipped from Trump’s Crystal City office to Mar-a-Lago," concluded Bump. "It’s just another unverified rumor that coursed through the right-wing narrative universe before reality could catch up."

'Makes no difference': Lauren Boebert doesn’t care if speaker is Johnson or Jeffries

In a statement released Tuesday, House Democratic leaders confirmed that they will back House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) in the face of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's (R-GA) threat to oust him through a motion to vacate.

House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) and House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-CA) declared their support for Johnson, citing his decision to pass the $95 billion bipartisan foreign aid package earlier this month.

Another House GOP hardliner — Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) — told CNN's Manu Raju that, at this point, she doesn't care if Jeffries became the speaker in Johnson's place.

READ MORE: Lauren Boebert has been canceled by her high school

Raju tweeted , "Asked Lauren Boebert about Dems coming to aid Mike Johnson over MTG’s threat to oust him. 'We are passing the Democratic agenda each and every day that we're here. We have a slim majority in the House, and it's — everything's being passed overwhelmingly with Democrat support. So it makes no difference to me if it’s Hakeem Jeffries as speaker or Mike Johnson.'"

Due to the Republicans' razor-thin majority, Jeffries' could become speaker with the help of a few House Republicans longing to get back to governing.

The Democratic leaders wrote in their statement, "For months, House Republicans irresponsibly delayed critical security assistance to our democratic allies in Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific, while simultaneously blocking humanitarian assistance to civilians in harm's way in places like Gaza, Haiti and the Sudan," the statement read. "Thanks to a bipartisan coalition of Democrats and Republicans, led by President Biden, we were finally able to meet the national security needs of the American people."

The statement continued, "From the very beginning of this Congress, House Democrats have put people over politics and found bipartisan common ground with traditional Republicans in order to deliver real results," House Democratic leaders continued. "At the same time, House Democrats have aggressively pushed back against MAGA extremism . We will continue to do just that."

READ MORE: Boebert brags about how bill she rejected will benefit 'the CO district she’s now abandoning': report

The top Democrats added, "At this moment, upon completion of our national security work, the time has come to turn the page on this chapter of Pro-Putin Republican obstruction. We will vote to table Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's Motion to Vacate the Chair. If she invokes the motion, it will not succeed."

'Terrifying but so important': GOP strategist raises alarm over new Trump policy report

Former President Donald Trump's newly revealed policy plans is ringing alarm bells for at least one conservative operative who warned Americans Tuesday they should "be afraid."

Republican strategist Sarah Longwell appeared on CNN Tuesday afternoon to discuss Time Magazine's sweeping exposé on Trump called "If He Wins."

"I got to tell you this piece is terrifying," said Longwell. "But also so important that everybody go read it."

Longwell argued that Trump's four criminal cases have focuses American's perspective on past events, which she argued could be a crucial mistake.

"The trials make us focus on sort of what Trump did before," Longwell said. "There has been so little attention paid to what Donald Trump says he's going to do in his next time."

Longwell also argued coverage is limited by speculation and "a lot of fear about what he's gonna do."

"The things that were laid out in this piece show that people are right to be afraid," she said.

Longwell noted Trump has brought an argument to the Supreme Court that presidents should enjoy absolute immunity and has joked he would be a "dictator" on his first day in office.

"It's so funny, the juxtaposition," Longwell said. "And by funny, I don't mean funny ha-ha — but terrifying the way that he says, well, 'I'm not going to be a dictator! I'm just joking!'"

But it's no joke for Longwell. She believes Trump is not playing games.

Mimicking Trump, Longwell said, "Also, let me tell you how 'I'm going to manipulate the Department of Justice and fire people who don't do exactly what they what I want and put a bunch of loyalists into the into all of these civil servant offices."

She concluded, "That is exactly what people are saying when they're talking about dictator."

Watch the video below or click here .

How Trump could run for president from jail

Trump’s manhattan trial could determine whether rule of law survives: criminologist, trump, flatulence and the last taboo.

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Airlines must cough up cancellation cash and can no longer hide fees under new federal rule

A federal rule announced Wednesday will require airlines to quickly give cash refunds — without lengthy arguments — to passengers whose flights have been canceled or seriously delayed, the Biden administration said.

“Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them — without headaches or haggling,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.

The rule from the Transportation Department says passengers who decline other reimbursement like travel credits are to get cash refunds.

It applies when a flight is canceled or has a “significant change,” the administration said.A “significant change” includes when departure or arrival times are three or more hours different from the scheduled times for domestic flights or six hours for international flights, and when the airport is changed or connections are added, it said.

Passengers are also to get refunds when their baggage is 12 hours late in delivery for domestic flights.

The new rule comes after promises to hold airlines accountable after major disruptions that made travel hell for passengers, including the 2022 Southwest Airlines meltdown , which resulted in almost 17,000 significantly delayed or canceled flights and a missing baggage nightmare.

The Transportation Department said that the new rule means refunds are automatic and that "airlines must automatically issue refunds without passengers having to explicitly request them or jump through hoops."

Also announced Wednesday was a rule requiring airlines to more clearly disclose so-called junk fees upfront, such as surprise baggage or other fees, the department said.

It said that rule is expected to save fliers around $500 million a year.

The surprise fees are used so tickets look cheaper than they really are, and then fliers get the unwelcome surprise of fees on checked bags, carry-on bags or reservation changes — or even discounts that are advertised but apply to only part of the ticket price, officials said.

Airlines will also have to tell fliers clearly that their seats are guaranteed and that they don't have to pay extra to ensure they have seats for flights, according to the Transportation Department.

Airlines for America, an industry trade group, said that its member airlines “offer transparency and vast choice to consumers from first search to touchdown” and that they do offer cash refunds.

The 11 largest U.S. airlines returned $10.9 billion in cash refunds last year, an increase over $7.5 billion in 2019 but slightly down from $11.2 billion in 2022, the group said.

“U.S. airlines are providing more options and better services while ticket prices, including ancillary revenues, are at historic lows,” Airlines for America said.

Left out of the federal changes announced Wednesday are those involving "family seating fees," but the Transportation Department said in a statement that "DOT is planning to propose a separate rule that bans airlines from charging these junk fees."

Travelers have complained to the Transportation Department that children weren’t seated next to accompanying adults, including in some cases young children, department officials said last year.

Fees on bags specifically have made up an increasing amount of airline revenues, the Transportation Department said Wednesday in announcing the new rules.

A Transportation Department analysis found that airline revenue from baggage fees increased 30% from 2018 to 2022, while operating revenue — which is from the flights themselves — increased by only half that amount, the department said.

Jay Blackman is an NBC News producer covering such areas as transportation, space, medical and consumer issues.

Phil Helsel is a reporter for NBC News.

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12 genius travel accessories for kids that will make your family vacation so much easier.

by Taylor Lane , Sabrina Rojas Weiss

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Best Kids Travel Accessories at a Glance

Remember how good it felt the first time you figured out just what to pack in  your diaper bag  to leave the house for half an hour? (Change of clothing, extra wipes and diapers, and … an extra shirt for you.) You have it in your power to feel that mastery when you pack for family vacation now, too.

The Kinds of Kids Travel Essentials Pros Recommend

Depending on the type of traveling you’re embarking on, you will need “a plethora of engaging diversions is paramount to mitigating restlessness and maintaining harmonious spirits.,” says Justin Crabbe , CEO and Founder of Jettly . “Portable electronics, beloved times, coloring accouterments, and diminutive playthings can work wonders in captivating young wanderers.”

And if you’re camping Edenburgh shares “during a recent camping trip with my kids, I found that giving each child their own little backpack with personalized items made them feel involved and kept them entertained. This not only helped them to manage their belongings but also built their independence and enjoyment in the outdoors.”

Below, reference our guide to the best travel accessories for kids to have for your next trip.

Our mission at SheKnows is to empower and inspire women, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Kiki Pure is a SheKnows sponsor, however, all products in this article were independently selected by our editors. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

Kids Travel Gear for Weekend Trips

Kiki pure a2 uv & 3 stage h13 hepa air purifier.

Travel purifiers are handy, especially when you’re traveling for a long weekend. Whether you’re visiting a humid and stuffy climate, or if your children have breathing sensitivities, this purifier will help them feel soothed like they’re at home. Kiki Pure’s A2 UV & 3 Stage H13 Hepa Air Purifier is one of the best to consider for your next adventure. It features a sleek design, two fan speeds, and up to 12 hours of battery life on a single charge (meaning: It’s ultra travel-friendly, which is why it made this list). Most importantly, the air purifier covers up to 150 square feet and is 99.96% effective at controlling allergens, bacteria, viruses, and odors. It’s great for hotel rooms, guest bedrooms, camp sites, RVs, and more.

Entertainment

Tonies peppa pig toniebox starter set.

Tonies are an excellent travel item to take with you on a long weekend trip. Each one is packed with your child’s favorite characters, like this one with Peppa Pig . The Tonies box plays stories, songs, sounds, and more, which gives little ones a break from screen time and a chance to explore their imaginations. Plus, it gives parents a break too!

Kids Travel Gear for Road Trips

Chicco kidfit adapt plus 2-in-1 belt-positioning booster car seat.

Hopping into a car that’s been roasting in a hot parking lot is kind of the worst. And shoving your kid into a hot car seat while you run around to turn on the air conditioning is a dance we’ve all performed. At least we know the breathable fabric in these  Chicco booster car seats  have “naturally derived volcanic mineral particles” so that heat won’t stay trapped there for long.

The Table Tyke Store 100% Silicone Placemat

Toddlers and babies aren’t especially well known for having the best table manners, and getting them to keep their food on a plate at home is challenging enough. This  silicone mat  provides a clean, safe space for them to eat on any flat surface and rolls up easily for storage or travel. It also doubles as a playmat and features a table-hugging bumper mat to prevent your little one from teething on germy corners. 

iClever Kids Headphones 

When you finally decide to plug your child into a screen (or audio device) to get your own vacation peace and quiet (no shame in this), we definitely recommend headphones that won’t get too loud. These inexpensive and durable headphones also feature a built-in splitter, for when siblings and parents want to listen in.

Cubcoat Kids Transforming 2-in-1 Hoodie

You don’t need to pack too many layers for warm-weather travel, but whenever your kid isn’t wearing their  Cubcoat , they can cuddle with it. They also make for excellent little pillows in the car or plane.

Kids Travel Gear for Long Plane Rides

Jetkids by stokke bedbox ride-on suitcase .

If your kid has outgrown their stroller or you’re just not taking it, you will whining when it comes to long walks through hotels, airports, and the like. This  ride-on suitcase  will solve that problem (for kids ages 3-7), and then some. It also converts into a clever footrest that many airlines have approved for use during flight, turning an economy-class seat into a first-class naptime bed.

Melii Snackle Box

Long plane rides mean the kids are going to need plenty of snacks to keep them nourished. Sure, plane snacks are fun, but there’s nothing like their favorite picks from home. That’s where the Melii Snackle Box comes in. It has 12 compartments with removable dividers, so you can completely customize the box for smaller and larger items. The lid also securely fits the box, so you don’t have to worry about spills.

PLUS PLUS Travel Case

It’s a pretty good idea to bring along at least one or two toys to keep kids occupied on vacation, but finding something that’s both compact and engaging for hours and days is a challenge. This  PLUS PLUS Case  comes with 100 pieces and a building base. (We can’t guarantee you will be bringing all 100 of those piece back home with you, sadly.)

Kids Travel Gear for Camping

Kidco peapod plus.

Whether you’re at the beach all day, camping, or crashing at a family member’s home with no crib easily available, your little ones need a comfy, safe, and shady place to sleep . The sleeping pad is built into the bottom of this little tent, and UV protection is built into its cover.

Summer by Bright Starts Pop ‘N Sit Portable Booster Chair

So you could rely on restaurants and friends to provide you with high chairs wherever you go, and then be resigned to feeding your kiddo on your lap when none is available. Or you could get one of these clever  fold-up boosters , which work just as well on the ground as attached to a chair. They’re easy to clean, light, and may even have you tossing out your high chair at home, too.

Kid Made Modern On-The-Go Vacation Journal

If your child loves art, you will always be on the lookout for an easy way to pack some art supplies for vacation. This little vacation journal kit includes pages for documenting the trip and markers, and it will be perfect to pull out during any down-time.

Experts in This Article

Stephanie Edenburgh , CEO of Bizzie Mommy and mother of three Justin Crabbe : CEO and Founder of Jettly

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More stories from parenting, rumer willis’s daughter lou is a sleepy sweetheart in a new photo with aunt scout, don’t be afraid to read to your big kids, too, jana kramer had the best response when her daughter jolie asked if it’s okay to not like taylor swift’s music, drew scott is looking at fatherhood in a new way & his video of son parker will make you emotional, a resurfaced photo of bindi irwin’s daughter grace proves there’s one thing she adores more than animals.

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The Ultimate Toy and Gift Guide for 6-Year-Olds in 2024

These creative and educational items were tested by experts and approved by kids.

We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.

So, when it comes time to get gifts for kids of this age, the hardest part is knowing which ones to choose. The Good Housekeeping Institute takes the subject of play very seriously, testing toys with the same rigorous process it uses for home appliances or beauty items . To find the best toys and gifts for 6-year-olds in 2024, our experts call in their favorites and test them in the labs for safety and durability. Then, they send the toys into homes where actual 6-year-olds can weigh in on if they're fun to use or not (and, fine, parents get to give feedback, too, but they're not as important as the kids).

The best of the best go on to win Good Housekeeping Best Toy Awards , with many of the kids' favorites taking the idea of STEM to heart, incorporating both creative and scientific elements — and others were just plain fun. But whatever they're into, you're bound to find a gift here for any 6-year-old on your list.

LEGO 100 Years of Disney Animation Icons

Disney fans and LEGO collectors will both thrill to this Seal-holding set, which lets them make Disney-inspired LEGO art that they can hang on their walls. Builders can actually make 72 different characters from the included pieces, and they can make a nine-face collage for the wall and three individual plates for others. Then, they can swap out and re-build whenever they like! Ages 6+

Crayola Light-Up Tracing Pad

They'll be making all-new masterpieces with this art set, which gives them a little help in the drawing department. It comes with various pictures that they can trace, but the real fun is when they start combining them and layering them on top of each other — adding accessories to a character, for example, or using shapes like stars to give the whole thing more pizzazz. It even lights up, which helps them see the lines to trace. Ages 6+

Pixicade Mobile Game Maker

Kids step into the role of video game designer with a set that melds the real and virtual worlds together. First, kids draw out their levels — including characters, obstacles, hazards, goals and movable objects — on paper with markers. Then they can scan their drawing into an app that'll turn it into a playable level, which they can then tweak and add power-ups. Good Housekeeping Institute testers were amazed to see their creations come to life! It's for ages 6+, but kids younger than 10 probably need adult help. Ages 6+

Fingerlings Interactive Baby Monkey

Fingerlings re-launched last year to great fanfare, and there are four regular baby monkeys to collect, each with slightly different personalities. These adorable, tiny monkeys can be brought anywhere your child goes. If birds aren't your kid's cup of tea, the brand recently released a collection of birds (the Sweet Tweets ). And, like the regular Fingerlings, they're interactive, respond to touch and and have more than 70 different reactions. Ages 5+

The Fantastic Bureau of Imagination

With this picture book, kids are deputized to be come special agents of imagination, sharing their creativity and stories with the rest of the world. The Good Housekeeping Institute testers were won over by the incredibly detailed illustrations. "My kids especially loved the labeled map of the imagination office,” one parent reviewer said. Ages 4 – 8

RELATED: The Good Housekeeping Best Kids' Book Awards

3Doodler Start+ Essentials 3D Pen Set

Introduce them to the world of 3D printing with this pen set. It creates plastic that hardens immediately but is not hot to touch! Kid testers really liked it, and even their parents noticed how much time they spent engaging with it . One note: Keep the end of the stylus clean, so it won't jam up. Ages 6+

Squishmallows

Any time is a good time to add to a kid's Squishmallows collection — they just can't get enough! And with options like this rainbow fox, who can blame them? Ages 3+

Crazy Forts

Let them build something they can actually crawl inside with this fort-building set. It comes with rods and connectors, plus plans to help them make structures like an igloo or a rocket ship if they don't want to come up with their own designs. You do have to provide the sheets to drape over them. Ages 5+

Spooner Board Pro

When they stand on this curved board, they'll be working on their balance and coordination. Eventually they can learn twists, spins, flips and other tricks. Spooner Boards come in different colors, and there's also a smaller size — the Freestyle — for kids under 4' tall. Ages 3+

Paint by Sticker Kids: Zoo Animals

When they're sitting at a restaurant, waiting for an appointment to start or just need a bit of quiet solo time , this is the perfect activity. They'll get to make 10 intricate pictures of different animals by placing stickers into the right spaces. If they like it, there are books with other themes, like pets or undersea life . Ages 5+

Air Hogs Zero Gravity Sprint RC Car

This car may be small, but kids will be wowed when it drives up the wall and even onto the ceiling! And yet, it won't damage the paint on the walls. Ages 4+

Mini Brands Disney 100 Platinum Capsule

Kids who are Disney fans or kids who love to collect tiny things will all enjoy this surprise collectible, which comes filled with five miniaturized versions of Disney merch. And, to celebrate Disney's 100th anniversary, they're all platinum-colored. Ages 3+

Nee Doh Funky Pup

Fidget-toy aficionados will love feeling these floppy pups. Just giving them a squeeze helps melt the stress away. Ages 3+

Taco vs Burrito

Add this to your roster of games for family game night! This easy-to-learn, casual card game challenges players to make the tastiest dish based on the cards in their hands. Ages 6+

Animal Thief Money Bank

Uh-oh, there's a cat burglar on the loose! If kids put money on top of this innocent-looking box, a furry thief will poke its head out, pause for a second and then snatch the money away. Users say it has a lot of personality for a bank, and it just might encourage kids to save up their coins. Ages 3+

Original Stomp Racers

This pair of race cars is totally kid-powered — they stomp on the launchers and watch the vehicles go! Players can set up a traditional race and see which car goes farther, or they can use the included ramp and see which car will fly off it first. Ages 5+

Magic Mixies Magic Genie Lamp

If kids follow the magical steps correctly, they'll be given a ring that lets them summon a wish-granting genie character from the lamp. Good Housekeeping Institute testers say their kid were really involved with the summoning process and wowed by the results. After the big reveal, kids can use their ring to interact with their genie character. Ages 5+

Cats vs Pickles Mystery Bag of 4 Bean Filled Plushies

Fans of Cats vs. Pickles or Kittens vs. Gherkins will love this mystery, blind-bag experience. When kids open it, they will find hand-sized, bean-filled plush. But will it be an adorable cat, or a dreaded pickle? Either way, with these hilarious plushies, the design will be colorful and adorable. This set comes with one mystery pack to open, containing four plushies. Ages 4+

Diplodocus 3-D Puzzle

The T. rex may take up most of the spotlight, but the diplodocus just looks cooler, in our opinion. This puzzle challenges kids to make a 3-D diplodocus that'll stand up on its own. Ages 4+

The pieces of this DIY set are actually plastic tiles that interlock , kind of like a 3D puzzles, and building them can help improve fine motor skills as well as hand-eye coordination. The kit also includes LED string lights to make each creation glow in the dark. Each kit (sold separately) can make three different projects, and when they're done, they'll love displaying it in their room. Ages 6+

Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; she previously wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother . She lives with her husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found dominating the audio round at her local bar trivia night or tweeting about movies.

Rachel Rothman was the chief technologist and executive technical director of the Good Housekeeping Institute for over 15 years , overseeing testing methodology, implementation and reporting for all GH Labs. She also managed GH's research division and the analysis of applicants for the GH Seal and all other testing emblems. 

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Working Parents, Plan for the Week with This Simple Exercise

• Avni Patel Thompson

To avoid surprises and decision fatigue, take 20 minutes to preview your family’s commitments.

As work travel and hours in the office mount, work parents are feeling the logistical challenges of making every week happen — from kid pickup and dropoff and sports practice to meal planning and doctor’s appointments. The main difficulties lie in managing the firehose of information, coping with decision fatigue, and dealing with surprises like an illness or a forgotten event. The best approach for avoiding — or mitigating — these obstacles is the weekly preview: A planning session between the core adults in the family each week to go over what’s coming. The week’s plan is documented and discussed, highlighting variances from typical weeks and indicating back-up plans for particularly tricky spots.

It’s been nearly four years since we first met Amir and Ria as they were navigating the early months of Covid with two jobs and two young children at home.

• AT Avni Patel Thompson  is the founder and CEO of  Milo, the world’s first app to tackle the invisible load of running and raising a family. She is a third-time founder building technology solutions that make everyday parenting lighter and more connected. Previously she was the founder of YC-backed Poppy. Prior to taking the entrepreneurial plunge, she spent over a decade building consumer businesses at P&G, adidas, and Starbucks. She has an MBA (HBS ’08) and a BSc Chemistry from the University of British Columbia. She lives in Vancouver with her husband and two daughters.

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I got remarried, and I'm raising 3 boys in a blended family. Kid-free travel helps us bond as a couple.

• Sara Lyle and her husband both  went through divorces and now have  shared custody of three sons with their exes.
• They let off parental stress by getting away without the kids — a tactic recommended by experts as well.
• Kid-free travel allows them to reconnect as a couple and counteract the demands of blending a family.

Last Christmas, my youngest son got me a "Wonder Mom" coffee mug from his school's holiday fair. It's red and blue with yellow stars and makes me smile whenever I see it in the cupboard. While I appreciate the sweet gesture, the gift didn't come with any superpowers. If it did, they would come in handy on school days. Allow me to explain.

My husband and I are raising a blended family with three boys — 8, 13, and 15 — who each go to a different school with slightly different start times. We have one car, so ensuring they arrive before the last bell rings requires Swiss time-keeping precision.

To beat the clock, I get up at 6:30 a.m. and head downstairs to cook breakfast for the five of us while my husband takes care of waking up the kids. Most mornings, I make a few variations of breakfast because we have a mix of picky eaters and food allergies to accommodate, and I want to make sure they have something healthy-ish in their stomachs before leaving. There are medications and vitamins to remember, school IDs and water bottles to pack, and the dog needs to be fed, too.

Once the boys are off, my husband leaves for work, and I get started on my to-dos from the home office. After school, there are pickups, extracurricular activities, dinner, and bedtimes to juggle. My husband and I finally take off for the night around 9:30 p.m., assuming there isn't any last-minute laundry to do.

Parental burnout is on the rise

We aren't the only ones with a schedule like this — to say nothing of dealing with work, financial and other pressures — which is why it makes sense that parental burnout is so high .

A 2023 study by the American Psychological Association found that parents of children under 18 reported a significant increase in stress levels compared to pre-pandemic times. To be exact, 33% of parents now rate their stress between 8 and 10 on a 10-point scale, a 9% increase since 2019.

The APA also looked at the impact of parental burnout and recommended various strategies to "enhance resilience in parenting" such as going on vacations without the children or simply taking "microbreaks" throughout the day. This can be as simple as listening to a guided meditation in the car after running an errand.

While the microbreaks idea was a new one that I might try, my husband and I were already well-acquainted with the relationship-strengthening remedy of getting away sans kids. It makes me a better mom, too. Here's what I mean.

A balance of family vacations and solo getaways

Since my husband and I blended our households last year, we've been intentional about doing activities and outings with all three of the boys to create family memories and build some lifelong bonds.

So far, we've gone on some fun ones, including a long weekend in Colorado Springs for our wedding with the boys last summer. This fall, we're looking forward to a Caribbean cruise for a nephew's wedding.

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However, between orchestrating the travel logistics to refereeing flare-ups along the way, it can feel like we need a vacation from our family vacation when we get home.

Then, there are the realities of reentry: unpacking everything you packed before, washing the dirty clothes, putting away the laundry and luggage, and catching up on all the other stuff you missed while you were away. For us, multiply that by five.

Getting away as a couple ? It's a comparative breeze. Even just staying for a Friday or Saturday night in nearby Denver allows us to reconnect and recharge, making us better able to handle the ups and downs of modern-day parenting.

We weren't together, pre-kids

My husband and I were never a couple before having kids; we were with other partners. Now, because we share custody with our exes , there are times we are without all three of our sons. Missing them can be tough, but we cherish the opportunities we have to be as "cringe-y" as we want — a term used by our youngest regarding too much PDA — and have some non-parental fun.

Spring break this year was a blast, for example. We spent half the time soaking up the Florida sunshine, seeing family and friends in our shared hometown. Then, we hopped over to New Orleans to enjoy the French Quarter revelries and basically eat our way around town — minus any dietary restrictions from the kids.

Last fall was another adventure, hitting the streets of my old stomping grounds in New York City for five days. Stay up late, wake up late, rinse, and repeat. They don't call it the city that never sleeps for nothing.

Sure, there are heart-twinging moments when we think about the boys — what they might enjoy or find overwhelming about where we're visiting — but we wouldn't trade our kid-free trips for anything.

We learn about ourselves

One of my favorite things about travel, in general, is coming back a whole new person. Getting out of your comfort zone can transform the way you think or see the world. I have experienced this phenomenon in varying degrees at different times in my life, from the summer in high school when I stayed with a friend's family in France to the seven years my son and I lived in Singapore and had the chance to travel around Southeast Asia .

There are so many places my husband and I want to visit together, and we're eager to cross them off our now-shared bucket list.

Speaking of the list, we realize we probably have fewer years ahead of us than behind us, and we aren't waiting for retirement to enjoy the here and now. It's also wonderful to know I can explore the world with my favorite person at my side, holding my hand.

Traveling without our kids is not about abandoning ship, it's about refilling our cups. Child-free vacations might not be an option for everyone, but even a staycation can do wonders.

Got a personal essay about living abroad or parenting that you want to share? Get in touch with the editor: [email protected] .

Watch: Why one mother fled Texas to keep her child safe

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