Car Art Projects
Kids love things that go, so it is only natural that they should be fascinated by cars and other automobiles. Encourage their creativity with car-themed art projects. Using materials easily found around the house or at a local craft supply store, these projects entice even reluctant artists with interactive play. Spend an afternoon making cars to ride in and zoom around, and after the paint dries, enjoy playing with your artistic creations.
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Cardboard Box Car
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Younger children love to pretend they are driving, so help them make a kid-sized car out of a cardboard box. Remove the top flaps of a large box, and paint the outside with vibrant designs or racing stripes. Cut and paint circles out of the flaps for wheels, and attach them to the sides of the box with sticky Velcro; this allows the young mechanics to change the "tires." Kids can decorate a cardboard license plate with their name and favorite pictures. Make a turning steering wheel by cutting a circle of cardboard and attaching it to the inside of the box with a short wooden dowel.
Recycled Car Models
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Car model kits are available for all ages, ranging from simple wooden creations to elaborate plastic and metal models. Recycled materials are also great for making a whole garage full of cars. Encourage kids to experiment with toilet paper tube bodies, milk cap wheels, and cut pieces of cardboard for spoilers or other design elements. Attach the pieces using glue or packing tape. Drinking straws poked through the body of the car can form an axle for the wheels. Decorate the cars with paint or markers.
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Race Car Mobile
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Liven up a car fan's bedroom with a racing mobile. Cut a large oval with a hole in the center from sturdy cardboard. Paint both sides black with white lines to look like a race track (allow the paint to dry before flipping the track to paint the second side). Using card stock, have children cut and decorate shapes such as race cars, racing flags, tires and cones. Punch holes in the top of the shapes and attach them to the race track with string. Hang the race track with string from the ceiling. This mobile looks great in a kid's bedroom, but don't hang it over or near a baby's crib for safety reasons.
Fabric Play Mat
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Create a miniature universe for cars and trucks on a piece of heavy canvas fabric. Cut a large square or rectangle of canvas. Hem the ends with a sewing machine to prevent fraying if desired. Have children help paint roads, cities, garages, farms or countryside using fabric paint. Don't forget stoplights and traffic signs. After the paint has dried, iron the back side of the fabric to set the paint.
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Resources
- Photo Credit toy wooden cars image by Christopher Hall from Fotolia.com
