Having trouble keeping the young, fidgety ones busy when they’re stuck in the car with you on long journeys? Fret not. Here are three fun and easy kids’ games you can make from scratch. You know what they say: happy kids, happy drives!
#1 MINI MAGNET FISHING GAME
You'll need:
- Felt
- Marker
- Small box
- Paper clips
- String
- Ice cream sticks
- Magnets
- Strong glue
- Scissors
Step 1:
Fold a piece of felt paper in half and draw the outline of your marine animal of choice (a fish, a starfish, a turtle – the list is endless) on one side. Cut around the outline. Now you’ll have two felt outlines of your marine animal of choice.
Step 2:
Using the strong glue, stick a paper clip to one side of the felt outline. Take the other side of the outline and place it on top of the first felt so that the paper clip is sandwiched in the middle. Let it dry. While letting it dry, work on other marine animals – get creative and make as many as you like (or whatever fits in the small box you have)!
Step 3:
Take the string and tie one end of it around the magnet. Glue the string down onto the magnet so that it doesn’t slip off. Let it dry. If there is any excess string, cut it off. Step 4: Finally, take the other end of the string and tie it to an ice cream stick.
#2 TRAVEL COLOURING CASE
You’'ll need:
- Crayons
- Small box
- Sticky pads
Step 1:
Arrange crayons neatly in the small box.
Step 2:
Attach sticky pads to the underside of the lid of the small box. OPTIONAL: To ensure the sticky pads stay on, use double-sided tape or strong glue.
PROTIP: Opt for washable crayons so you’ll have an easy time cleaning the car if your kid leaves any marks.
#3 PORTABLE LEGO KIT
You'll need:
- LEGO bricks
- Box (e.g. an old lunch box)
- Plain white paper
- Coloured markers
Step 1:
Using the mish-mash of LEGO bricks you have, decide what exactly you can build, like a car, an animal of sorts, a robot, etc. Ideally, you want to be able to make three or more items with the combination of LEGO bricks you have. The more, the merrier.
Step 2:
Based on what you can make, create activity cards for your kid to follow. Think of it as a manual, so make sure the shapes and colours are as accurate as possible.
Step 3:
Pack LEGO bricks in the box, and don’t forget the activity cards.
