What kiddos don’t love activities that involve CARS? My oldest insisted on this theme, which all three of my kids (ages 9, 6 and 2) became super into during the pandemic, when toy car racing was an easy go-to, all day, every day. This week, we also painted with cars, made a balloon-powered engine, learning about wheels & axles, and visited the car museum. Zoom zoom!
Car reading!
Car books of all kinds!
Clockwise from top left: Cars Rushing! Honking! Zooming by Patricia Hubbell; Science Comic Cars by Dan Zettwoch; Cars & Trucks & Things That Go by Richard Scarry; Cars by Anne RockwellWe reserved all of these online at our local library
Painting with toy cars!
Deacon’s car art (age 6)
Process Art using toy cars
Materials: toy cars & tempera paintRonan’s car art (age 9)All of my boys (ages 9, 6, and 2) loved this activityCar washing station: perfect for easy & engaging clean up!
Drawing cars!
Learning how to draw cars
We love to try new things!Race cars, classic cars, trucks & moreWe always try and check out “how to draw” books relating to our weekly theme. This week’s CAR stash was a hit!
Car snacks!
My sweetie pie enjoying an apple & grape car snack created by his brothersDelicious & nutritious!Need: apples, grapes, toothpicks & (optional) graham crackers for the road
Upcycled car creations!
Using recycled items you have in the house, like cardboard, milk cartons & bamboo skewers, kids can tinker until they come up with a design that worksTip: watch a quick video on wheels & axles before getting started (see links & resources below)Go go go!Next, we wanted to try and make our upcycled cars move on their own.
We added a balloon-powered engine using a cotton candy cone & rubber bands, but learned that ultimately the upcycled cars were too heavy and the balloons didn’t produce enough force.So, we took those engines and put them on Hot Wheels and found a solution after some trial & error! Zoom!
Building bridges!
Need: popsicle sticks, wiki stix, pipe cleaners, tin foil OR whatever you have around the house, plus an adhesive (we used hot glue). See what designs kids come up with and how much weight the bridges can hold!
Easy toy car activities!
Toy car stacking! Just add plastic cups & plates for hours of entertainment
Sidewalk chalk roads!
Bring toy cars & trucks to the driveway or garage and draw roads & tracks with chalk… easy peasy!
Out & about!
After learning about wheels & axles, we took it to the streets with our scootersA loose connection, but the big boys understood how imperative wheels are to cars. We had fun!Maddox (age 2), “zooming” his favorite, Lightning McQueen, across the skate parkWheels & axles at work!America’s Car Museum!Such a cool field trip to end our week of car exploration & learning
My oldest brought his sketch book and a list of cars he wanted to findOn a mission
The museum has great kids activities, including a drawing table with prompts for drawing a “ride of the future”Fun day!
Media & resources
For more car-inspired STEAM activities, visit my Cars Pinterest page and make sure to follow us on Instagram to keep up with our easy, themed, DIY activities for kids.
Have you heard of Science Max? I hadn’t either until my 3rd grader started virtual school, and it became one of his favorite things to do and watch during the pandemic. Check out this balloon powered car tutorial and build one of your own!
We watched this Simple Machine Wheel & Axle video for kids to introduce the concept of the wheel, how it works, and why it is such an important component of a car.
My favorite kids’ podcast, Brains On, does it again with this wonderful episode for car fanatics, Monster trucks & car design.
Finally, if Disney has something on your theme, you might as well take advantage! Have a Cars (1, 2, or 3) movie night, break out the Lightning McQueen toys, and check out the official Disney Cars website. Zoom!
