Kid’s Dollar Store Road Trip Activity Kit
by
Zest it Up
12 Materials
$10
1 Hour
Easy
It’s mid August and time is zooming by! I find that right about now is when I start freaking out about summer moving too fast. Do you feel the same way?? I mean, I love that my kids aren’t in school. We have time to enjoy longer, lazy days together. Everything feels a little bit magical when there aren’t a million schedules to juggle. It’s the season of BBQ’s, eating outdoors, going on hikes, chillin’ at the beach, and hitting the road for adventures. I think road trips are my favorite. I love being home, but sometimes work pulls my attention and sends me into a spiral of preoccupation (even in summer). So, road trips are my moment to carve out unabashedly mellow time with my fam. It’s time without the laptop and phone that replenishes my soul with my most favorite people on the planet.
I am big on “old school,” and love the memories that I have of talking about everything and nothing with my family as a youth while on the road. So, I tend to not let the kids do the whole screen-time thing on our trips. I want them to be present. So, I like making little travel activity kits, or kids crafts, that allow them to engage with our adventures and the rest of the family.
Photo Cred: Anya McInroy
Supplies:
- 1 easy close bag from 99c Store
- 1 container of markers from 99c Store
- 1 pack of foam sheets from the 99c Store
- 1 magnifying glass from the 99c Store
- 52 popsicle sticks from the 99c Store
- washi tape from the 99c Store
- scissors from the 99c Store
- white paper
- fabric paint pens
- hole punch
- twine
- woodburning tool or permanent marker
First up, I like to make travel journals for the kids. Take several sheets of plain old computer papers and fold them in half. Place a foam sheet on the front and back. Using the hole punch, create several holes running down the side to make a “spine.” Then, just lace it up with some twine.
Have some fun thinking of different “topics” for your journals. I went with: “Things I Think,” “Things I Draw,” “Things I See,” and “Things I Collect.” The idea is to simply get your kiddos dreamin’ and schemin’….having fun documenting what your trip looks like through their eyes. Include some fun colored washi tape, so that they can keep momentos along the way.
Another fun addition is a magnifying glass. I made this dollar store one look a little more fun with a paint pen. Just watch out for little adventurers who might be tempted to burn dead leaves…no forest fires please LOL
Using the fabric paint pens, have some fun with creating a design that you know your little one will enjoy.
Since I have two boys and a beautiful tom-boy, I went with a super simple car theme. Besides, roadtrippin’ is a huge part of who we are as a family!
Last up, I decided to turn some basic dollar store popsicle sticks into playing cards. Feel free to keep this simple by just using a permanent marker to make your card numbers, but I had fun using a wood burner. Be forewarned though….there are 52 cards in a deck, so burning is a bit time consuming! However, I really liked how they turned out. Why popsicle sticks as opposed to just regular old cards? I think they are more playful, and they are easier to pick up in the car. I like that these cards won’t get ripped or bent…and they are easier for little hands to hold.
Time to pack it all up!
I hope this idea inspires you for your road trips while you're trying to beat the heat!! Happy Summer to you and yours!!
Cheers to kids crafts and safe summer travels!
xoxo,
Chanda
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Comments
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3 comments
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Very clever! I love it! My parents did something similar when we were kids. And when we were a bit older, Dad picked up maps from AAA and taught us how to read a map and navigate. Great share, enjoy the rest of summer. 😎🐚🍗
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That is so cute love it
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