Matchbox Car Painting Activity

Make some fast-track designs with your little speedster's hot rods.

Submitted by
Andrey Ragozin

Remember doing doughnuts on the high school soccer field in your dad's Jeep Cherokee? Be smarter than he was by making sure your kids get those shenanigans out of their systems long before they get behind the wheel! Have them make toy car paint tracks on paper, and hopefully the only doughnuts in your future are the ones from Krispy Kreme.

Tempera paint:
Buy it cheap at Discount School Supply.
Small toy cars with moving wheels
Paper plates:
Keep your wedding china well out of the way for this one!
Large bowl of water
Construction paper
Contact paper:
Optional, but it can turn your child's work of art into a nice placemat!

Pour the paint onto the paper plates, one color per platter.
Rev up the toy cars! Have the kids dip the wheels into the paint until they've got a nice, thick coat.
Have them drive the cars on the construction paper. Vroom sounds and honking are strongly encouraged, as are loops, curves and wheelies!
Rinse off the wheels of the car in the bowl of water before trying another color.
Have the kids continue to dip, drive and rinse, dip, drive and rinse until their masterpiece is completed.
For an easy clean up, toss out the paper plates and have your child give the vehicles a car wash in the bathtub or with the garden hose.
Once the painting is dry, turn it into a card or, if your child can't part with his art, laminate it with contact paper and use it as a placemat.