Activities/Beyond Paper and Pencil

Beyond Paper and Pencil

Any car or plane trip requires a stash of paper and writing tools. Sometimes just the novelty of a new box of markers keeps children occupied making creative art pieces. Before your next trip, consider purchasing some of these items to help pass the hours:

• Discount stores sell inexpensive chalkboards. Give children colored chalk to draw a picture and an old sock to erase their picture. If children get tired of drawing, they can use the chalkboard to play tic-tac-toe or hangman.
• Whiteboards now come in small sizes. These easy-erase boards let children use special marking pens to draw vivid pictures. Once again, use an old sock to wipe the board clean.
• Check out dollar stores for inexpensive “paint with water” coloring books. Each page has a paint strip of what looks like colored circles. Dip a paintbrush in a drop of water, touch the colored circle and you have paint to color the pictures. No mess other than a few damp pages in the coloring book.
• Provide children with a piece of construction paper and strips of contact paper. Using blunt scissors, children can cut the contact paper into various shapes. After peeling off the backing, use the shapes to make pictures. If you feel uncomfortable using scissors in the car, simply hand children a bag of precut contact paper shapes. They can design pictures from the assorted shapes.