Easy, No-Mess Art Projects for Kids on a Family Travel

Worried that your kids might get bored and throw tantrums in the car or in a long flight on your family vacation? Spare yourself from the persistent “Are we there yet?” questions by preparing activities that can take your kids’ minds off the travel time.On top of ensuring that your family will have a great holiday, you might also want to do some easy, no-mess art projects for your kids’ entertainment and your peace of mind while traveling.Photo puzzlesPhoto by Mon Œil / CC BY 2.0Print your kids’ baby photos and cut them into puzzle pieces. Play “Guess Who?” with their siblings’, grandparents, and even your photos. You can also make them think of the event or place where the photo was taken. Tickle their minds with challenging games like this one, and you surely won’t be bothered by cranky and impatient and kids.
Origami objects
Bring along some coloured papers and have your children fold them to create planes, birds, and flowers. You can also pack strings and tapes, so you can make hanging flock of birds and tie up bouquet of roses. You don’t have to learn advanced origami-making techniques because even with simple folding of paper, you can create something that your kids can play with while traveling.Candy braceletsPack candies that your kids can turn into colourful necklaces and bracelets! Make edible jewelries that can be a sweet treat for your kids as they behave throughout the trip. With a string, you can also create candy flowers and yummy worms that your kids can play and eat!No-mess DIY slimePhoto by Patrick Buechner / CC BY-NC 2.0Slime is a non-sticky and non-messy alternative to Play-Doh. Don’t know where to get one? Try to create your own DIY gak. With your homemade slime, your little ones can create different shapes and flatten the slime without leaving stains anywhere.No-glue paper chainsPhoto by Emily Orpin / CC BY-NC 2.0Even just a Scotch tape and pieces of coloured paper can make good distractions for your kids when you travel with them. If it’s allowed, bring scissors so they can cut out the pieces that they will build up their paper chains with. Assist your kids in cutting to avoid paper cuts. You don’t have to worry about messy and sticky glue because a Scotch tape or a double-sided tape can do the trick and link everything together.Coloring booksColo ring books are a timeless form of pastime for kids. Bring along tons of crayons and a colouring book to keep your kids busy and entertained. If you’re not the one behind the wheels, you can join your kids in giving life to a dull and colourless page.Gel cling storybooks

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Gel cling storybooks will make storytelling fun and personal in the car or on the plane! All you need to bring are gel cling people or animals (which you can easily DIY) that will play a part in the story and a tray to stick it to. Forgot to bring something that can hold the gel cling characters? Don’t fret. You can always use the windows of the car or airplane to hold them for you. Kiddie travel journal

It’s great to encourage your children to express their thoughts and feelings, especially while traveling. Give them a travel nursery journal that can be their personal carry-on to document their experiences in the trip. It’s essentially a notebook where they write stories and draw things they want to remember.

Do you have any other easy and non-messy art projects in mind? Share them in the comments below!