Though it is encouraged, whenever possible, for children to play outside, it isn't always the perfect time or opportunity. It may be raining, your child may be feeling a bit under the weather, or you may not live in an area where there is room for close-by outside play. In situations such as these, indoor play is a must. Cars can offer a child a window to the world without ever leaving the safety and security of their home or other indoor environment.
Depending on the imagination of the child in question, even the simplest, most basic toy car can open a world of unlimited possibilities for a child. Below, we're going to offer a few opportunities to use toy cars for indoor play.
But first things first – you'll need some supplies. Have the following handy:
- Cardboard (even disassembling an old cardboard box works here)
- Markers
- Poster board
- Yellow and black construction paper
- Shaving cream
- And of course, toy cars
Got your supplies all set and ready? Let's go!
RACES WITH RAMPS
To create ramps down which to launch their toy cars, use cardboard. Feel free to utilize any items necessary to prop the ramps up. Encourage your kids to experiment with ramp length and height and explain to you how the distance a car travels is affected by this experimentation. This type of play assists in the child's understanding of angles, inclines, and simple physical concepts.
Tracks or roads can be made with the yellow and black construction paper. Cut different shapes and put them together to make roadways or tracks. Include hexagons, rectangles, squares, circles, and triangles to make it more challenging.
BOARD GAMES WITH CARS
To create their very own boardgame, your child can use markers and poster board. Game pieces will be represented by toy cars. The possibilities are endless, but here's a couple of suggestions:
- Using numbered parking spots and numbered cars in a set up that represents a simple parking lot, create a parking spot game. Make up your own rules.
- In a race to “own the board”, use a monopoly style procedure.
Games such as these can help a child with shape identification, number and letter recognition, one-on-one correspondence, and more.
RACES WITH SHAVING CREAM
This is where the shaving cream finally comes in. There's going to be some cleanup involved, but making a mess is fun!
Upon an easily cleaned surface, spread shaving cream in a thin layer. Using numbers and letters, to create the "shape" (the number or letter) you call out, have your kids race their cars through the shaving cream. This helps work on letter and number recognition as well as honing fine motor skills. (Pronounce the sound a letter makes, rather than the letter itself, to assist with further learning.)
KIDPOWERED HAS TONS OF TOY CARS
Whether you're looking for toy cars, motorcycles, trucks, construction equipment, trains, planes, or what have you, we've got it at Kidpowered. We also have other playthings that go perfectly with toy vehicles. Whether it is realistic play or something that caters to your child's imagination, we've got high-quality toys that will last and last. Shop by brand, theme, or category. You can also simply look through our entire inventory to discover some of the most intriguing toys your children will ever play with.
Shop at Kidpowered today before you shop anywhere else.