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    You are here: Home / Art and Crafts Activities / 4 Easy DIY Parking Garage Ideas for Toy Cars

     

    4 Easy DIY Parking Garage Ideas for Toy Cars

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    When your child loves toy cars and trucks they may wish for one of those fancy, expensive toy parking garages. However, I'm here today to present proof that you don't need to lay out any money for fancy toys! Instead, all you need is one of these four simple DIY toy parking garage ideas.

    Not only are homemade toy garages easier to make than you ever imagined, your child will not even notice that they aren't fancy. That's because kids posses imagination, and sometimes parents need a reminder that ugly kids activities are the most awesome.

    Plus, if your child wants to add bells and whistles to the garage designs, they can put their own creative skills to work to add any embellishments they wish.

    But let's start with the basics, shall we?

    DON'T FORGET: 20 Ways to Play with Toy Cars

    toy vehicles parked inside diy parking garage made from cardboard box with three levels

    DIY Parking Garage Number One

    This garage is the one that looks most like an actual, multi-leveled parking garage. And that's not really saying much, but my son loved it.

    What you need:

    A medium to large cardboard box

    Duct tape

    Scissors or box cutter

    Instructions

    Use the scissors to remove the top flaps of the box. Turn the box on its end so that it sits on the shorter sides (i.e. so that it's at it's maximum height). Use the duct tape to secure the two short flaps to the inside of the box as shelves. These will become the floors for two garage levels.

    That's it! Now, if your child is driving their toys cars into the parking garage and wish there was a ramp, ask them how they would make one. I bet they have a great answer. If not, try our easy way to make a toy car ramp.

    But remember, Barbie's dream house doesn't have stairs, so does a parking garage really need a ramp?

    DIY Parking Garage Number Two

    This parking garage hardly needs any instructions. Take a cardboard box. Open it. Lay it on it's side.

    Voilá.

    toy vehicles lined up inside large cardboard box parking garage

    And hey, you could always reuse the box for this activity that gets siblings to work together. In the corner of the photo you might notice a bit of our diy road for toy cars!

    DIY Parking Garage Number Three

    Okay, people. Get ready. This might be my son's favorite parking garage of the moment.

    Are you ready? First, go to the fridge. Take out a carton of eggs. Put the eggs in a bowl and stick them back in the fridge.

    Put the egg carton on the floor. Fill it will toy cars. Instant parking spots.

    Kids will always out-imagine grown-ups.

    toy cars in sections of cardboard egg carton

    DON'T FORGET: Reuse the egg carton for pom pom counting and sorting

    DIY Parking Garage Number Four

    Our final diy parking garage idea of the moment will protect those precious toy vehicles from the elements. My son requisitioned our tabletop indoor greenhouse as a parking spot for his toy buses and trains. That's what I get for taking to long too fill it with plants. Although we did eventually use it as a good spot to regrow vegetables from scraps.

    child playing with toy vehicles in small indoor greenhouse

    And just for fun, grab a clear plastic tube. It makes a great diy parking garage accessory.

    toy vehicles lined up in clear tube on carpet

    So there you have it, four different easy ways to make a parking garage for your child. Which one will you choose?

    Idea first published 2011, updated 2023.

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    « Coffee Filter Watercolor Art Project (STEAM Education)
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. MaryAnne says

      August 24, 2011 at 12:01 pm

      And I bet this version gets played with at least as much as the fancy ones =)

      Reply
    2. MamaTea says

      August 24, 2011 at 12:28 pm

      Perfectly wonderful. And I agree with MaryAnne. 🙂

      Reply
    3. Mandy says

      August 26, 2011 at 6:52 am

      excellent! must show this to hunter.

      Reply
    4. Susie says

      August 28, 2011 at 11:19 am

      visiting from No Time for Flashcards (again!). Love your car ideas, my little boy LOVES cars etc too.

      This is probably a dumb question, but have you visited the New York Transit Museum? I haven't been there, but my brother loves it.

      Reply
      • Erica says

        March 12, 2013 at 6:46 am

        Susie: We LOVE the NY Transit Museum!

        Reply
    5. Birute Efe says

      January 26, 2014 at 4:27 pm

      your post is awesome. You made so many mothers feel better (including me). I will try not to beat myself up because our craft didn't come out 'pinterest ready'.

      Reply
    6. Angela Lemos says

      March 07, 2015 at 9:27 am

      I think you will love my Youtube page. It is called A Fábrica de Brinquedos da Vovó. The idea is exactly make 10 minutes toys without spending money and having fun

      Reply

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