• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

What Do We Do All Day logo

  • Books
    • Classics
      • 20th Century Classics
    • Early Chapter Books
    • Easy Readers
    • Folktales
    • Holiday Books
    • Middle Grade (8-12 years)
    • Nonfiction
    • Picture Books
  • Best Games
    • Traditional Games
  • Kids Activities
    • Arts and Crafts
    • Literacy & Writing
    • Math
    • Playful Activities
    • Science
    • Toddler
  • Parenting
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Books
  • Games
  • Activities
  • Parenting
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Art and Crafts Activities / Painting Toy Cars: Easy Toddler Entertainment

     

    Painting Toy Cars: Easy Toddler Entertainment

    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    A toddler's fascination with toy vehicles can provide endless hours of screen-free entertainment. As parents, we don't need to be precious about our children's toys. Once we let go of the fantasy that toys should stay in pristine condition, our kids will open our eyes with their inventive ways to play, which is how this painting toy cars acitivity began!

    Toddler painting toy bus with orange paint at table covered in paper

    How the Idea Came to Be

    I noticed that every single time we bring out the paints and brushes for art time, my toddler requests his toy vehicles. One day I thought, "Why not? What's wrong with letting him smear paint all over them?"

    We always used washable paint so even if he changed his mind, he could always give his toy cars a bubble bath, which is his favorite toddler indoor activity, anyway!

    Also, look at his bucket of toy vehicles. Don't they look like they could use a paint job?

    Pile of battered toy vehicles in a plastic bucket

    Painting Toy Cars Activity

    You'll be glad to know, this is a very easy toddler activity to set up. Feel free to head outdoors to paint cars on a lovely day, but we stayed inside.

    Materials

    • Paper
    • Paint, preferably washable paint
    • Toy vehicles of all sorts
    • Paint brushes
    • Paper plate

    Instructions

    Cover your work surface with a piece of paper from a giant paper roll (one of our must-have art supplies). We used extra large binder clips to secure the paper to our dining table.

    Optional: Instead of covering the table in paper, you could use a washable mat, but I wanted to give my child the option of creating art on the paper, if the spirit moved him.

    Squeeze out several colors of paint onto a paper or plastic plate. Alternatively, use only one color. There is great value in single color art projects.

    child Painting toy vehicles with black paint

    Allow your toddler to choose which toy vehicles he wants to paint, sit him in the chair and let him paint the toys however he wishes!

    Just be sure to set them aside to dry before letting him zoom them all over your white carpet.

    MORE: 20 Ways to Play with Toy Cars

    Idea first published 2012, updated 2023.

    Want Your Kids to Love Being Unplugged?
    Subscribe to our newsletter and as a thank you, receive 10 waiting games kids can play anytime anywhere.
    Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.
    « DIY Obstacle Course for Toy Cars
    Simple Weather Tracking Activity for Kids »
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. MaryAnne says

      January 18, 2012 at 7:50 pm

      This is a fantastic activity!!! Wonder if I can get my kids to do it - they're very into rule-following...

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Erica! I believe parents can stay sane without giving their kids an electronic device. Learn how!

    More about me →

    Newsletter

    Join over 19,000 subscribers who said "Yes! I want to unplug my kids!" We'll send you 10 waiting games your kids can play anytime, anywhere. Join here -->

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • About the Site
    • No AI

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and join over 19,000 other families finding ways reduce screen time.

    Other Stuff

    We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

    Copyright © 2023 What Creative Media LLC

    Want Your Kids to Love Being Unplugged?
    Subscribe to our newsletter and as a thank you, receive 10 waiting games kids can play anytime anywhere.
    Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.
    Want More Free Activity Ideas?
    Join our email list and as a thank you gift I'll send you a list of 10 waiting games that will make your kids smarter.
    Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.
    Want your kids to love being unplugged?
    Join our newsletter and as a thank you, I'll send you a list of 10 waiting games.
    Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.
    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you keep using this website we will assume you are OK with that. Read our privacy policy for more.OKRead more