You can make trips more enjoyable for kids and adults with an arsenal of art activities for traveling. Art activities stimulate creativity and keep young passengers occupied. An added bonus is that they are a good way to limit the frequency of hearing: "Are we there yet?" on those particularly long trips. From things as low-tech as coloring books to sophisticated smart-phone apps, there is a wide range of art activities during transportation.
According to Karen Cole of Big Learning Photography, "even (preschoolers) can understand ... point-and-shoot photography." Fisher Price makes the Kid Tough digital camera in standard and waterproof models. For preschoolers and older kids, consider getting several disposable digital or 35mm-cameras so that they can take pictures and plan a book or collage about their vacation.
Some crafts such as origami—the Japanese art of creative paper folding—can lend themselves to traveling. Look for simple origami books that include squares of origami paper. This simple craft doesn't require scissors, glue or tape. Other crafts such as fiber arts—finger weaving, lanyards, knitting or crocheting for older kids also work as an excellent travel art activity.
You might have had one or more of these games yourself as a kid—an Etch-a-Sketch, Magnadoodle, Light Brite or Spirograph. You may even remember hours of fun that you had with them. They are available in travel-sized versions.
You don't need any equipment or physical games for brain-boosting art activities. Play Eye Spy, focusing on colors and shapes when traveling with preschoolers. Have your kids race to find different colors as they view the world from a car, train, bus or ferry. Put an artistic spin on the car songs and games that you may have played as a kid and for the school-age set, include spelling and counting as well.
If your child is glued to their Leapster or Nintendo DS, consider buying some games that focus on the arts. Such games include "Animal Color Cross" and for your budding Beethoven, "Music On: Retro Keyboard." Grade-specific games for the Leap Frog Leapster have art and creativity components. For long trips, if your vehicle is equipped with a DVD player, include simple, kid-friendly DVDs that are about the visual and performing arts.
Make a traveling art center. Gather drawing and construction paper, crayons, washable markers, coloring books, glue sticks, tape, safety scissors, stickers and anything else that your little artists love to use. Opt for triangular crayons to limit their rolling and retractable markers to avoid losing covers and having markers dry out. Put them in a storage bin that is easy to open. Some companies have activity trays that work with convertible car seats and booster seats so that younger passengers can have a safe and easy surface to work or play on during travel.
For the high-tech kid who knows his or her way around a smart phone, there are many kid-friendly art apps available. The iPhone in particular has several, such as "Glow Coloring." Of course, you have to be willing to hand your phone over to your little one for a brief spell if you are driving. However, if you are taking public transportation or flying, these kid-friendly apps can be life savers when the little ones are getting antsy and you need a creative way to thwart a meltdown.
