<p>For children in the range of 10 years old, Macrame can make a good time-killer in the car.  I like it because:</p>
<ul>
<li>Supplies are generally cheap and not messy</li>
<li>Crafts can take a long time, so a single craft can make time fly</li>
<li>There are very basic knots to very complicated knots, so kids can grow at a skill</li>
</ul>
<p>For children as young as 4, you can try out origami. Origami is great because:</p>
<ul>
<li>There are tons of designs to exercise the imagination</li>
<li>After the folding is done, you've got a new paper toy to play with</li>
<li>No glue or cutting necessary</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-02T09:37:48.863Z
Your suggestion of Macramé reminds me that as kids we used to do Scoubidou in the car a lot. Also generally cheap and not messy, accessible form a young age and keeps you busy for a while.
Touniouk
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-05T05:23:37.090Z
Thank you for the suggestions! It's great to have some low-cost ideas!
Charlee
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-01T14:39:13.563Z
2021-04-01T14:39:13.563Z
Pake
<p>Depending on what your kids are interested in, an electronics or robotics kit might be in order. I had one as a kid that kept me busy and interested during a 2 day drive from Iowa to Colorado, through Nebraska. These may not technically be &quot;arts &amp; crafts&quot;, but they should be effective and many of them were created as &quot;arts &amp; crafts&quot;.</p>
<p>Here's a brief list of ideas:</p>
<p><a href="https://www.homesciencetools.com/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.homesciencetools.com/</a><br />
(Might want to stay away from the Gauss rifle in the car.)</p>
<p><a href="https://spy.com/articles/lifestyle/parenting/best-electronic-toy-kits-for-kids-star-wars-educational-92738/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://spy.com/articles/lifestyle/parenting/best-electronic-toy-kits-for-kids-star-wars-educational-92738/</a><br />
(R2D2 is cool (I have it), but kind of large. The Arduino needs a computer and internet to program.)</p>
<p><a href="https://www.reviewgeek.com/6608/the-best-electronics-kits-for-kids-of-all-ages/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.reviewgeek.com/6608/the-best-electronics-kits-for-kids-of-all-ages/</a></p>
<p><a href="https://ozobot.com/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://ozobot.com/</a></p>
<p>There are many other options available, but many require programming, soldering, or assembly of lots of tiny, easy to lose pieces.</p>
<hr />
<p>You can also get logic puzzles or brain teasers:</p>
<p><a href="https://www.bitsandpieces.com/category/brainteasers-and-other-puzzles" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.bitsandpieces.com/category/brainteasers-and-other-puzzles</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.seriouspuzzles.com/brain-teasers" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.seriouspuzzles.com/brain-teasers</a></p>
<p><a href="https://shopping.google.com/u/0/s?m=1261544" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://shopping.google.com/u/0/s?m=1261544</a></p>
<hr />
<p>And some oldies, but goodies (and also actual &quot;arts &amp; crafts&quot;):</p>
<p><a href="https://www.target.com/p/the-original-spirograph-drawing-set-with-markers/-/A-14794410" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.target.com/p/the-original-spirograph-drawing-set-with-markers/-/A-14794410</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/rubber-bands-bracelets/s?k=rubber+bands+for+bracelets" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.amazon.com/rubber-bands-bracelets/s?k=rubber+bands+for+bracelets</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Books-Origami/zgbs/books/5159" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Books-Origami/zgbs/books/5159</a></p>
<p><a href="http://starwarsorigami.com/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://starwarsorigami.com/</a></p>
<p><a href="https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/0804186529" rel="nofollow noreferrer" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.amazon.com/Knitting-Without-Needles-Stylish-Introduction/dp/0804186529</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.joann.com/needle-arts/cross-stitch-and-embroidery/cross-stitch-kits/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.joann.com/needle-arts/cross-stitch-and-embroidery/cross-stitch-kits/</a></p>
<p>Paint by sticker? Who knew?<br />
<a href="https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/best-paint-by-sticker-books-4159459" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/best-paint-by-sticker-books-4159459</a></p>
<hr />
<p>FYI, I'm not affiliated in any way with any of these sites or products.</p>
<p>And I'm not going to admit how many I'm going to get for myself. ;-)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-05T05:23:57.800Z
Whoa, nice list! Thank you!
Charlee
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-02T17:44:31.660Z
2021-04-02T17:44:31.660Z
computercarguy
<p>Kits in general are good because they tend to be self-contained with all the materials, and tell you what else to bring - forgetting a key item is frustrating for everyone.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>There are various sewing craft kits, often using a plastic needle and pre-punched holes at least for younger ones.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Faux stained glass kits are tidy but might need too much of a steady hand for road trips, depending on your roads.</p>
</li>
<li><p>I don't think of them as craft but <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Melissa-Doug-Reusable-Sticker-Pad/dp/B00U3G9QLK?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&amp;psc=1?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&amp;psc=1%27" rel="noreferrer">books with reusable stickers and background scenes</a> are good, and can include a story-telling aspect if you like.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>These kits can get repetitive or expensive if you travel a lot, so some alternatives:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Anything with stickers should work - perhaps sticker mosaics.</p>
</li>
<li><p>For an (almost) free option, collage using glue sticks and pictures from old magazines.  You may want to pre-cut the magazines, or have an adult cut them, as depending on the age of the kids and the state of the roads scissors may not be a good idea for children.  When using a glue sticks, a plastic lap tray with edges.</p>
</li>
<li><p>This will depend on how messily your children use them, but rubber stamps and ink pads can be quite fun (I've seen children playing together, one with clean hands, another using the ink pad for hand-prints - and it wasn't washable ink)</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Activity books that mix colouring/drawing activities with non-craft activities such as puzzles will give some variety.</p>
<p>Definitely not craft, but games involving looking out of the window are always a good bet: who can spot something first (horse/emergency service vehicle/purple car etc.); guess how many of a particular object you'll see by the time you reach some defined point (about 10 minutes works) - who gets closest.  This works from surprisingly young as they just need to be able to count; you can also bring in basic arithmetic (&quot;you guessed 8, we've seen 7, so one more and you win&quot;).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-01T10:46:51.750Z
2021-04-01T10:46:51.750Z
Chris H
<p>Sometimes on those long car rides, coloring doesn't cut it for a kid when parents are trying to avoid screen time. What are some good crafts that a kiddo can do in the car without making an overly difficult to clean mess? For example, slime is out, and so is anything with runny glue. I won't leave out glue sticks, however!</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-01T08:01:17.507Z
How old are the kids; do they get car sick? Mine (7) likes those activity books that include word/number puzzles along with colouring/drawing and sticker pictures. Not a craft answer but the [books with reusable stickers and background scenes](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Melissa-Doug-Reusable-Sticker-Pad/dp/B00U3G9QLK?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&psc=1?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&psc=1%27) would be good for some ages.  I'd also avoid scissors unless the roads are reliably smooth
Chris H
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-01T08:06:35.137Z
@ChrisH, that looks like an answer to me.
Willeke
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-01T08:23:42.300Z
@Willeke I'd have made it an answer on parenting, but  not sure on craft.  When I get time later I might write something and include it, but I'd adjust for age if I knew that
Chris H
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-02T02:38:32.770Z
Sleep is a often forgotten craft, especially for kids. Try to get them to sleep while you drive and play something fun when you arrive. Or meditation to clear the mind. Or watching clouds and guessing shapes or you explain to them what they see outside .. if you live in a monoculture area, it can help with the sleep craft ... this is a corn field .. and this is another corn field .. and this is another ... Not sure why and where you are driving, but you should be happy about the time you get to spend with them. Use it instead of trying to keep them busy!
Markus
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-02T09:43:10.623Z
Does Where's Wally count as a craft? We used to have comic books as kids that were similar but with a narrative. So you had to find a hidden weapon to defeat the monster on the page and depending on the one you found you were guided to a different page of the book. It was pretty neat.
Touniouk
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-05T05:19:15.823Z
@Markus I get the spirit of your comment, but our family connects through crafting and gives us something to talk about! We also find that it adds variety to our conversations which helps with engagement and promotes problem solving skills - you can't just hop down and get something you dropped in a car, so how can you keep everything together?
Charlee
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-05T05:21:16.363Z
Thank you for your suggestion @ChrisH - those books definitely sound crafty enough (and easy for cleanup :) ) 

Thanks @Touniouk! We do love Where's Waldo and those comic books sound fun!
Charlee
<kids-crafts>
What are some good car-crafts for long trips?
Charlee
# What are some good car-crafts for long trips?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-04-01)

Sometimes on those long car rides, coloring doesn't cut it for a kid when parents are trying to avoid screen time. What are some good crafts that a kiddo can do in the car without making an overly difficult to clean mess? For example, slime is out, and so is anything with runny glue. I won't leave out glue sticks, however!

**Tags:** kids-crafts

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: How old are the kids; do they get car sick? Mine (7) likes those activity books that include word/number puzzles along with colouring/drawing and sticker pictures. Not a craft answer but the [books with reusable stickers and background scenes](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Melissa-Doug-Reusable-Sticker-Pad/dp/B00U3G9QLK?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&psc=1?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&psc=1%27) would be good for some ages.  I'd also avoid scissors unless the roads are reliably smooth  
> **username_2**: @username_1, that looks like an answer to me.  
> **username_1**: @username_2 I'd have made it an answer on parenting, but  not sure on craft.  When I get time later I might write something and include it, but I'd adjust for age if I knew that  
> **username_3**: Sleep is a often forgotten craft, especially for kids. Try to get them to sleep while you drive and play something fun when you arrive. Or meditation to clear the mind. Or watching clouds and guessing shapes or you explain to them what they see outside .. if you live in a monoculture area, it can help with the sleep craft ... this is a corn field .. and this is another corn field .. and this is another ... Not sure why and where you are driving, but you should be happy about the time you get to spend with them. Use it instead of trying to keep them busy!  
> **username_4**: Does Where's Wally count as a craft? We used to have comic books as kids that were similar but with a narrative. So you had to find a hidden weapon to defeat the monster on the page and depending on the one you found you were guided to a different page of the book. It was pretty neat.  
> **username_0**: @username_3 I get the spirit of your comment, but our family connects through crafting and gives us something to talk about! We also find that it adds variety to our conversations which helps with engagement and promotes problem solving skills - you can't just hop down and get something you dropped in a car, so how can you keep everything together?  
> **username_0**: Thank you for your suggestion @username_1 - those books definitely sound crafty enough (and easy for cleanup :) )   Thanks @username_4! We do love Where's Waldo and those comic books sound fun!  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-04-01. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

Kits in general are good because they tend to be self-contained with all the materials, and tell you what else to bring - forgetting a key item is frustrating for everyone.

* There are various sewing craft kits, often using a plastic needle and pre-punched holes at least for younger ones.
* Faux stained glass kits are tidy but might need too much of a steady hand for road trips, depending on your roads.
* I don't think of them as craft but [books with reusable stickers and background scenes](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Melissa-Doug-Reusable-Sticker-Pad/dp/B00U3G9QLK?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&psc=1?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&psc=1%27) are good, and can include a story-telling aspect if you like.

These kits can get repetitive or expensive if you travel a lot, so some alternatives:

* Anything with stickers should work - perhaps sticker mosaics.
* For an (almost) free option, collage using glue sticks and pictures from old magazines. You may want to pre-cut the magazines, or have an adult cut them, as depending on the age of the kids and the state of the roads scissors may not be a good idea for children. When using a glue sticks, a plastic lap tray with edges.
* This will depend on how messily your children use them, but rubber stamps and ink pads can be quite fun (I've seen children playing together, one with clean hands, another using the ink pad for hand-prints - and it wasn't washable ink)

Activity books that mix colouring/drawing activities with non-craft activities such as puzzles will give some variety.

Definitely not craft, but games involving looking out of the window are always a good bet: who can spot something first (horse/emergency service vehicle/purple car etc.); guess how many of a particular object you'll see by the time you reach some defined point (about 10 minutes works) - who gets closest. This works from surprisingly young as they just need to be able to count; you can also bring in basic arithmetic ("you guessed 8, we've seen 7, so one more and you win").


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2021-04-01. Score: 6

For children in the range of 10 years old, Macrame can make a good time-killer in the car. I like it because:

* Supplies are generally cheap and not messy
* Crafts can take a long time, so a single craft can make time fly
* There are very basic knots to very complicated knots, so kids can grow at a skill

For children as young as 4, you can try out origami. Origami is great because:

* There are tons of designs to exercise the imagination
* After the folding is done, you've got a new paper toy to play with
* No glue or cutting necessary

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: Your suggestion of Macramé reminds me that as kids we used to do Scoubidou in the car a lot. Also generally cheap and not messy, accessible form a young age and keeps you busy for a while.  
> **username_0**: Thank you for the suggestions! It's great to have some low-cost ideas!  

---

### Answer by username_6 on 2021-04-02. Score: 2

Depending on what your kids are interested in, an electronics or robotics kit might be in order. I had one as a kid that kept me busy and interested during a 2 day drive from Iowa to Colorado, through Nebraska. These may not technically be "arts & crafts", but they should be effective and many of them were created as "arts & crafts".

Here's a brief list of ideas:

<https://www.homesciencetools.com/>  
(Might want to stay away from the Gauss rifle in the car.)

<https://spy.com/articles/lifestyle/parenting/best-electronic-toy-kits-for-kids-star-wars-educational-92738/>  
(R2D2 is cool (I have it), but kind of large. The Arduino needs a computer and internet to program.)

<https://www.reviewgeek.com/6608/the-best-electronics-kits-for-kids-of-all-ages/>

<https://ozobot.com/>

There are many other options available, but many require programming, soldering, or assembly of lots of tiny, easy to lose pieces.

---

You can also get logic puzzles or brain teasers:

<https://www.bitsandpieces.com/category/brainteasers-and-other-puzzles>

<https://www.seriouspuzzles.com/brain-teasers>

<https://shopping.google.com/u/0/s?m=1261544>

---

And some oldies, but goodies (and also actual "arts & crafts"):

<https://www.target.com/p/the-original-spirograph-drawing-set-with-markers/-/A-14794410>

<https://www.amazon.com/rubber-bands-bracelets/s?k=rubber+bands+for+bracelets>

<https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Books-Origami/zgbs/books/5159>

<http://starwarsorigami.com/>

[https://www.amazon.com/Knitting-Without-Needles-Stylish-Introduction/dp/0804186529](https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/0804186529)

<https://www.joann.com/needle-arts/cross-stitch-and-embroidery/cross-stitch-kits/>

Paint by sticker? Who knew?  
<https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/best-paint-by-sticker-books-4159459>

---

FYI, I'm not affiliated in any way with any of these sites or products.

And I'm not going to admit how many I'm going to get for myself. ;-)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Whoa, nice list! Thank you!  

---

