Painting with Toy Trucks

It’s been one of those weeks. My daughter had her first ear infection and no one got much sleep. And it rained, a lot. So I grabbed the construction toys we usually use outside, some paint and a big roll of paper and we painted on the porch. Even though it was rainy we managed to paint and mix some colors for a while until the wind picked up and the rain got us.  I wasn’t sure if my 6.5 year old would still be into it but painting with cars was one of his very favorite activities when he was little.  As you will see it’s still fun!

1. Gather your materials. You will need some fun cars, trucks or my daughter’s favorite… a bulldozer! You will also need some good washable paint
   , paper , paper plates and if you are doing this outside you might want some painters tape to hold the paper down.
2. Start by arranging your paper. I wanted my kids to feel like they could really drive their vehicles so I used easel paper for long pieces.
3. Have your kids choose a few fun color combos. This was not a strict color mixing lesson but you can use it as one if you want. I just let them choose whatever color combos they wanted.
4. Paint and explore the colors. My son immediately started making tracks fast and furious. My daughter was more into stamping.
5. The tracks were super cool . My son drove his all over then joined his sister on hers.
6. This activity isn’t complicated but it is fun. It was just what we needed to get some fresh air after days cuddled up sick.
7. We hung them up to dry , not sure what the mail carrier thought of them but my kids were happy!

Construction Books

Dazzling Diggers (Amazing Machines) by Tony Mitton is part of the Amazing Machines series of books that are favorites of both my kids. Now my son reads them to my daughter and yes my heart bursts when he reads to her and it makes me completely forget when he tackles her.  The book themselves are little gems. This one talks about diggers and bulldozers with absolutely fantastic rhymes. What amazes me about this book is that your child will actually come away having learned something substantial about the vehicles in it at the same time as loving the brilliant rhyming text. Must read for construction vehicle fans.

Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker will have to be renewed from the library while I wait for my copy to come from Amazon. This book is starting to get pretty popular and rightfully so, it’s a lovely book. In it busy little construction vehicles wind down for the night and fall asleep. I never thought I would say an excavator was cute but the one in the book is. It’s a wonderful bedtime book and your child will enjoy winding down with the sleepy bulldozer and his friends. My daughter completely adores this book.

Diggers (Usborne Touchy Feely) by Fiona Watt was given to me before I even had kids and it’s been read countless times to both kids. It’s great for toddlers who need to keep their hands exploring while mom or dad reads. It’s a sturdy book with a simple text that matches the great active illustrations.