The only thing Ford loves more than his matchbox cars is getting to hang with his pseudo brothers Brooks and Ryder for some matchbox car activities. The boys (and Tess) had so much fun cleaning, racing and parking their vehicles. My favorite was definitely #2, what’s yours?
1. Play & Wash
First up, we’ve got this play and wash which uses a system of dirty, clean, and dry bins and a bowl of old dish scrubbers and toothbrushes. Of course, the boys jumped right in, driving their cars and trucks into the dirt. If you’re a clean freak you might cringe just a little. Don’t worry, the next stop is the clean bin. Here they will scrub the cars and give them a good detail. I have to tell you, I saw this on Pinterest using shaving cream – do not use shaving cream! It’s too soapy! I had to change Ford’s pants, it was a whole “situation”. So we replaced it with bubble bath and that was much better. I recommend spray bottles, that was a big hit. I used a 2 Liter bottle and Presley’s old leggings for the dry bin and the boys really loved it.
2. Make Your Own Ramp
- Matchbox cars
- Cardboard box
- Road tape
We started with a cardboard box and used this awesome road tape, which makes everything look more official. They had to figure out how to make the ramp more sturdy and secure. They then added things like a wrapping paper tube, hair rollers. I think this was their favorite of all the activities. Even Tess got into it! She even figured out how to get the cars through the tube.
3. Parking Garage
- Matchbox cars
- Cardboard box
- Scissors
- Road tape
Finally, we’ve got our parking garage. This is just one box that I cut into to make the ramps and of course used our “official” road tape. I then used post-it notes to designate the spots. This is great for imaginary play and for kids that are learning their letters and numbers.
We hope you love this activity, see you on the road!
