Materials Needed:
- Hard Plastic or Metal Box (approx. lunch box size, preferably with a handle)
- ChalkBoard Spray Paint (available in hardware or paint stores. I know that Home Depot and Wal-Mart sell it for $3 - $4)
- White Contact Paper
- Other decoration as desired (see below)
- Activity contents (eg. chalk, dry erase markers, magnets (if using metal box), clings, small toys, whatever). Gear this to the age of the child and his/her special interests.
I made these great activity boxes for an upcoming 8-hour trip I am going on with my kids (age 4 1/2 and 1 1/2). They are full of enough activities to keep them busy for hours and are personalized to the kids' interests. I think they'd make great gifts, too. And better yet, I made mine for under $5 each, including contents, by using things I had around the house.
First, select a box to use for the project. Maybe you already have something perfect. I bought plastic lunch box-sized boxes at Marden's for 57 cents each. Other sizes can work, too. Larger boxes provide for more writing / drawing / activity space on the sides, but you want it to fit in the child's lap. A metal box allows you to add magnet activities but is not necessary. A handle makes a nice feature for portability. Be creative!
Next, create a chalkboard on one of the flat outer surfaces of your box. Follow the directions on your chalkboard paint. Mine called for applying two thin layers of the spray paint to any non-porous surface and allowing to dry for 24 hours. Then "prime" the surface by covering the entire area with chalk and wiping clean. Now your chalkboard is ready for hours of writing, drawing, tic-tac-toe, hangman, etc. (I recently saw that fabric stores now carry a PVC vinyl material with a versatile chalkboard surface. It should be primed in the same fashion. I think this is too cool!)
On the other large surface of the box, apply white contact paper. This side is an ideal canvas for dry erase markers (wipe with a felt cloth), washable markers (wipe with a damp cloth), vinyl clings, or even sticker scenes. In addition to being readily available in stores, vinyl clings and stickers can be created on your computer using sticker or cling paper, which you can buy at an office supply store. If you are using a metal box, this surface is perfect for magnets, too. How about the alphabet magnets on your fridge for beginner spellers?
Complete the outside of your box by decorating and personalizing as you want. Use permanent markers or paint to write the child's name, if you want. Get creative! Stickers can be cute. If you are artistic, paint cars, planes, flowers, dinosaurs - whatever the child loves! Make it as simple or as fancy as you like. Voila! The outside of your child's very own activity box is done!
I made one other surface inside, which could be removed and played with atop the box. For my four-year-old daughter, I made a simple felt board. First I cut two pieces of cardboard to the inside size of my box. I wrapped a piece of felt around one piece of cardboard and glued securely in the back. When that dried, I glued the other piece of cardboard over the back of the board to cover raw edges and add stability. We have tons of felt clings that my daughter has received as gifts, but any shapes cut out of felt will cling to this board just like the expensive kits you buy.
If your Travel Activity Box can rest comfortably in the open position on the child's lap while in the car, the third surface can be permanently mounted inside the box using a hot glue gun. If you prefer, the chalkboard or contact paper could be an inside surface to allow easier access to your supplies. You could also consider making a double-size surface that folds in half for storage in the case but offers more surface area.
For my 20-month-old son, I painted a winding road surface, traffic signs, etc on a sized-to-fit piece of cardboard and included his small cars and trucks. It seems like he can drive them around for hours.
The last step is filling your box. This is where to really use your imagination! Don't forget chalk, markers, magnets, stickers and clings. We always bring kid songs and books on tape from the library. For artistic kids, you can also include paper and crayons, colored pencils, etc. Maybe travel bingo or a purchased activity book.
If using the activity box for a long trip, remember to hold out some stuff to add when they get bored, as well as for the return trip. And last, but not least, never under-estimate the power of fun snacks to cheer up road weary kids.
this idea came from about.com
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