Long drives with kids can feel endless. Screens help, but they don’t fill every hour, and some families prefer to limit them. Coloring is a classic car activity, and with a little planning it works well even in a bumpy back seat.
The car coloring kit
- Lap tray or clipboard for a firm surface
- Crayons or twistable crayons (no sharpening, less mess)
- Colored pencils for older kids, with a closed sharpener
- A pouch that hooks onto the seat or clipboard
- A coloring book or folder of pages
- Stickers for decorating
Avoid loose markers with caps for young kids; caps get lost and markers stain upholstery. Also avoid crayons in a hot car for long periods; they can melt.
Choose pages for the car
Bumpy roads make fine details hard. Choose characters with big shapes:
- Trace Then Color: Cartoon Cats and Dogs
- Trace Then Color: Fish, Sea Creatures and More for beach trips
- Trace Then Color: Cartoon Aliens for "are we there yet" adventures
Motion sickness
Looking down at a page can trigger car sickness in some kids. Tips:
- Take frequent breaks to look out the window.
- Color during straight, smooth stretches.
- Keep sessions short.
- If your child feels sick, stop and switch to audiobooks or looking out the window.
Road trip coloring games
- Color what you see. Spot something outside and color it.
- License plate colors. Spot a car and use its color next.
- Destination drawing. Color a character at the beach, mountains or grandma’s house.
- Postcard home. Color a page and mail it from your destination.
Pack it right
- Pages in a folder so they don’t crumple
- A zip bag for crayons
- Wipes for sticky hands
- A trash bag for paper scraps
Questions parents ask
What age can kids color in the car?
Most kids from about 3 can color in a car seat with a lap tray. Younger kids may just scribble.
Are colored pencils safe in the car?
Sharp pencils can poke in sudden stops. Twistable crayons are a safer choice for little ones.
How do I prevent crayon mess in the car?
Use a pouch, a lap tray with edges and avoid leaving crayons in a hot car.
About Kevin Coulston
Kevin Coulston is a cartoonist and member of the National Cartoonists Society who has written and illustrated more than 100 drawing, tracing and coloring books for kids, including the Trace Then Color series. Meet Kevin or browse all his books on FirstArtBooks.com.
