Car Parade Fine Motor Skills Activity

Make the easiest toddler activity: the car parade.

I call this a “dinner time hero” activity because frankly, it saves dinner. The second I step foot in the kitchen to prep dinner my toddler is stuck to me like glue. GLUE. I can’t cook. I can’t move. I can’t get this job done. I need a car parade.

Obviously a car parade is the answer to my problems.

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What is a car parade?

I’m so glad you asked.

Or maybe it was me that asked.

Anyways…. a car parade is just about the easiest toddler activity out there but man, what a hero.

I used to make Animal Parades for my daughter all.the.time until my friend over at Mama.Papa.Bubba had a genius idea: let’s turn the Animal Parade into Traffic Jam.

I didn’t want another traffic jam in my life…

So we call it a car parade for my 2.5 year old and it is just as dreamy and magical as a real-life parade is.

You just need a little bit of tape.

And a whole lot of cars.

Pretty much the easiest set up ever.

When my toddler is in need of some expert level occupying, I grab for a roll of painter’s tape.

Roll the tape out in different shapes and patterns – have a little fun with it!

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Grab their car bin – you know, that box you have that keeps all their tiny cars and trucks and other vehicles in.

What’s the point of this?

For one, to keep a toddler busy. Toddlers aren’t the easiest crowd to entertain and this gives them a job.

“Line up all the cars as a parade…”

It also helps them initiate play and sparks their imagination. This bin of trucks sits in my son’s room virtually un-played with.

When I bring it out for a car parade? Suddenly, his play wheels are spinning as he invents scenarios and acts out scenes with these.

There’s also a lot of learning going on in this very play-based activity:

• Hand-eye coordination
• Spatial awareness
• Fine motor skills
• Planning skills
• Early measuring (how many cars long is that tape?)

Car parade is one of the easiest…and the greatest

Keeping a toddler occupied during dinner time prep is not the easiest task.

But that roll of tape and those cars can provide so much more entertainment than you’d believe. Nothing like a good “invitation to play” to save dinner!

What toy parade would your toddler love?