Crafts and slime

DIY road play mat

Unroll some wallpaper and design your very own town for toy cars. Roads, roundabouts, junctions, a park, the school, the supermarket and your own house. It keeps them busy drawing, then busy playing, and you can roll it up and add to it next time.

Ages3+

Time1 hr

CostUnder £5

MessLow mess

WhereIndoors

Let's make it Get the printable

Photo: Sandy Millar on Unsplash

What you need

A roll of cheap wallpaper or lining paperDraw on the plain back. Two or three lengths taped side by side makes a big town
Thick black or grey felt tipsFor the roads
Felt tips or crayons for everything else
Masking tape
Toy cars, trains and figures

Keep small cars and figures away from babies and toddlers.

Let's go

Cut a few lengths of paper, lay them side by side plain side up and tape them together on the back.
Draw the main roads first with a thick pen. Make them wide enough for a car, roughly the width of two fingers.
Add roundabouts, junctions, a zebra crossing, traffic lights and a car park.
Fill the spaces with your town. Houses, a park, the school, shops, a petrol station, a fire station, a farm or a beach.
Add your own house and the places you know, like Grandma's, the swimming pool or the football pitch.
Get the cars out and drive around your town.

Real talk

Draw dashed lines down the middle of the roads and parking bays in the car park. Kids love the little details.
Practise road safety while you play. Stop at the zebra crossing, look both ways.
Roll it up afterwards and add a new bit each time, like a racetrack, a train line or an airport.
Older kids can make a map of your real neighbourhood.