How to Entertain Kids: Portable Coloring Station

This simple solution can help you keep your kids entertained pretty much anywhere! I mainly use it when we go out to eat and the kids get bored waiting for the food. But, honestly, this Portable Coloring Station can be used in more than a restaurant. I've also used this to entertain my kids in the post office, doctor's waiting room, DMV, in the car - you name it! It's really easy to make and small enough to fit in a purse or diaper bag. You can make it for $10-$15 dollars, it's super simple, and I've had mine about 6 months! Not a bad investment!

Here are the items you need:

About 10 or 11 coloring packs, a small box of crayons, and an expanding file. That's it! I got everything at the dollar store. 

My Expanding File. It says it's "coupon sized". According to the sticker, the dimensions are 7 inches by 4.375 inches by 1 inch.

These are just the crayons I decided to use this time around. The kind I have been using with the one in my diaper bag is actually Crayola Twistables. Mainly because they are a little harder for little ones to break. Though, any crayons will do. In fact, each coloring pack comes with a set of crayons. You could use those if you wanted to. It's just that it would only leave you with 4 colors, so I 

thought it was worth the $1 for this pack.

 

This, obviously, isn't all 11 packs I used. It's just to give you an idea.

 

Here it is all put together. I put the stickers in the very front pocket and the crayons in the very back one.