DIY Matchbox Car Tracks

My little guy loves matchbox cars. I mean, he LOVES them. He's not even two years old yet, but he plays with his little cars by the hour. (A guy thing, I guess) We bought the expensive, yet cheap, Matchbox racetracks, and he really didn't play with them for long. He pulled them apart and scattered them about the house. So, I saw an idea on Pinterest and thought I'd give it a try.

First of all, I did this with my toddler in mind. I'm sure 2x4's would be great for older kids for outside play, but I wanted mine to be indoor/outdoor, not too heavy for him and not big enough to cause too much destruction in the house. Here's what you'll need:

1. White Wood Plank Paneling 5/16 x 3 9/16 x 32 inches. I chose these for several reasons: cost, lightweight/thin and  tongue & groove feature allows them to be joined.

2. Paint - I bought a Valspar sample paint from Lowe's - Jet Black PN1090

3. Paintbrushes

4. Painter's Tape

5. Yellow or White Paint for Stripes

The first step is to coat your boards in black paint. It took two coats for me. Once they are completely dry, run two strips of painter's tape up and down the longest section of the board. 

Once they are in position, mark every other inch using a tape measure. 

Next, cut 1 inch strips of painter's tape and lay them on top of the two long strips of tape (the opposite direction) on the two inch marks you've already made. Make sure you press down on every piece of tape for a good seal. 

I used yellow acrylic paint that I had on hand. It got the job done, but I had to do several coats. Hint - Pull your tape up before everything is completely dry. Tacky is best. 

Now your little one is ready for hours of play. These tracks are really great for outside play, and especially perfect for inside on rainy afternoons. They can be adjusted and customized over and over for different tracks. I didn't tell William what I was working on, and when the first one was dry I showed it to him. He joyfully exclaimed, "Track!" (Didn't even know he knew that word). He went right over and immediately started playing with it. 

Gentlemen, start your engines!