Kids Driving You Nuts These Holidays? Try This

Why do kids get to have all the fun?

One of my favourite Simpsons episodes is also one which I think about a lot because Homer gets to do something I grew up wanting to do so bad – design a car. Admittedly his was awful, but mine were all sleek lines and fins and Batmobile-like-rear jets. In a word, marketable.

I’d spend hours drawing them and colouring them in. It’s still one of my most vivid memories of stuff we used to do because we didn’t have game consoles yet.

What we also didn’t have were opportunities to show off our creations or pit them against others because events like the 10th Toyota Car Art Contest didn’t exist. Ask your kid what they’d build into their dream car. Wings? Wide screen tvs? Internet? Numerous USB ports for every person? A dollhouse built into the back of the seat in front of them? A ‘mute parents’ button? Vending machine? Soda fountain? They really are only limited to their imagination and possibly an A4 sheet of paper.

And tell them, this is not only their chance to show you their creation, but also the people who actually make the cars people are driving.

There are three winners in each age grouping who’ll take away a Samsung Galaxy S2 tablet valued at $499, and it that isn’t good enough this is a worldwide competition, with the winning entries from each of the three age categories in Australia being sent to Japan for the final judging.

If your little miss or mister’s entry makes the final then come August there’s a trip to Japan involved so they can attend the award ceremony and a chance to experience Japanese culture.

My kids jumped at the idea, which is why I have to duck out and pick out another ream of paper this afternoon. They each had their own idea about what was important, with wheels really being about the only constant.

That all being said, here are the entries to beat at this point:

In the Under 8 category

In the 8-11 category

In the 12-15 category

So here’s a little end of holidays fun you can introduce the kids to. Get the stationary out and let them empty their minds of some of that creativity they’d usually use up going all Pro Hart on the carpet with your makeup. The 10th Toyota Dream Car Art Contest is open to kids up to and including 15 years of age and they need to get their entries in by close of business on the 19th February 2016. For more information on T&Cs and the entry form, click any of the photos in this post or this link – The 10th Toyota Dream Car Art Contest.

Meanwhile, because I couldn’t resist a little trip down memory lane, here’s my magnificent effort.

You should have consulted with me, Homer. We could have changed the world.

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“Raising a family on little more than laughs.”