My little monsters — er, I mean children — love stories. But as much as they love hearing them, they really go bananas when they get to make up their own. I’ve discovered that story time is the ultimate way to pass time, particularly on long car rides where the phrase “I’m bored” can quickly translate into all kinds of bad backseat behavior.

Now, I want to introduce you to our little friend The Story Monster! Not only is he adorably cute (and really fun), but he’ll be your very best friend during that long highway haul to Grandma’s house this Thanksgiving. That’s right, he’s a no-sew, super simple craft with free printable story cards to whittle away hours on the road and fire up the imagination of every kid and parent in the car.

Embark on this story time adventure by selecting two story cards from the belly of the beast. The challenge: entertain the whole car while telling a tale of epic proportions using the two cards. While most of these cards are Thanksgiving themed, you never know exactly what you’re going to get. It might be about grandma the secret ninja, or maybe a magic turkey, or even a wild card! You won’t know until you reach inside. But what we do know is your kids will be engaged, connected and having a blast.

• Fabric (we chose blue, dark blue, orange, and white)
• 8.5 x 11 card stock
• Printer
• Scissors
• Craft knife
• Coats & Clark Closed End Zipper
• Duct tape
• Fabric tape
• The Story Monster printable template (download here)

Step 1
Download and print The Story Monster printable. Use the printed template to cut out The Story Monster shape, cutting 1/2” slits around the outside of the shape to create tabs.

Step 2
Fold the fabric tabs around the card stock and use your duct tape to attach it on the inside of the monster shape. Then cut out funny arms and legs with your fabric and tape them inside, too.

Step 3
Use your craft knife to cut out the rectangle mouth and attach the zipper with tape.

Step 4
Once all of the pieces are cut out and wrapped in fabric, tape them together using your fabric tape. Make a funny face with your extra fabric scraps and tape it on the front. Finally, cut out all of your Story Cards and place them in The Story Monster’s mouth. Now it’s time to play!

Happy crafting and safe travels this holiday season!

This content was created in partnership with Ford to help make creativity a part of every drive this holiday season.