Transportation

Make transportation stencils. Easy! Use a file folder for each stencil. On the front of the folder, draw on a large transportation vehicle--boat, rocket, car, truck, bus, train, etc.
Laminate for durability. With Exact-O knife or scissors, cut out shape from front of the folder only. Leave the back of the folder intact. The children slip their piece of paper inside the folder and make their stencil drawing.

Use manilla envelopes with a vehicle made out of shapes--rocket (triangle for top, rectangle for body, etc.) Glue on one of the completed shape pictures on the front. Inside the envelope add pieces cut out of the shapes you used to complete your picture. The children get the shapes out of the envelope and create their own vehicle.

The motor activity we will be to allow the children to pretend they are cars and buses and trucks driving through the community. We will do this in a large circle. They will get down on their hands and knees and from my ommand...race around the room inside the circle. They may not bump into one another or leave the circle. On a second command they will freeze ( say stop light is red or at stop sign) One child will be designated the policeman during the activity to help me keep the children from crashing. We will write "tickets" to those that have accidents, speed, or leave the circle.

Transportation Discussion Display
Display pictures of truck, car, bus, train, plane, ship, rocket. Ask questions and let the children decide which vehicle answers the questions:
1. Which one is used for going to the moon?
2. Which one travels on tracks?
3. Which one carries vegetables from farm to the city?
4. Which one goes through the air?
5. Which one do we park in our garage?
6. Which one stops in many cities and carries many people?
7. Which one travels on the ocean?

Talk about special kinds of cars and trucks, like Fire Trucks, Ambulance, Police Car, Mail Truck, Tankers, Tow Truck, Snowplow, etc.

Talk about the different vehicles the kids see in their neighborhood. Talk about the different ways they got to school, or how they�ve gone on vacations.

Traffic Safety
Talk about traffic lights, and safety in crossing the street.

Other Transportation Methods
Don�t forget that walking, running, rollerskating, skiing, biking, etc. are modes of getting from here to there also!
Going on a trip
Put travel brochures on the wall in your reading area. The children can make runways (blocks end to end) & build control ' towers".
Bring a couple of little suitcases & a flight bag into the dress up corner (the suitcases were actually cosmetic cases). Have things to pack in them - clothes, socks, hair brush & combs, sunglasses with plastic lenses, toy camera & stuffed toys.
Line up chairs to simulate a plane & then sing the "people on the plane go up and down" to the Wheels of the Bus tune. The pilot on the plane says Please buckle up (instead of the driver saying please move back), etc.
For a paste project provide the children with brown file folders that look like suitcases ( round the corners and cut a handle along the side.) Inside the folder, the children paste pictures of things they might take on a trip (have pre-cut a variety of items from magazine pictures). The purpose of this sensory activiity is to give children an opportunity to smear the paste around. Leave the folders open until they've dried. Continued the project the next day by having the children glue stamps from foreign countries & paste them on the outside of their "suitcases". They look like travel stickers. The stamps come in a big package & are very inexpensive.
Transportation How do I get there?
Materials needed: puppet, large bag, toy vehicles (helicopter, train, airplane, car, truck, motorcycle, boat, rocketship or horse)
1. Put all the toys in the bag.
2. Introduce the puppet: 'My friend has a problem. He needs to go to ----. How can he get there?' Let children name different ways the puppet can travel. Ask if they will be good ways to travel. Why or why not?
3. Show the bag. Explain that inside the bag are ways that we can travel, and that the word we use is tranportation. This is how we get from one place to another.
4. Describe a mode of transportation that you have in the bag. Have the children make guesses.Remove toys.
Homemade Dashboards
Cardboard box, Plastic container lids, Brads , Crayons and markers, Cardboard tubes, and Bottle caps .
Make a dashboard. Find a sturdy cardboard box at least 18 inches wide.
Next, attach parts--lots of them. Punch a hole in the top of a yogurt container, & affix it to the box with a brad (a pronged metal affixer you can purchase at any stationery store). You now have a free-spinning dial. Put markings on the dial & the box to make a meter. Affix a paper plate the same way--the dashboard now has a steering wheel. A paper towel tube makes a splendid gear shift lever, and bottle tops make excellent buttons. The more dials & buttons & moving parts, the more interesting the dashboard. Be sure to leave a slot for a key! We used ours in the car at first, then found that the dashboard can be used for off-road travel, too. The children can use the dashboard to explore the depths of the ocean, or even the outer reaches of the galaxy.
Discuss going on a trip
Let a child say where he/she would like to go. Everyone can go to a favorite place. Make a "suitcase" by folding a large piece of construction paper in half. Cut any shape handles and glue on. After children do this, let them cut [from magazines or catalogs] items to go in the suitcases. Glue them inside.Let each dry.
Build a superhighway on the floor.
Place masking tape on the carpet to make various roads, interchanges, on-ramps and off-ramps. Small boxes cut out the right way can make a wonderful tunnel, bridge, or viaduct.

Art Table
Glob some paint onto a piece of paper. Instead of giving the child a brush, give them a little car or truck to run through the paint, to drive onto the unpainted parts and create a picture.
* You will need
Car and truck stencils, glue, foil, buttons

The children trace around a car or truck shape. Then, they glue on foil squares for windows and add buttons for wheels. Small pieces of a drinking straw make good tailpipes and smokestacks on diesel trucks.
Encourage the children to use crayons or markers to draw roads, trees, houses, etc., to complete their picture.

Transportation collage
Have children cut out pictures from magazines and newspapers of things that they could ride in or on. After they have collected many pictures, each child pastes a collage using the pictures. On finished collage, print "I like to ride in a ___________ " or " I like to ride on a __________", and let each child tell you what word to write to finish the sentence.


Planes

Airplane
You will need 2 paper towel tube and 1 toilet paper tube. Use 1 of the Paper towel tubes for the body of the plane and the other one for the wings. Cut 1/2 way through the tube about 3" from the front then cut 1/2 way through again about 2" further down - remove this section of tubing (top half) glue second papertowel tube in the opening to form a t. Cut a slit in the end of the tube used for the body and insert a slightly smashed toilet paper tube. Paint. Use painted craft sticks glued in an X for the propeller and another craft stick broken in half for the landing gear.

Planes ideas:
line chairs up in rows of two--like seated on an airplane. Serve
snack--you are the flight attendant.
Sing "Take me out to the airport"
* Made toilet paper tubes with a piece of Saran Wrap taped on the end
with a plane drawn on. They loved watching their planes flying.
* Made paper airplanes
* Sing "I'm a little airplane" (see below)
Making a Straw Glider
paper
straws
tape
scissors

1) Cut paper strips 1" wide.
2) Form strips into circles (about 4-5" and 2-3" in diameter).
3) Tape one circle to end of straw.
4) Tape other circle to opposite end.
5) Launch it!
Try different shapes. How high does each fly? How far do they glide? Try aiming for a target.

Watch the Flying Jet
You can watch a jet flying all over the sky, no matter where you are. You�ll need a cardboard tube, a piece of plastic wrap and tape. Trace around the end of the tube on the plastic wrap with a ball point pen. Draw a small jet plane on the middle of the circle. Then tape the plastic wrap to the tube, keeping the jet in the middle of the tube opening. To see the jet fly, just look up at the sky or ceiling through the open end of your telescope. Move your head around slowly while looking through it and the jet will seem to be flying across the sky!

Planes:
Read Angaela's Airplane by Robert Muncsh. It has a girl for the lead character---& every preschooler
can relate to her urge to push just one more button to see what will happen.

Airplane scopes:
Use a papertowel roll, small circle shaped piece of blue cellophane with an airplane
sticker on it. attach it to one end of the roll keeping the plane in the center. Decorate the outside of the
roll with paint, markers, or colored paper with more airplane stickers on it. When you look through
and move it around, the plane looks like it's flying!

Airplanes
Read Paper Airplane by Fulvio Testa.
Make simple paper airplanes.
Sponsor a flying contest. (check with airlines - they may donate "junior wings")
Take a field trip to watch the airplanes land & take off. (some airports will allow children to tour the airport & look inside a plane)

Make Your Own Rocket
sausage-shaped balloon
string
clothespin
straw
scissors
tape
1) Cut a long piece of string.
2) Thread the string through straw.
3) Inflate balloon.
4) Put clothespin on neck of balloon.
5) Tape balloon onto straw.
6) Release clothespin and watch rocket go!
Try out different shapes of balloons. What happens if you use different string (fishing wire, yarn,
etc)?

Boats

Tugboats
Materials: 1/2 pint milk carton, six black construction paper circles, toilet paper tubes, two 1-inch slits in bottom directly across from one another, cotton balls, red and black tempera paint, glue.

1. Have the children paint the sides of the milk carton red, and the toilet paper tube black. Add some white glue to the red paint to help it adhere to the milk carton.
2. Before the pain dries, the children can add black circles to the sides of the boat, three to a side. They will stick without gluing when glue is already in the paint.
3. Push the tube onto the boat center. Pull and stretch the cotton ball to the top of the tube. After boats dry, attach string and use in water.

Clothespin Sailboat
Need: spring type clothespins, toothpicks, white paper, glue or glue sticks, scissors, markers
Remove the hidges from the clothespins. Cut a 2 1/2 in. square of paper. Glue the flat pieces of the clothespins together, leaving a hole at one end. Insert the toothpick into the paper forming a "sail". Put glue into the hole and inset the toothpick, & let dry.

Cars and Trucks

License Plate Rubbings.
Place paper on top of a license plate. Using the side of a large crayon, rub across the top of the plate.
Wheel Painting
What about taking a long piece of butcher paper....taping one end to the top of a table and taking theother end and taping it to the floor (creating a ramp). Let the children dip their cars in the paint and roll their car down the ramp. (the cars gain great speed going down the ramp...be sure there'ssomething to stop it when it gets to the bottom).

Paper Plate Car
Children hone their fine motor skills while learning about shapes and colors.
Materials Needed:
Large paper plates (9" diameter)
Scissors
Glue or stapler
Two cups of paint, one black and another of child's choice
Markers
Ruler
Small paper cup (3-ounce) to use for tracing
1. Let the child draw a line in the middle of the plate with a ruler and marker, making two half-circles.
2. Cut along the line while talking about half-circles.
3. One one half, trace two small circles for wheels using the small paper cup.
4. Cut out the wheels, paint them black, and let them dry.
5. Paint the other half-circle the child's favorite color and let dry.
6. Staple or glue wheels to the car.

"Box Cars"
Make cars from boxes big enough for the child to get in.
Each car requires:
1 styrofoam meat tray(licence plate)
1 paper plate(steering wheel)
4 aluminum pie plates(wheels)
7 paper fasteners to attach the steering wheel and wheels and licence plate
felt markers to decorate steering wheel and licence plate paint string,yarn to make loop to"wear" the car

First pre-cut a circle large enough for the child to fit in on the bottom of the box. Cut off the flaps on all sides of the top. Have the children paint the box circle side up, adding headlights etc . When the paint is dry attach the licence plate to the front and have them use pens /markers to fill in the plate with their name . I attach the 4 wheels by puncturing the cardboard first then pushing the metal paper fastener through the pie plate and securing. The steering wheel is placed flat on the top of the front (hood) of the car.Then I punch a hole through the left and right (door) side near the top and loop enough wool through for the "car" to sit at elbow level. I hope you can visualize this. It was a lot of fun and took us almost a whole day!!


Trains

" Read "The Little Engine That Could."
Have the children come to daycare in striped shirts (like conductors).
For homework, have the children each bring in a box car of a train & something for it to carry. Then, hook the train up (use strings with paper clips tied at each end) & have the children chant "I think I can" while you pull the train.
Sing Hap Palmer's song, "Clickity Clack" substituting the items that the children put in their box cars in the appropriate place.
Make marshmallow trains.
Use pretzel sticks to hook the "cars" together & use peanut butter to glue cheerios on as wheels & other features.
To make a car you will need the following:
1 cardboard box approx. 2ft deep,3-4ft long (med size appliance type box)
2 rectangular meat trays or cardboard for licence plates
5 paper plates for wheels and steering wheel
paper fasteners (brass) to attach wheels,licence plate & steering wheels markers,paint,scissors,
glue string or yarn to tie car over shoulders
Cut off flaps from open end of box.This is now the bottom of the car. Cut a circle out from the top large enough for the child to step into & wear around his/her waist. Have children decorate the licence plates & attach to the front & rear of the car with fasteners or glue. Attach the steering wheel to the top of the car in front with paperfasteners. Draw in horn. Attach 4 paper plates for wheels with fasteners .
Decorate the car body with paint or markers etc, draw in doors, headlights etc. Make a small hole on left and right side of car body to loop wool or string through so that child can wear the car and have hands free for steering wheel. Make sure the yarn or string is the correct length to allow child to move safely & not too long to be a hazzard .

* Traffic Light
The red at the top
Tells us to STOP!
(Extend arn out with palm facing out.)
The green below
Tells us to GO!
(Sweep arm out as traffic director would do)
The yellow in the middle
Tells us to WAIT!
(Extend both arms out.)
Please don't worry-
You won't be late!

The Airplane Song
(Tune: "Take me out to the Ballgame")

Take me out to the airport. Take me up to the gate.
Buy me a ticket to fly so high.
I want to fly through the big, open sky!
Let me zoom, zoom, zoom! See, I'm soaring
Above the cars, buses, and trains.
For it's great to fly through the sky on a big airplane!
* Down By the Station

Down by the station
Down by the station
Early in the morning,
See the little pufferbillies
All in a row.
See the station master
Pull a little handle.
Chug, chug, Toot, toot,
Off we go!


Little Red Caboose

Little red caboose, Little red caboose,
Little red caboose, behind the train, train,
Smoke-stack on his back, Going down the track,
Little red caboose behind the train, train.

Windshield Wiper
I'm a windshield wiper
(Bend arm at elbow with fingers pointing up)
This is how I go
(move arm to left and right, pivoting at elbow)
Back and forth, back and forth
(continue back and forth motion)
In the rain and snow.
(continue back and forth motion)

HERE IS A CAR
Here is a car, shiny and bright.
(Cup one hand and place on other palm)
This is the windshield that lets in the light.
(hands open, fingertips touching)
Here are wheels that go round and round.
(two fists)
I sit in the back seat and make not a sound.
(sit quietly with hands in lap)

THE CAR RIDE
(Left are, held out bent, is road; right fist is car.)
"Vroom!" says the engine
(place car on left shoulder)
As the driver starts the car.
(shake car)

"Mmmm," says the windows
As the driver takes it far.
(travel over upper arm)

"Err," says the tires
As it rounds the final bend,
(turn at elbow, proceed over forearm)

"Ahhh," says the driver
As his trip comes to an end.
(stop car on left flattened palm)

The Airplane
The airplane has great big wings
(children stretch out arms.)
Its propeller spins round and sings,
Vvvvvvrrruuuummmmm.
(children move right arms around in a circle.)
The airplane goes up.
(they lift up their arms)
The airplane dips down.
The airplane flies--round all of the town!
(With arms outstretched, they turn around twice.)

Trains:
* make a train with your chairs--sing train songs

I'm A Little Airplane
(to "I'm a Little Teapot")
I'm a little airplane,
(children raise arms at sides to shoulder height.)
Now watch me fly!
(They spin one of their arms in front of them as if it were a propeller)
Here are my instruments
>From down low to up high.
(With their other arm, they reach from the ground to above their heads.)
First I get revved up.
(Children make engine-like noises while still spinning their arms.)
Then I can fly,
(Children raise arms to shoulder height.)
Lifting off the runway
(They start walking forward.)
Up into the sky!
(They go up on their tiptoes and continue to move forward. Let them circle
a while before returning to their original positions.)

Carpet Boating
Materials needed: Carpet squares or towels on a clean floor
1. Have the children put the carpet on the floor with the carpet side down (slides better)
2. Have them sit on the carpet piece with their feet extended out in front, knees bent.
3. Explain how they can pull themselves forward with their feet. Have them work their arms as if
they were rowing a boat. Sing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat".

WHO TOOK THE WHEEL?
(variation of "Who took the cookie from the cookie jar?)
Who took the wheel off the car today?
________ took the wheel off the car today. (fill in with a child's name)
Chosen child says,"Who me?"
Class responds, "Yes, you!"
Chosen child say, "Couldn't be!"
Class responds, "Well, then who?"

The chant continues as the chosen chld picks another child. Continue repeating the chant using the children's names.

WASH A CAR
If possible, wash a compact sized car. Provide a hose, sponges, brushes, a bucket and soapy water. If an actual car is not available, children can wash tricycles, bicycles, scooters, and wagons.

Here is a Car (Fingerplay)
Here is a car with wheels that go.
Windshield wipers swish to and fro.
Open the door and shut it tight.
On and off go two bright lights.
The steering wheel goes round and round.
The kids climb in and ride to town.

Directions:
Line 1: Cup one hand over the other to make the car, then roll hands in front.
Line 2: Bend arms at elbows in front and move them left to right.
Line 3: Place hands together (palmsin prayer) and move them apart, then clap on "shut."
Line 4: Close both fists and pop fingers open.
Line 5: Pretend to turn steering wheel.
Line 6: Cross two fingers of right hand over two fingers of left and maove away from body.

Cars fingerplay
Here is a car with wheels that go.
Windshield wipers swish to and fro.
Open the door and shut it tight.
On and off go two bright lights.
The steering wheel goes round and round.
The kids climb in and ride to town.

Directions:
Line 1: Cup one hand over the other to make the car, then roll hands in front.
Line 2: Bend arms at elbows in front and move them left to right.
Line 3: Place hands together (Palms in prayer) and move them apart, then clap on "shut."
Line4: Close both fists and pop fingers open.
Line 5: Pretend to turn steering wheel.
Line6: Cross two fingers of right hand over two fingers of left and move away from body.

Car chant/song
There are lots of cars, driving down the street (hands on steering wheel, turning back and forth)
Tell me what color car do you see? (Place felt car on flannelboard)
Big Cars, Little Cars (spread cars on 'big" bring hands close for "little")
Beep, beep, beep (tap nose three times)
Continue, placing different color/size of car on board
There are lots of cars driving down the street
What color is the biggest car you see (repeat till you have all the cars off the board)

WATCHING TRAFFIC (tune: "Frere Jacques")
Watch the cars go, watch the cars go,
Whiz-zing by, whiz-zing by.
Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep
Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep,
That's like mine! That's like mine!
Watch the bus go, watch the bus go,
Rolling by, rolling by.
Stop for all the people, stop for all the people.
Get on board! Get in board!
See the trucks go, see the trucks go
Down the street, down the street.
Gas and oil and milk trucks,
Mail and trash and dump trucks,
On their way, on their way.
Little Red Caboose
Little red caboose, Little red caboose,
Little red caboose behind the train, train,
Smoke-stack on his back, Going down the track,
Little red caboose behind the train, train.
Going On a Big Airplane (tune of "The Wheels on the Bus." )
The wheels on our car go 'round and 'round (repeat)
Going to the airport.
We walk and we walk down the ramp, down the ramp, down the ramp (repeat)
Going on a big airplane. (walk your hands on your knees)
The ticket taker reads our pass, reads our pass, reads our pass (repeat)
Going on a big airplane. (pretend reading, hands together, palms up)
We find our seat with little windows, little windows, little windows (repeat)
Going on a big airplane. (make a window with your thumbs and pointer fingers)
The flight attendant says, "Buckle your belt, buckle your belt, buckle your belt" (repeat)
Going on a big airplane. (put hands across tummy and bump fingers together)
Say to the children, "I think we're starting to move. I think the wheels are starting to go around very fast (make a slow wheel moving motion with your hands)
The wheels on the plane go 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round, 'round
and 'round (sing and repeat slowly) Going on a big airplane.
Say, "The airplanes wait their turn to use the runway, while they wait
they get their engines going really fast. Get those motors going. Ready?" (make engine noises)
The wheels on the plane go 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round, (repeat)
Going on a big airplane. (make a wheel moving motion with your hands)WHOOPEE (move arms out)
Now I'm flying through the air, through the air, through the air, (repeat)
Now I'm flying through the air on a big airplane! (move arms out and sway)
Airplane Song " to the tune of Wheels on the Bus."
The pilot on the airplane says fasten your belts (fasten seat belts)
Fasten your belts, fasten your belts.
The pilot on the airplane says fasten your belts
When flying through the sky,
Additional verses:
The children on the airplane go bum pity bump.... (move up and down)
The babies on the airplane go waa, waa, waa.... (rub eyes and pretend to cry)
The signs on the airplane go ding, ding, ding.... (point to signs)
The drinks on the airplane go splish, splash, splish.... (pretend to hold a glass and move it)
The luggage on the plane goes up and down.... (pretend to be luggage going up and down)
I'm A Little Airplane (to "I'm a Little Teapot")
I'm a little airplane, (children raise arms at sides to shoulder height.) Now watch me fly!
(They spin one of their arms in front of them as if it were a propeller) Here are my instruments
From down low to up high.
(With their other arm, they reach from the ground to above their heads.) First I get revved up.
(Children make engine-like noises while still spinning their arms.) Then I can fly,
(Children raise arms to shoulder height.) Lifting off the runway
(They start walking forward.) Up into the sky!
(They go up on their tiptoes and continue to move forward. Let them circle a while before returning to their original positions.)
The Airplane The airplane has great big wings (children stretch out arms.)
Its propeller spins round and sings, Vvvvvvrrruuuummmmm. (children move right arms around in a circle.)
The airplane goes up. (they lift up their arms)
The airplane dips down.
The airplane flies--round all of the town!
(With arms outstretched, they turn around twice.)
Bicylces:
I have a little bicycle (have kids lay on backs, make bicycle motions with legs)
I bought it at the shop.
And when I see the big red light,
I know its time to STOP (kids stop "pedaling")
I have a little bycycle
I ride it to and fro.
And when I see the big green light,
I know its time to GO! (start pedaling again")

People Movers
It walks, and runs, and it gallops, of course!
Take a ride on the back of this thing called a horse.
It is wooden, with two wheels, but how does it start?
A donkey will pull you In this thing called a cart.
Your two legs will move you, but you won't need to hike
Hop up and ride off on this thing called a bike.
With four wheels and a motor you can really go far!
Buckle up and then ride in this thing called a car.
When you put up the sail, on water you'll float.
Climb aboard, and sail off in this thing called a boat.
It takes children to school, holds a lot without fuss,
Load up and ride off in this thing called a bus.
It can fly in the sky through the wind and the rain
Climb aboard and take off in this thing called a plane.

Fireman Shake (Snack)

Apple Sailboat Snack
Have children make apple sailboats from apple slice, a triangular piece of cheese, and a toothpick. Eat
for a snack.
Traffic light Graham Crackers
Break the graham crackers into the small rectangle. Frost w/PB. Add a red, green and yellow M&M in the right order. Or use red and green grapes and cheese circles.

Sailboat Eggs
Allow 1 egg per sailor
Ingredients: hard-boiled eggs, 1/2 teaspoon mustard, carrot sticks, chopped pimentos, 1 teaspoon mayonnaise, 1 cup diced green peppers, celery sticks, lettuce leaves,
Utensils: knife and cutting board, bowl, fork, toothpicks for mast, scissors, paper for sails, tape
Process- Peel the hard-boiled eggs. Discard shells or save for another art idea, such as eggshell mosaics.
Cut the eggs in half. Remove the yolks and place them in a bowl. Mash the yolks with 1 teaspoon mayonnaise and 1/2 teaspoon mustard. Mound the mixture back into the egg white sections.
Decorate the egg sections with the celery sticks, carrot sticks and chopped pimentos.
Cut the paper into sails, attach to the toothpicks with tape and put into eggs. Place the lettuce on a serving plate, then put the eggs on top of the lettuce.


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� There may be activity/color sheets to go with this lesson.
Click on the grocery bag to see. .�

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