On the Move – Transportation

Rhyme Cube: click here for description

Sign Language:  Word of the day is “Train”

First Book:  I Love Planes by Philemon Sturges

Felt Board:  Where Does it Go?

I stole this wonderful idea from RovingFiddlehead KidLit

I made a train track, a road, a lake, and some clouds out of felt and put them on the board.  Like this:

I also made a train (engine, box car, and caboose), a bus, a bicycle, a sail boat, an airplane, and a hot air balloon.  I asked the kids to help me put the vehicles in the correct spot.  Of course I kept putting them in the wrong spots (the train engine in the sky, the boat on the train tracks, the bicycle in the lake…) and the kids had fun correcting me.

Second Book:  Freight Train by Donald Crews

Felt Board: Green means “Go”

This activity came from Toddler Storytime

I made red, yellow, and green circles out of felt. I told the kids that when I put up the green one they need to run in place really fast (“go, go, go!”).  When I put up the yellow circle I told them to run in place very slowly (“slow, slow, slow).  And when I put up the red circle they should freeze (“stop!”).

I switched between the circles a few times so the kids could get all their wiggles out.

Third Book:  My Car by Byron Barton

Song:  “Drive, Drive, Drive your Car”

(Tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”)

Drive, drive, drive your car,
All around the town.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Up the hills and down.
Turn, turn, turn the key,
Make the engine roar. VROOOOM!
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Let’s go to the store.
Press, press, press the pedal,
Give the engine gas.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Now we’re going fast.
Turn, turn, turn the wheel,
That is how we steer.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Make a turn right here.

Song found at Sunflower Storytime

iPad App:  Peekaboo Vehicles by Touch and Learn

This cute app is easy to use as a guessing game during storytime.  It shows an image of clouds and plays the sound of a specific vehicle (a train, a firetruck, a helicopter, ….).  When you tap on the clouds they disappear to reveal an animated image of the vehicle.  I held the iPad facing the kids and had them guess each vehicle by its sound.  I also gave them clues.  For example, with the airplane sound I told the kids: “this vehicle has great big wings and flies in the sky.”   Once they shouted out their guesses, I taped the iPad to reveal the vehicle.  Here’s a screenshot of the firetruck:

This activity was super simple and fun.

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