Public transportation

CIRCLE TIME

Poni discovers and presents

(Open Poni discovers and presents-Public transportation) Print and laminate the cards. Cut them out. Use a Poni puppet (or another puppet that children are familiar with) to present the different forms of public transportation to your group.

Suggested questions:

• How many types of public transportation can you name?
• Can you imitate different sirens or sounds associated with public transportation?
• Name your favorite form of public transportation. Why do you like using it?
• Do you use public transportation to travel between the daycare and your home?
• Which types of public transportation have you used?

AREA SETUP

Themaric poster

(Open thematic poster-Public transportation) Print and display.

Educa-theme-Public transportation

(Open educa-theme-Public transportation) Print and laminate the items associated with the theme. Use them to present the theme to your group (and parents) while decorating your daycare.

Educa-decorate-Public transportation

(Open educa-decorate-Public transportation) Print, laminate, and cut out the illustrations. Use them to decorate your walls and set the mood for the theme.

Garland-Public transportation

(Open garland-Public transportation) Print and let children decorate the garland elements. Cut out the items and use them to create a garland that can be hung near your daycare entrance or within your daycare.

Educa-decorate-Means of transportation

(Open educa-decorate-Means of transportation) Print, laminate, and cut out the illustrations. Use them to decorate your walls and set the mood for the theme.

Garland-Means of transportation

(Open garland-Means of transportation) Print and let children decorate the garland elements. Cut out the items and use them to create a garland that can be hung near your daycare entrance or within your daycare.

PICTURE GAME

The pictures may be used as a memory game or to spark a conversation with the group.  Use them to decorate the daycare or a specific thematic corner. (Open picture game-Public transportation) Print, laminate, and store in a “Ziploc” bag or in your thematic bins.

ACTIVITY AND WRITING SHEETS

Activity sheets are provided for each theme.  Print and follow instructions. (Open activity sheets-Public transportation) (Open activity sheets-Means of transportation)

Writing activities

(Open writing activities-T like train) (Open writing activities-T like taxi) (Open writing activities-B like bus) (Open writing activities-S like subway) Print for each child or laminate for use with a dry-erase marker.

Educa-nuudles-Public transportation

(Open educa-nuudles-Public transportation) Print for each child. Have children color the sheet and use Magic Nuudles to give it a three-dimensional look. Variation: You don’t have Magic Nuudles? Have children fill the spaces designed for Magic Nuudles with bingo markers or stickers.

To order Magic Nuudles

Stationery-Public transportation

(Open stationery-Public transportation) Print. Use the stationery to communicate with parents, in your writing area, or to identify your thematic bins.

VARIOUS WORKSHOPS

Construction/building blocks:

• • This is the perfect theme to include anything related to means of transportation.
  • Add cardboard tubes (paper towels, wrapping paper, etc.) which can be used to make tunnels.
  • Create a long tunnel using several 2-litre soft drink bottles. Simply cut the ends off and stick them together. Flexible tubing from a dryer can also make an excellent tunnel.
  • Lay a play mat for tiny cars on the floor or draw streets using colourful adhesive tape (you can even draw streets on the walls). If you prefer, use string to trace streets and move them around each day.
  • Decorate your corner with pictures representing different forms of public transportation.

Arts & crafts:

• Decorate your arts & crafts area with pictures of cars, buses, taxicabs, trains, subways, etc. They will inspire children for their various projects.
• Means of transportation stencils.
• Tiny toy cars and paint. Simply roll the cars in the paint and then on construction paper. Repeat with buses, trains, etc. and compare the prints.
• Cardboard, recycled materials, and plenty of imagination can be used to invent an original means of transportation.

Role play:

• Transform your role play area to make it look like an airplane, a train, a boat... just follow your imagination!
• A train: a few chairs placed one behind the other, overalls, a cap, and a shirt for a train director costume, paper train tickets, a hole-punch to punch holes in the tickets, etc.
• A boat: A large box (large appliance), a buoy for each child, lifejackets, a sailor costume, etc.
• An airplane: Chairs placed one behind the other, headphones, a pilot costume (shirt and cap), a cart with plastic dishes and food items, paper tickets, etc.
• Transform your area to represent a garage. Overalls, gloves, and various tools are all you need for children to become mechanics. If you can, add an old tire.

Manipulation:

• Memory game with educatall picture games related to means of transportation.
• Memory game, lotto game, or other games related to means of transportation and different professions.
• Modeling dough and cookie cutters representing different means of transportation.
• Car, truck, plane, and train puzzles.
• Puzzles representing various city scenes.

Reading and relaxation:

• Books about means of transportation and professions.
• A Cars book and CD set with a headset.
• The Cars
• A picture book showing people using various forms of public transportation.
• A felt board divided into three parts (sky, land, sea) and pictures of means of transportation that children associate with the correct section.

Music/Motor skills:

• Create an obstacle course that children must complete while holding a paper plate, pretending to drive a taxicab or while making train sounds.
• Show children pictures of different forms of public transportation and encourage them to make the corresponding sounds.

Sensory bin:

• Water table: Explore items that float and others that sink.
• Sand table with toy cars, buses, trains, etc.

LANGUAGE ACTIVITIES

The flashcards may be used during circle time to spark a conversation with the group or in your reading and writing area. They may also be used to identify your thematic bins. (Open word flashcards-Public transportation) (Open giant word flashcards-Public transporation) taxi, bus, subway, trolley, train, ferry, ticket, ticket station, driver, passenger, terminal, gate (Open word flashcards-Means of transportation) (Open giant word flashcards-Means of transportation) airplane, train, boat, car, bus, bicycle, taxi, subway, helicopter, motorcycle, hot air balloon, truck

Let’s chat

Print and laminate the word flashcards. Have each child pick a word. They can take turns presenting it to the group (ex. ferry). Discuss each item as a group.

Sequential story

(Open sequential story-A subway ride) Print and laminate the illustrations. Have children place them in the correct order.

Scene-A subway ride

(Open scene-A subway ride) Print, laminate, and cut out the items. Children use them to decorate the scene.

Picture clue story-Travels

(Open picture clue story-Travels) Print. Sit in a circle with your group. Begin reading the story. Every time you reach a picture clue, pause and point to it. Children guess the missing word.

ROUTINES AND TRANSITIONS

Game-This is my spot-Trains

(Open game-This is my spot-Trains) Print each illustration twice. Stick one copy of each picture on the table using adhesive paper. Deposit the second copy of each illustration in a bag and have children take turns picking a card to determine where they are to sit at the table, their spot in the task train, etc.

My bus path

(Open my bus path) Print, laminate, and stick the illustrations on the floor to create a path leading to different areas within your daycare that children visit every day such as the bathroom, the cloakroom, etc. If you prefer, use the illustrations to delimit workshops.

Clean hands bin

Fill a bin with small toys and activities linked to the theme. Children can explore the contents of the bin as they wait for others, but only once they have washed their hands.

Boarding

Arrange several chairs one behind the other to form a train. Write numbers on small pieces of cardboard, creating two identical series. Use adhesive tape to press the first series of numbers on the chairs and deposit the numbers from the second series in a bag or basket. Children take turns picking a numb

er to find their seat, as if they were boarding a bus, an airplane, etc.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND MOTOR SKILLS

Lacing-Public transportation

(Open lacing-Public transportation) Print, laminate, and punch holes around the contour of each model. Children thread ribbon, a shoelace, or string through the holes.

Bus ride

Children sit one behind the other, as if they were riding a bus. The driver (the child at the front of the line) shouts out directions. Children must listen to his instructions and lean towards the left or the right, backwards or forward per his requests.

Lacing-Means of transportation

(Open lacing-Means of transportation) Print, laminate, and punch holes around the contour of each model. Children thread ribbon, a shoelace, or string through the holes.

Small engine game

Have each child set a sponge (engine) on his head. Invite them to start their engine (begin walking around the daycare). If a child’s engine falls, he must stop and remain perfectly still until one of his peers picks it up for him and sets it on his head once again (without dropping his own engine).

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

The means of transportation I use

Have children stand on a line at one end of your yard. Ask them to name different means of transportation. For example, if a child says “airplane”, children must move towards you with their arms out to the side like an airplane. If another child says “train”, children must make train sounds as they move forward and so on.

At the train station

You will need four corners delimited by circles drawn on the ground or hula hoops. Each corner will represent a train station. Children are passengers. As the leader of the game, you are stationmaster. When you say, “Passengers, change stations!”, children run to another corner (another station). If a passenger is captured between stations, he or she becomes a stationmaster too. The game ends when all the passengers have been captured.

Subway or train

To represent a subway or train, children form a line and wrap their arms around the child in front of them. Encourage them to walk around the daycare this way. You may add obstacles, such as a cushion on the floor that they will have to avoid. They must never let go of each other!

MUSICAL AND RHYTHMIC ACTIVITIES

Engine sounds

Have children use their mouth to represent the sound of a train, a boat, an airplane, a tr

uck, a car, etc. You may also have them make siren sounds!

Name this means of transportation

Have children listen to recorded means of transportation sounds and have them identify each one. If you wish, you may also use illustrations or pictures for this activity and encourage children to associate each sound to the correct means of transportation.

COGNITIVE ACTIVITIES

Color by number-Public transportation

(Open color by number-Public transportation) Print for each child. Children must color the picture according to the color code.

Educ-trace-Public transportation

(Open educ-trace-Public transportation) Print for each child. Children must trace the lines with the correct colors and then color the corresponding items using the same colors.

Educ-same and different-Means of transportation

(Open educ-same and different-Means of transportation) Print and laminate for durable, eco-friendly use. Children must circle the illustration that is different in each row.

Educ-math-Means of transportation

(Open educ-math-Means of transportation) Print and laminate for durable, eco-friendly use. Children must count the items in each rectangle and circle the correct number.

Educ-shadows-Means of transportation

(Open educ-shadows-Means of transportation) Print and laminate for durable, eco-friendly use. Children must draw a line between each item on the left and the corresponding shadow on the

right using a dry-erase marker.

Magnifying glass game-Travels

(Open magnifying glass game-Travels) Print and laminate the board game and the cards. Cut out the cards and set them in an opaque bag or box. Children pick a card and search for the item on the board game using a magnifying glass. Once they find it, they set the card in the correct square.

Puzzles-Means of transportation

(Open puzzles-Means of transportation) Print, laminate, and cut the puzzles into pieces. Children must complete the puzzles.

Educ-colors-Public transportation

(Open educ-colors-Public transportation) Print and laminate for durable, eco-friendly use or print for each child if you prefer. Children must associate the items to the correct color and draw a line between corresponding items using the same color.

Educa-symmetry-Public transportation

(Open educa-symmetry-Public transportation) Print. Children must color the picture on the bottom to make it look exactly like the picture at the top of the page.

Educ-intruder-Public transportation

(Open educ-intruder-Public transportation) Print and laminate. Children must find the 6 intruders in the scene.

Dominoes-Transportation

(Open dominoes-Transportation) Print and laminate the dominoes. Children pick five dominoes each. Arrange the other dominoes in a pile, except for one that is placed in the centre of the table. Children take turns trying to match an item to an item on the end of the available dominoes. If they cannot play a domino they already have, they must pick another one. If they cannot play it either, their turn is over.

MORAL AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

Dress-up dolls-Bus driver

(Open dress-up dolls-Bus driver) Print and laminate. Cut out the accessories and let children have fun dressing the bus driver as they see fit.

Bus ride

Arrange several chairs in a row to represent a bus. Have them get on and off the bus, pay for their trip, pretend to ride the bus around town, etc.

Our bus

(Open our bus-Color version) or (Open our bus) Print, laminate, and display the bus on a wall. Photograph the children in your group and print the pictures. Invite each child to glue his or her picture in a bus window.

Means of transportation

Invite children to bring a picture or toy representing a means of transportation to daycare. Discuss the items, compare them, etc.

A very long trip-Mime game

Invent a story in which you are going on a very long trip with your group. Throughout your trip, you will use several different forms of public transportation. For example, you may begin with a ride in a taxicab, to the bus terminal. From there, you will ride the bus to the subway station. After a ride on the subway, you can hop on the trolley. For an added challenge, you may use the same means of transportation in the opposite order to make your way back to your starting point.

CULINARY ACTIVITIES

Food item of the week: Plums

(Open educ-poster-Plums) Print and laminate. Use the cards to present the food item of the week to your group.

Snack bus

Cut the top off an egg carton. Decorate the bottom portion to make it look like a bus. Set different types of fruit or vegetables in each egg carton section. The fruits and vegetables will represent the bus driver and passengers. Invite children to sit in a circle and have them pass the bus around until they have eaten all the fruits and vegetables.

ARTS & CRAFTS

Models-Public transportation

(Open models-Public transportation) Print as many copies as necessary. Use the models for collages, to foster cutting skills, for group projects, etc.

Models-Means of transportation

(Open models-Means of transportation) Print as many copies as necessary. Use the models for collages, to foster cutting skills, for group projects, etc.

Puppets-Means of transportation

(Open puppets-Means of transportation) Print the various models on heavy paper. Have 

children cut them out and decorate them with arts & crafts materials. Glue a Popsicle stick behind each character to complete the puppets.

Puppets-Public transportation

(Open puppets-Public transportation) Print the various models on heavy paper. Have children cut them out and decorate them with arts & crafts materials. Glue a Popsicle stick behind each character to complete the puppets.

My tickets

(Open models-Transportation tickets) Print several copies. Have children color and cut out the tickets. Use them for different activities throughout the theme.

My bus

Give each child the bottom part of an egg carton. Have them paint it using yellow and black paint. Cut wheels out of black construction paper. Children can glue them on either side of their bus. Children will love playing with their bus and figurines.

Train

Cut the bottom off several milk cartons (7-8 cm high). Punch holes out of the front and back of each carton so that you can tie them together to represent a train. For the locomotive, simply add a disposable drinking glass on top of one of the train cars to represent a chimney. Cut wheels out of the leftover milk carton sections and glue them on either side of the train cars. Children can paint their train.

Taxicab boxes

Give each child an empty tissue box and encourage them to decorate it to represent taxi cabs. Help them think of details such as windows, doors, mirrors, wheels, etc.

Stencils-Means of transportation

(Open stencils-Means of transportation) Print and cut out the stencils. Children can use them to trace or paint various elements linked to the theme.

Our imaginary means of transportation

Hang a large white paper banner on a wall and invite children to create an original means of transportation using arts & crafts materials, markers, magazine clippings, etc.

My means of transportation

Give each child a cardboard box. The boxes must be big enough for children to sit in. Each child transforms his or her box to represent a means of transportation: a boat, a car, a truck, a taxicab, a bus. They may use paint, paper, and a variety of recycled arts & crafts materials.

COLORING PAGES

Coloring pages

(Open coloring pages theme-Public transportation) Print for each child. (Open I am learning to draw-A bus) Print for each child. Encourage children to practice their drawing technique on the model sheet before trying to draw a bus on their own. (Open complete the drawing-Public transportation) Print for each child. Have children draw the missing elements.

SONGS & RHYMES

Songs & rhymes

(Open songs & rhymes-Here I get on the bus) Print.

By: Patricia Morrison         Sung to: Here we go loopty loo

Here I get on the bus

It always arrives on time

Here I get on the bus

It takes me all around town

I can get off at the store

And shop for things I need

I get back on the bus

It will take me back home again

Here I get on the bus

It always arrives on time

Here I get on the bus

It takes me all around town

I can get off at the park

And play, run, and relax

I get back on the bus

It will take me back home again

Here I get on the bus

It always arrives on time

Here I get on the bus

It takes me all around town

Have fun!

The educatall team