Cars, trains, boats and planes can all be included into a theme about transportation. Consequently, there are many ideas that can be contributed into a transportation preschool lesson plan. In addition, a theme about transportation can be incorporated into other topics such as vacation, safety, workers and our community. The following article provides some ideas to include into a transportation theme for a preschool curriculum.
Begin a Transportation Theme at Circle Time
Introduce a theme about transportation at group circle by asking the children what they think the word transportation means? Just saying the word itself with four syllables is a big word for some preschool ages. Then ask the children if they can give examples of different forms of transportation and record their answers. This process allows children to take ownership of the topic and feel honoured for their ideas. Before long, the group will determine that transportation means how we move from one place to another. Next, give each child a picture showing a form of transportation. On an easel board or large piece of paper make categories, such as sky, land and water, and allow each child to choose where the picture should be. Alternative sorting can be with an engine and without an engine or with wheels and not with wheels.
After the introduction is complete, transportation songs can be sung with all the children. The following song is sung to the tune of "The Wheels on the Bus":
The cars on the road go beep beep beep...all around the town
The planes in the sky go zoom zoom zoom...all around the town
The trains on the track go chug, chug, chug...all around the town
The boats on the water go swish, swish, swish....all around the town.
Transportation Craft Suggestions
- Train Sponge Painting: in small trays place tempera paint with rectangle shaped sponges, and empty spools. Allow the children to create trains by stamping the sponge onto paper to make the train cars and using the spools for wheels.
- Paper Plate Sailboat: each child receives half a paper plate, a straw and a triangle shape. The paper plate will be decorated as well as the triangle. The sailboat can be glued onto paper or the teacher might staple the straw to the paper plate and triangle shape to finish the project.
- Egg Carton School Bus: allow each child to paint the lid of a cardboard egg carton yellow. When dry, two black wheels made out of construction paper are glued on.The word school bus can also be written. Children may then make faces or cut out faces from magazines to place into the windows. Alternatively, the same idea can be used to make an airplane or other forms of transportation.
- Traffic Light: the teacher will create the main shape of a traffic light out of black construction paper and the children will cut out a green, red and yellow circle to glue onto the shape turning their project into a traffic light.
Transportation Activities for the Classroom
- One ongoing project can be a classroom mural where pictures of transportation are placed. These pictures may be found in magazines available at the open-ended art station, or can be brought in from home environments.
- Activity sheets can easily be made or found online to continue the learning process about transportation. Children will circle or color the things on the sheet that are forms of transportation.
- Transportation pictures can be glued onto one side of cleaned juice lids along with other pictures, then placed downward onto a table. With a magnet wand, children may pick up the lid and place them into appropriate categories.
- Take the children on a transportation walk around the community to see how many different forms of transportation might be found.
Drama Play for a Transportation Theme
The drama area should be turned into different forms of transportation throughout this particular theme. One simple way is to place chairs one behind the other and explain to the children that a bus or train has been created. This visual activity can occur outside as well as inside. To extend on that idea, fill the drama station up with bags and suitcases along with clothes and other items for packing. A ticket station can be created with pads of paper and stamps.
A transportation theme has a great deal of possibilities for any early childhood curriculum. Hopefully this article provides some ideas to include into your program planning for a transportation theme.
For further reading: Car Preschool Lesson Plan
Christine Moore - Early Childhood Educator, Preschool/Daycare Resources, Online Workshop Instructor, ECE, BGS
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