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.
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.
Sorting/Categorizing
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.
Transportation Song
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 Open Ended Art Ideas
1) Provide children a variety of shapes of paper: rectangle, circle, square, triangle, along with some glue and felts. See what forms of transportation they will create on their own.
2) Provide children a variety of collage material and instruct the preschool children to make some form of transportation and see what happens. Some material suggestions would be egg cartons, small boxes, toilet paper tubes, pipe cleaners, straws, paper shapes, scissors, tape and glue. Lots of glue.
3) Painting with cars
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. Click here to be redirected to a great site for printable coloring/activity sheets.
•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
Regardless of the age, a box can turn into many forms of transportation for lots of fun dramatic play!
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 to help create the scene.
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