Sail, Ride, Drive and Fly
Books to Share
- Duck’s Key, Where Can It Be? by Jez Alborough.
- How Will You Get There, Maisy? by Lucy Cousins.
- I Love Boats by Flora McDonnell.
- I Love Planes by Philemon Sturges.
- Train Leaves the Station by Eve Merriam.
Books to Show or Booktalk
- Can You Choo-Choo? by David Wojtowycz.
- Matthew’s Truck by Katherine Ayres.
- This Boat by Paul Collicutt.
- The Ugly Truckling by David Gordon.
- Wheels on the Race Car by Alec Zane.
Bulletin Board
Ride The Animal Train!
Create a scene of animals riding an open train and reading books. Animals not riding the train can be seen in the trees reading or waving at the train. To make the train, use small boxes covered with construction paper. Animals can be small stuffed animals or puppets.
Nametags
Sail Away Boat
Cut out a rectangular shape from one color of paper and a triangular shape from another color of paper. Glue the triangle to the long side of the rectangle so it looks like a sailboat with the triangle on top for the sail. Alternately, use boat die-cuts to create nametags.
Displays
Planes, Trains, Cars, and Boats!
Display books, videos, DVDs, and musical recordings about planes, trains, cars, hot air balloons, and trucks with an assortment of toy trains, cars, planes, train whistles, and hats worn by people who operate these or other means of transportation.
Refreshments
Fire Truck Crackers
Ingredients
- Graham crackers
- Miniature Oreos™
- Stick pretzels
- White frosting
- Red food coloring (or red frosting)
- Red jellybeans or other small red candy
- Black licorice
Directions
Mix the red food coloring with white frosting or use prepared red icing. Spread the frosting on top of a whole four-section graham cracker. At one end, sandwich the frosting between a one-section piece of graham cracker to make the ‘cab’ of the fire truck. On the top of the cab, use the frosting to attach a red candy on top to make the siren. Finish the fire truck by adding pieces of pretzel sticks to make a ladder, licorice for a fire hose, etc., on the frosting. Use the frosting to attach the miniature Oreos™ for the wheels. Display and then eat!
Fingerplays
This Little Plane
(By Debbie Brightwell Brown. Do this rhyme as a fingerplay by using your fingers or stand up and act out being an airplane with your arms extended out.)
This little plane flew in the air.
This little plane stayed home.
This little plane went very high.
This little plane went very low.
This little plane went roar, roar, roar all the way home.
Songs
The Car Song
(By Debbie Brightwell Brown. Sing to the tune of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home." Cut paper steering wheels out of pizza boxes in advance or use paper plates. Distribute the steering wheels to the children to use while singing the song.)
We like to travel in our car.
Hurrah! Hurrah!
A car can take us very far.
Hurrah! Hurrah!
We'll buckle up before we go.
First we go fast, then we go slow.
And we’ll all have a good time in our car.
Vroom! Vroom!
The Choo-Choo Song
(Traditional. Sing to the tune of “Itsy Bitsy Spider.” Use masking tape to create pretend train tracks on the floor in a circle. Let the children follow you around the track as you sing the song. Bells and a wooden train whistle can also be used to add sound effects.)
Here comes the choo-choo train,
Puffin’ around the track.
First comes the engine,
The freight cars are in back.
Now the bell is ringing.
Now the whistle blows.
What a lot of noise it makes,
Everywhere it goes.
Rhymes and Poetry
Traffic Light Bright
(Traditional, adapted as a craft by Debbie Brightwell Brown.)
Stop at the red light.
Go on the green.
Slow at the yellow.
That's what these colors mean.
Audio Recordings
- “Clickity Clack” on Hunk-Ta-Bunk-Ta Funsies #1 by Katherine Dines.
- “Down by the Station” on Here is Thumbkin by Kimbo Educational.
- “Riding in My Car” on Rockin’ Down the Road by Greg & Steve.
Crafts
Rolling Along Cars
Materials
- Copier paper
- Metal brads
- Crayons or markers
Directions
Copy and cut out cars and wheels using the patterns provided at the end of the chapter. Punch a hole in the center of the wheel and on the dot on the car pattern, as shown. Allow the children to color the car and the wheels. Attach the wheel to the car with a metal brad so that it will spin.
Traffic Light Bright
Materials
- Construction or copier paper
- Copies of the “Traffic Light Bright” poem
- Glue sticks
- Red, yellow, and green crayons or markers
Directions
Copy the traffic light pattern and “Traffic Light Bright” poem provided in the ‘Rhymes and Poetry’ section above. Let the children color the circles green, yellow, and red. Then let the children glue the poem onto the back of the paper. Recite the poem with them and talk about crossing the street safely.
Videos/DVDs/Films
If you have public performance rights, show these videos and DVDs, or segments of them, to the children. Otherwise, display them for home use. Times are indicated for the entire film.
- Alexander and the Car with the Missing Headlight. (12 minutes)
- The Wheels on the Bus. (6 minutes)
Web Sites
Boeing: Kids Page
www.boeing.com/companyoffices/aboutus/kids/
Print out coloring sheets, mazes, cutouts, connect-the-dot sheets, and more about things that fly.
Web-Based Activities
Otto Club
www.ottoclub.org/
The California chapter of the American Automobile Association (AAA) hosts this interactive site that includes online stories, coloring pages, make your own story, and other activities related to auto safety.
Professional Resources
American Automobile Association
www.aaapublicaffairs.com
This association has chapters in all major Texas cities. The web site includes contact information for resources for those who work with children.
