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Transportation/Traffic Lights

From Heather:
Classroom Train: Gather about 6-9 large boxes (moving size) and allow the children to paint them different colors making sure that one box is painted black.  After the paint dries on the black box, paint the word "ENGINE" on it.  On another box, paint "CABOOSE," and on every other box, paint "BOX CAR."  Once all the boxes are dry, tape them together using at least one roll of moving or packing tape (scotch and masking tapes won't work).  Use the "TRAIN" during centers time.  The children love to play train and you will definitely hear a lot of "CHOO...CHOO...TOOT...TOOT."  This year, we found that when the kids got tired of playing, they'd gather a few books from the book center and a pillow or two and jump in the train and read.  We did a week on transportation and that's how long the train stayed.  We then got rid of it because it does consume lots of space.

From Kimberly S:
Language Activity: Word Matching: Cut out various forms of transportation from construction paper, then cut out a duplicate set.  Print the name of the mode of transportation on each cutout (train, car, etc).  Place the cutouts in your Language Center.  Children match the shapes from one set to the shapes in the other set, but they are also being exposed to "words."
Variation: To increase the difficulty, print the words on cards or shapes that are all the same.  This forces the children to match the words rather than the shapes.

From Shelli Smith, Riverton, Utah:
Highways: I found a page of transportation stickers at our local scrapbooking store.  Children made their own "highway" by putting the truck and car stickers on paper.  The stickers that I found had traffic signs too!  (The cost should be about $0.50 or less per student -- a fun "splurge" for something different.)
Visual Activity Extension from Stormie: In advance, for a group project, you could draw a very narrow and curvy pathway (highway) on a long piece of paper then have children place the stickers within the two-lines (on the highway, in other words).

From Stormie:
Although I'm posting additional ideas below as often as I can, my very favorite activities have been reserved for my "TRANSPORTATION" booklet (see the "Stormie's Stuff for Teachers" section of my website).  "Traffic Light" activities are included.

Discussion & Mini-Homework: I like including the sub-theme of "traffic lights" because it reviews colors and children learn about things around them that they may not have yet noticed.  As mini-homework, tell them you want them to watch for traffic lights while riding in their family vehicle.  (I send notes home to parents when I give mini-homework so they can assist in the teaching.)  What does Mommy/Daddy do when the light is red?  (Talk about why they stop.)  What do they do when the light turns green?  Yellow?

Craft (for purpose of teaching a concept): Traffic Light: Have children bring milk cartons to school.  Cut the tops off.  Help children wrap their cartons in black or dark green/blue construction paper (you'll need the large sheets).  Then provide the children with red, yellow, and green circles to glue onto the traffic-light cartons (red goes on top).
Variation: Children could being a shoebox with lid instead of a milk carton.  Glue the lid onto the box.

By the way, the theme of "transportation" is a great way to review shapes.  Think of all the shapes found on vehicles and traffic signs.

Field Trip: If you have a traffic light near the school, take a walk with the children to a spot where you can sit and watch the light change and observe what the drivers do.  And also look for other "transportation" signs like stop signs, speed limit signs, etc.

Pre-Math (Number Recognition)/Gross Motor: Speed Limit Sign Game: Print numbers on large index cards (anywhere from 1-10).  To play, children stand in a line. Call out a child's name and say, "Johnny, I want you to take this many giant steps very slowly" (he must look at the number on the card you hold up).  Then, for the next child, you might say, ............"baby steps very quickly."  You get the idea -- vary the instructions with the children.  

*Free Choice Activity: Vehicles: Pay close attention to your puzzle pieces.  For example, I once had a puzzle with 12 pieces and each piece was a different form of transportation (car shape, truck shape, bus shape, etc).  As a Free Choice project, I placed the pieces in the Art Center for children to draw around.  They then drew/collaged the inside of their drawn shapes to create their own vehicles.
Variation: (Creativity Within the Limits of a Theme): After defining and discussing "transportation" and "vehicles," provide several cutouts (trains, trucks, cars, boats, planes, etc).  Children choose just one from the pile and glue it on paper.  Instruct them to finish their "train" (or whatever) pictures any way they wish by drawing with crayons.  Observe and encourage as they draw.  You might ask, "Where does your vehicle move (land, sea, or air)?"  "What else would you see on land (or in the sky or at sea)?"  Have the children tell you about their completed pictures.  Print their exact words on their papers.

Stormie's Games: By the way, I offer "Boats and Planes" patterning cards in the "Teaching Aids" section of "Stormie's Stuff for Teachers."  

From Sheryl in Portland, Oregon
Making Tracks:
1. Cut car and truck shapes from construction paper.  Provide small plastic cars that have "treads" on their wheels (I found mine at an educational toy store) and trays of tempera paints.  Have the children run their cars through the paint, and then "drive" their cars across the construction paper.
2. ......Similar to the one above......except use larger trucks and cars (like you might find in your Construction/Block Center) that have nice treads.  Pour paints into cookie sheets (with sides) and set one car in each tray.  Provide large pieces of paper and let the children run their "big vehicles" across the paper.  They really enjoy running the cars along the paper over and over and over again!

From one of my website visitors who didn't leave a name:
Boat: I made a boat out of empty orange juice containers I had collected, and the children absolutely loved it!

From Stephanie Joseph, Marietta, Georgia:
Snack: Edible Traffic Lights: Break graham crackers into rectangle-shaped pieces.  Allow children to use very clean craft sticks to spread frosting or cream cheese onto one rectangle (per child).  Then give each child one red, one yellow and one green M&M for the "lights" on their crackers (red on top).

Making a Multi-Cultural Connection:
To provide a frame of reference, show children where countries are located on your classroom globe or map, and if possible, provide related pictures and books:

From Stormie:

Afghanistan (on the continent of Asia)
The nomadic farming families of Afghanistan sometimes ride on camels and donkeys instead of in cars to get from one place to another over rocky hillsides.  Other people, in the towns, ride buses, trucks, and bicycles just like we do.

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