Ready for School Activities
The wheels on the bus
Objectives
Children will learn about transportation vehicles.
Children will learn a fun song.
Children will develop listening skills.
Materials
- NA
What you do:
Read the book The Wheels on the Bus by Paul O. Zelinsky or Wheels on the Bus (Raffi Songs to Read) by Raffi book to the children. Look at the cover of the book and read the title together. Ask children if they have heard of the song before. If many children know the song, sing the first verse together.
The Wheels on The Bus
(Children perform movements and sounds suggested by the words.)
The wheels oo the bus go round and round,
Round and round, round and round.
The wheels on the bus go round and round
All through the town.
Ask children if they have ever ridden on a bus. Talk about the places that they have ridden the bus to. Talk about the different types of buses and place pictures of each kind of bus on the board.
City buses: City buses travel along regular routes in the city. To ride the bus we need to pay a fare. There are many bus stops in different locations around the city where people can get on or off the bus.
School buses: School buses carry children to school and back. Sometimes the bus stops in front of a child’s house, but usually children must walk to the bus stop.
Cross-country buses: These buses carry people from city to city. To ride these buses we need to pay a fare. If we want to ride the bus we need to go to the bus station to get on to the bus.
Sing the song:
The Wheels on the Bus
(Children perform movements and sounds suggested by the words.)
The wheels on the bus go round and round,
Round and round, round and round.
The wheels on the bus go round and round
All through the town.
The driver on the bus says, "Move on back! Move on back! Move on back!"
The driver of the bus says, "Move On Back!"
All through the town.
The people on the bus go up and down,
Up and down, up and down.
The people on the bus go up and down
All through the town.
More:
The horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep,
The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish,
The doors on the bus go open and shut,
The bell on the bus goes ding-ding-ding,
The lady on the bus says, "Get off my feet."
The baby on the bus goes, "Wah-wah-wah."
The people on the bus say, "We had a nice ride."
(Child’s name) on the bus say "Let me off!"
Additional Resources
More Bus Songs
Building Writing Muscles
When kids are very young, their hand muscles are just beginning to develop the strength and coordination required for writing neatly. Children who have difficulty writing often choose not to write because it;s too tiresome. Help your child build muscle control with these fun, simple fine motor activities.
I'm Driving in A Bus
(Tune: The Farmer in the Dell)
I'm driving in a bus.
I'm driving in a bus.
Hi, ho, watch me go.
I'm driving in a bus.
Talk about bus safety and sing the song:
Bus Safety
(Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)
Author Unknown
When you're driving on the bus
Don't stand up and make a fuss.
Follow every safetly rule,
The driver will get you safely to school.
Talk quietly and be polite
Listen well, and do what' s right.