Vehicles

Use any flat surface you have to roll cars down. A shoe box can make a short ramp by propping the lid on the box and taping it there. You can also use a cookie sheet propped on a pillow or the edge of the couch. Experiment with placing the ramp at different angles. Talk about how the vehicles go fast or slow. Works on motor skills placing cars at top of ramp, and going to get them if they roll far away. Works on cognition by noticing the slope and speed. Works on communication and anticipation by using “ready, set, go.”

Sit on the porch and watch vehicles drive by. Name vehicles (car, truck, etc) as they go by or make the vehicle sound. Works on motor skills by sitting independently, building communication vocabulary and oral motor imitation, and attention by waiting for cars to go by.

More advanced: Take a walk and name the vehicles you pass. Name the color of the vehicles. Works on motor skills by walking independently, building vocabulary and following directions by staying with Mom or Dad and holding their hand.

Walk around your car and name the parts of your vehicle – door, lights, tires, bumper, etc. Let your child touch the various parts as they explore. Works on building communication vocabulary, motor skills by walking and sensory input by touching.

Take a big box or laundry basket and climb inside. Pretend it is a car. Parents can tape a paper plate inside (or use a brad to fasten one inside) for a steering wheel. Push your little one around. Play a go/stop game where your child tells you to go to work on communication. Works on cognition and vocabulary through pretend play, social imitation by doing things parents do, and motor coordination by climbing in and out or balancing in a moving box.

Get out your bucket and soap and go to town washing all your toy cars. You can wash the big ride on cars like you are at a car wash, or you can wash all the little cars. Talk about them as you wash them. Find ones that are the “same.” You can match by color, size, type (truck, car, etc). Works on cognition and vocabulary by noticing similarities and differences. Works on fine motor by holding a sponge or rag to wash the cars and gross motor by standing up and squatting down to wash the ride on toys.

Go for a drive and find some train tracks. It is pretty easy downriver. Park nearby and watch the trains go by. Make train sounds. Label the train cars or colors as they go by. (Refer to Freight Train book if you don’t know them yet). If you don’t know a good spot, there is a great spot on Oak Street in Wyandotte with parking lots on both sides of the tracks. Works on cognition by labeling different train cars and colors. Works on communication by imitating words and sounds. Works on attention by waiting for the train to arrive and finish going by.

A train with different colored cars runs through town.

Super simple, abbreviated version of this traditional song.

Brightly colored book with basics about cars.

Little Blue Truck makes friends. They come to help him when he gets stuck. Vehicle and animal sounds are fun to make.

This sweet little book can be sung to the tune of Itsy Bitsy Spider

Where is Baby hiding in this Lift-the-Flap Book

Imagine all the things a box could be

Lots of construction vehicles have a busy day at work

All the trucks get ready to say goodnight. One by one they lie down to rest.

Red light stop, green light go

Red light stop, green light go

Red - stop, green - go

Red light, green light, now you know

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

Door - open and shut

Wipers -Swish

Horn - Beep

People - up and down

Babies - Waa

Parents - Shh

Let's go for a drive in my yellow car.

Let's go for a drive, we won't go too far.

Let's go for a drive in my yellow car.

Let’s go buy some bananas.

Orange - Pumpkin;

Red car - Strawberries;

Green car - Broccoli;

Blue car - Blueberries

Brown car - Potatoes;

Purple car - Grapes;

Pink car - Cotton Candy

Driving in my car.

Vroom vroom vroom.

Driving in my car.

Vroom vroom vroom.

Driving very fast.

Vroom vroom vroom.

Driving very slow.

Vroom vroom vroom.

I like driving. Driving in my car.

Riding on my bike -pedal

Rowing in my boat - splash

Riding on my train - choo

Flying in my airplane - whoosh

Here comes the fire truck driving down the street

Here comes the firetruck

Beep, beep beep.

Here comes the fire truck.

Look at it go.

Here comes the fire truck

Wave hello.

Oo-ee-oo (3x)

Connect the hose (4x)

Raise the ladder (4x)

Spray the water (4x)

Row row row your boat,

Gently down the stream.

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, Life is but a dream.