Choo-choo-sing to explore transport topics with your children

Kids often love exploring the idea of transport and go through stages of being obsessed with train, planes and other forms of transport. This can be a great topic to focus on for a week at child care, as there is a range of interesting child-friendly activities within the theme of transportation. 

Train sets

Playing with train sets can be a great activity for kids. It can help kids to improve their dexterity and fine motors skills. Tracing the trains in sweeping loops across the body involves crossing the 'midline' which can be useful to help children develop their gross motor skills. Even if you don't have the funds for a full train set, you can often hire large train sets from toy libraries. 

Books about trains and cars

There are also some great picture books that can encourage children to learn some basic numeracy and literacy concepts by counting cars and trains. These can be a great way to encourage a reluctant book reader to sit down and spend some quiet time reading books. You can also find books with textural aspects such as squeaky buttons for horns which encourages dexterity as children explore the book. Why not ask the librarian for some recommendations on popular transport-themed books in their collection for toddlers and preschoolers?

Movies and TV shows about trains

If you have a rainy day or just need some quiet time, there are a range of TV shows about trains including 'Thomas the Tank Engine' and the 'Chuggington' series. These are very easy for even the youngest children to watch so they can be a great option if you need to keep your child occupied for a bit. The characters go on a range of adventures that encourage positive personality traits such as persistence and compassion. 

Excursions

A fun cornerstone to any period of focusing on transport is to plan an excursion where you get to try some different types of transport. This can include catching a bus or train to the airport or ferry terminal (depending on the main transport in your area). Not only will the kids get to ride on different types of transport, but they can also get the experience of counting money for the fare and seeing the stops along the way. 

If you have a child who is obsessed with transport, it can be fun to spend some time exploring the topic with them through books, songs, TV and excursions.