1-2-3 Come Do Some Bus Safety Activities With Me
Do you read the story, 'Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus' by Mo Willems? Click the book cover to see a cute YouTube video.
Because it’s a favorite of young children, I thought it would be fun to spice up bus safety with a pigeon. (Bus Safety With a Pigeon Packet)
The gist of the game is that you're driving a bus around the board and you don't want to land on the same spot as the pigeon or you go back to start. You have to collect tokens at each of four locations before returning to the bus.
If you don't read that story, or are just looking for some super-fun bus safety activities, I also made a matching packet with no bird. (Bus Safety Activities).
Listening to lots of rules can become tedious and boring for little ones, but playing a game, doing a center activity, or making a 'flip-the-flap' booklet, helps get the “you need to know this stuff” into a child’s head, in a hands-on way.
Both these packets includes a nice assortment of quick, easy and interesting activities, that help make learning about bus safety super-fun.
Since “National Bus Safety Month” is in October, I do a few of the activities the first few weeks of school, then others later in the fall, which is a nice review.
Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus Game
You can also plug them in the day before a field trip.
The packet includes:
* 24, “Do” & “Don’t” sorting cards for an independent center game.
There are 12, colorful cards on a one-page pattern to conserve paper and ink.
Simply print, laminate and trim. Children decide if the behavior pictured on the card is a do or don't rule, then place the cards under the correct do/don't header.
You can also pass the cards out to students, then have them show and share their card with the class, explaining the rule on the card.
* To whole-group assess comprehension, I designed a super-fun, Popsicle stick “puppet pal” craftivity.
There's a pigeon one for that packet, and a bus puppet pal in the other packet.
The pigeon is on a red circle for 'Stop! Don't' because of the 'Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus'story.
The flip side of this paddle is a green circle (Green = 'Go! Do'.) Adding a wiggle eye provides the 'finishing touch'.
In the Bus Packet, the puppet pal features a happy & smiling bus on the 'Do!' side, and a bus filled with monsters (!) on the 'Don't' side.
I've included a list of 20+ statements for you to choose from, then read aloud. Students decide whether that statement is a 'Do' or a 'Don't' then flip their paddle accordingly.
My students absolutely LOVE this 'quiz game'. Plus, I can see at a glance who's having difficulty & make corrections.
* Another fun way to reinforce bus rules, is by making a “flip the flap” booklet.
There's a cute pigeon booklet for that packet, and a big bus for the other.
I kept the booklets short, with just 9 pages to choose from, which feature the graphics for some of the most important rules.
Children color the picture, then circle a 'Do' or 'Don't' word to describe what's going on in the graphic.
The pigeon's 'wing cover', flips open to reveal the pages, while the booklet for the bus, is on the 'windshield'.
* There’s also a set of 24, colorful graphic rule posters, which show the various “Do’s & Don’ts”for riding the bus. I printed mine on card stock then laminated.
Use them to introduce bus safety, then hang them on the wall; or... add the cover & last page ('No muss. No fuss.We know the rules for riding the bus!')and make a booklet with a split ring.
* The packet also includes some “paper praise” options: a slap bracelet, a bookmark, and a brag tag necklace, plus a “color me” bus safety certificate.
There are 10 bracelets on a one-page pattern for quick printing. Simply 'slap' a bracelet on a child's wrist with a piece of Scotch tape.
Making a bus safety necklace, provides fine motor practice, which helps strengthen finger muscles.
I cut up colorful plastic straws to use as dividers between pony beads. Both can be purchased at The Dollar Store.
This also practices counting as well as showing a pattern too. Plus studets really enjoy making them.
Hopefully, people will ask children about their necklace, giving them an opportunity to explain some of the bus safety that they learned, once again reinforcing the lesson.
There's also a 'High fives from ________ who knows bus safety' craft in the pigeon packet, which makes a sweet keepsake, as the bird's wing is a child's hand print.
There are two FREEBIES today. Both come from these new packets.
Don't Let The Pigeon Stay Up Late
One is the 'Stop-Look and Listen'poster.
The other is the 'Stay Out of the Danger Zone'poster.
Don T Let Pigeon Drive The Bus Game
In the packets, I've included matching worksheets. I truly believe that if a child colors the danger zone, they are more apt to know what and where it is, then follow that life-saving rule.
Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by.
I feel fall in the air, as the lovely breeze is cooler and a sprinkling of leaves are actually turning!
As long as we have to be inside at school, we may as well have lovely fall weather.
'There is a time in the last few days of summer, when the ripeness of autumn fills the air.'- Rudolfo Anaya
We love these Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus Activities and Crafts just as much as we love the book.
First, you could do a directed drawing with this step by step how to draw a pigeon printable from The Best Children’s Books.
This pigeon game from Patootie is a great idea! You can even make the buses different colors or put different letters or sight words on them to practice while guessing where the pigeon is.
This Rhyming Game from Growing Book by Book will sure to be a hit with your children. She includes all of the directions and printables you need to use this awesome book to practice rhyming.
Try this paper plate pigeon craft like they did at A Little Pinch of Perfect. You could turn this into a puppet as well by attaching a craft stick to the bottom.
Prekinders shares this awesome Pigeon Counting Game which gives your child the opportunity to practice one to one correspondence, combinations of 5 or 10, and more/less.
This and That has a free printable template to turn a toilet paper tube into the pigeon!
I love this Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus alphabet activity from The Educators Spin on It. She offers links to the printables you need to set up this activity and gives different ideas on ways you can use it to make learning fun.
Make your own Pigeon Book with the blank template from Thrive after Three.
Don't Let The Pigeon Videos
Follow up your book with a pigeon themed snack like they did at Juggling with Kids. I don’t know anyone that would turn down that snack.
Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus Game Instructions
So which one of these Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus Activities and Crafts are you going to try first? Let us know how it goes.
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