All Aboard the Chair Bus
What you need
- three or four chairs
- a few soft toys as passengers
- a paper plate or a cushion for the steering wheel
How to do it
- Line up the chairs in two rows to make a bus, with one at the front for the driver.
- Sit the soft toys on the seats as passengers.
- Sing 'The Wheels on the Bus' and let them choose what each verse is about: the wipers, the horn, the dog on the bus.
- Stop at pretend bus stops and let passengers on and off.
Why it matters
A bus they built and a song they steer give them two ways to tell a story at once.
What they're learning
- Pretend play
- Driving, stopping and letting passengers on is acting out a real thing they've seen.
- Making up words
- A new verse for the song means choosing a thing and an action.
- Taking turns
- Driver and passenger swap, and so does who picks the next verse.
What to look for
Notice them making up a verse that isn't in the song.
A tip
Use sturdy chairs and keep them on the floor, not stacked or climbed on.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: just two chairs, them and you, and the verses you already know
Harder: let them drive and decide where the bus is going, then sing about what you see there
More like this
Browse
Quiet & calm activities · Activities for 2 year olds · Toddler activities with paper