Materials
- masking tape or painters tape
- permanent markers in a variety of colors (adult only)
What to do
1. Use the masking tape to create a network of "roads" on the classroom floor. Keep the design simple, but include a few intersections to make things interesting. Make this network as large or as small as you please.
2. Make sure you have one complete road (with a beginning and an end) for each child.
3. At the beginnings of the roads, put three pieces of masking tape to create a small square. Use a marker to print each child's name and a road name. For example, "Caitlyn Circle," "Clayton Court," "Ashton Alley," "Lucy Lane," and "Devonte Drive." Using alliteration is a nice addition but it is not necessary.
4. Show the children where their individual roads begin.
5. Add small cars and trucks to the props and materials in the block center. Encourage each child to use a car or truck to explore their road. Encourage the children to use polite words and kind actions when they meet up with another child and vehicle at an intersection.
6. Let the children explore and use the roads during center time.
More to do
Create traffic signs using small square cardboard pieces and small dowel rods. Cut a square of cardboard for the base. Attach the dowel rod using a small dot of hot glue. Create a sign (STOP, MERGE, ONE WAY) and attach it to the top of the dowel rod. Add these to the block center to enhance play. Provide small trucks and small items for the children to place in the trucks.
Related song We're Riding in Our Cars
(Tune: "The Farmer in the Dell")
We're riding in our cars,
We're riding in our cars,
Hi-ho, the derry-o,
We're riding in our cars.
We're going to the fair,
We're going to the fair,
Hi-ho, the derry-o,
We're going to the fair.
(Continue, naming other familiar destinations.)
-Virginia Jean Herrod, Columbia, SC
