On your mark...get set...GO!
This activity uses materials you likely already have lying around and is great for one kid or a whole classroom. To start, cut out a steering wheel from a piece of cardboard. The child will then get to decorate the steering wheel using a paintbrush and paint, making it whatever colors or patterns they’d like.
Once dry, it’s off to the races! Have different speeds written on sheets of paper. Hold up a speed and then have the child race their vehicle at that speed, using their steering wheel to lead the way. Be sure to explain the different speeds ahead of time — children love figuring out which speed has been chosen and whether they should go really slow or really fast. If they get it wrong, you can even issue a ‘ticket’ for going the wrong speed limit!
📚 Books to explore: Cars, Trucks and Things That Go by Richard Scarry, If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen, Go, Dog, Go! By P.D. Eastman.
🚦 Extend this activity! Have your child help create a road to drive on using chalk on a driveway or toys down a long hallway inside your home.
📷 Document as you go. Take a video of your kiddo running the speed limit...or not!
Materials
For this activity you will need:
White paper
Marker
Cardboard
Paint
Paintbrush
Scissors
Learning Outcomes
Domain
Physical
Skills
Gross Motor
Indicators:
Increasing control over own movement skills
Instructions
Step 1:
On separate sheets of white paper, use a marker to make a speed limit sign (e.g. 10 MPH, 50 MPH, etc.)
Step 2:
Cut out a smaller rectangle to use as your speeding ticket, and write TICKET on it.
Step 3:
Using a piece of cardboard and the included stencil, use scissors (or a knife) to cut out a steering wheel shape.
Step 4:
Prepare a safe space to paint. Have your child then use a paintbrush to paint their steering wheel. Encourage them to get extra creative with their designs.
Step 5:
Allow the paint to dry.
Step 6:
Let the races begin! Give your child their steering wheel. When they’re ready, hold up a speed limit. The higher the number, the faster they’ll run and the lower the number, the slower they will walk. If they move at the wrong speed then give them a ticket.
⬆️ For older preschoolers: Add even more speed limit signs for kiddos to have to figure out the differences between.
⬇️ For toddlers: This game can be adapted to a simple “stop and go” or “red light, green light” game
Playful Questions
What vehicle do you want to drive?
What sound does a horn make?
What patterns should we make on your steering wheel?
What does a steering wheel control?
How does a car move?
