Language Development: Big Yellow Bus
Tune to: "Three Blind Mouse"

Big Yellow bus, Big Yellow bus,
See how they drive, See how they drive,

They all go to the school you know,
Dropping kids off and watching them go,

You will see them wherever you go,
Big yellow bus, Big yellow bus.

Directions: Print out the teaching picture – the bus picture and cover with clear contact paper or clear packaging tape and then hold then up as you sing the song. After you sing the song tape the airplanes to the wall so the children can view them throughout the day.

Print outs: Do not give the toddlers the print outs, unless they have been completely covered with clear packaging tape or clear contact paper to make them durable and if they start to wear, replace them. And any print outs that are "too small and pose a choking hazard" shouldn't be given to the toddlers.

Songs/Finger Rhymes: The Wheels On The Bus
Traditional Song

The wheels on the bus go round and round,
round and round, round and round,
The wheels on the bus go round and round,
all around the town.

Repeat with:
The people on the bus go up and down,
The babies on the bus go wahh, wahh, wahh,
The mommies on the bus go shh, shh, shh,

Please note: Sing the song above with the children and act out the movements in the song with the children.

Group Activity: Fun With Yellow

You will need:
Sturdy plastic cups
Yellow Blocks

Show the children the yellow blocks and point out that they are the same color as the yellow bus.

Provide the children with some sturdy plastic cups, such as yogurt or pudding cups, sturdy plastic fruit cups, study plastic tumbler cups, or the covers to liquid soap containers (thoroughly washed out) or the covers to spray paint cans (washed out) and some yellow mega blocks.

Show the toddlers how they can pour the blocks from one cup to another, how they can turn a larger plastic container upside down and place a smaller container on top, how they can learn how to put the smaller cup inside the larger cup, or stack the same size cups together.

Teacher should sit down with the children and "play too" this is how the toddlers learn, pour the blocks with the toddlers, and talk to them about what you're doing, such as "look at me I can pour one block into this cup, this is fun!" "Oh look at Jillian she has two yellow blocks in her cup, Jillian can you pour your blocks into the other cup? Show them how to stack the blocks, etc.

Safety Note: Make sure all the materials they are using are too large to chock on, always check with a choke tube, most items should be at least 1 inch wide by 2 inches long.

Art/Sensory Activity: Color Yellow

You will need:
Yellow Paint (See recipe below)
Card stock paper (One sheet per child)
Toddler Safe Paint Brushes
Paint cups
Tape

Give the children a large sheet of white card stock paper and have the children paint with the color "Yellow" same color as the yellow bus!

Toddlers 12 – 15 Months: Offer the toddlers some paint and a brush, don't expect them to "paint a picture" they will play in the paint, that is fine, this activity is more about them having a fun "sensory activity" then actually making a picture, at this age it is more about the "process" than the product.

Please Note: Toddlers need a lot of sensory activities at this age. They learn best by their senses "touching, tasting, seeing, hearing and smelling".

Toddlers 16 – 18 Months: Some toddlers at this age are getting ready to actually "paint on the paper" but they need to learn from "you" the teacher, by painting with them, they learn by watching and coping, so please paint with them so they can see what they are supposed to be doing, if they are having more fun just finger painting and playing in the paint, then please just let them have a great time experimenting with the paint and feeling the "squishy feel" against their fingers, let them have fun, at this age its more about the "process" than actually making a "picture".

Directions: Have the children paint with yellow paint on paper. See paint recipe below to make some yellow paint. If you have toddlers that put the paint brush into their mouths you may want to have them finger paint instead. You should provide the toddlers with toddler safe brushes; the kind that is short and chubby works best for toddlers to paint with. Provide them with a small container of paint and a brush, if they are having a hard time then just put a glob of paint in the middle of their picture and show them how to take the brush and swish it through the paint or how to finger paint in the paint. Make sure you tape their paper down. As soon as they are done painting put the paint and the picture out of reach. Make sure children are wearing paint shirts and roll up their sleeves.

Please Note: You may need to tape their paper to the table, as young toddlers do not know how to hold their paper down when coloring, gluing, and painting, etc.

Taking Art Pictures Home: Make sure parents know that the art pictures that are being sent home are not toys; they are to be hung up as decorations or put away as memories not given to the children to play with as they could choke on the small pieces of material if not being supervised.