Being stuck on a school bus with a group of unruly preschoolers isn’t fun, but there are ways to make it easier. These preschool school bus activities are great fun for kids, and a great way to pass the time until you reach your destination.
Preschoolers love singing “The Wheels on the Bus” so much that it’s become a favorite school bus activity for many of them, but what do you do when the song ends? Try one of these variations:
Variation 1: Continue by substituting the names of different animals into the songs, and having kids tell you what those animals say by continuing the stanza.
Variation 2: Continue by substituting each of the kids’ names into the song and letting the kids come up with something silly that they “go.” For example, some of your stanzas might be similar to these:
- The Jennys on the bus go “Lalala”…
- The Juans on the bus go stamp, stamp, stamp…
- The Avas on the bus go “I love trips!”
Note: You may want to set some ground rules before you start this variation, depending on the group. For example, you might require that the kids do not stand up, and that all of the words said are appropriate.
Call out the name of a category that all kids will be familiar with, such as “breakfast foods” or “outdoor games.” Then have kids take turns saying one object that fits in the given category, such as “French toast” or “tag.” Go around the bus and see if you can get through all the kids without repeating an object.
One last note: It’s easy to lose track of preschoolers when they’re on a bus together. Make sure to use a buddy system, as well as name-tags and a seating chart to make sure that you know where each kid is at all times. This is especially important on a field trip with multiple buses or multiple stops.
These preschool school bus activities are a great way to keep everyone busy and happy on long bus trips. Do not forget to make sure that the chaperons and other teachers take part in the games and songs as well!