Preschool Transportation Theme Activities

Last Updated on October 12, 2025 by Sheryl Cooper

While the past few years we’ve done the transportation theme during the fall, we’ve also enjoyed it during the spring.

Since it’s an evergreen theme, it really can be done anytime during the school year!

This page contains toddler and preschool transportation theme activities, plus links to resources, too!

Watch the Video

Transportation Theme Resources

Please note that I have included activities for preschool as well as toddlers, so what works for some might not work for others. Choose activities that you feel will work best with your students.

Resources

Transportation Classroom Set Up

Video tours of previous years’ classroom set-ups:

2023
2022 (week 1 and week 2)
2021
2020
2019
2018

Art

Painting with Cars on Free Car Printable
Sorting and Painting with Vehicles – After sorting and learning about different transportation vehicles, use them with paint.
Drive Through a Rainbow – Learn about color mixing while driving vehicles through paint to make a rainbow.
Shaving Cream Roads – Add some sensory to the art table while driving cards through shaving cream and paint.

More to read: Process Art Activities

Sensory Bin

Outdoor Water Table: Fill the Boats (From our Toddler Transportation Activity Plans Packet)
Indoor Sensory Bin: Construction Sensory Bin

More to read: Big Collection of Sensory Table Ideas for the Entire Year

Writing Table

Race Car Left-to-Right Activity (Freebie)
Car Color Page (Freebie)
Vehicle Coloring Pages (from our Transportation Packet.)
Travel Coloring Pages (from our Airport Dramatic Play Packet.)
Train Vocabulary Cards (from our Train Station Packet)

More to read: Setting Up the Writing Center

Science and Exploration

Exploring Ramps (From the Preschool Transportation Activity Packet) – For the block area.

More to read: Setting Up the Science Center

Playdough

Idea 1 – Press vehicle cookie cutters into playdough.

Idea 2 – Make tracks in play dough using textured rollers

More to read: 15+ Playdough Learning Activities

Dramatic Play Ideas

Car Repair Shop using our Car Repair/Car Wash Packet

More to read: 25+ Dramatic Play Activities

Blocks

Parking garages, ramps, road signs, assorted vehicles.

More to read: The Best Block Activities

Circle Time (Some of these can be used in small groups for 3 and 4 year olds)

Songs & Fingerplays:

5 Little Animals Driving in a Car

5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed: The children will hold monkeys while sing the song. (Part of our Song & Rhymes Printable Packet)

If You’re Happy and You Know It: I will use props from our Song & Rhymes Printable Packet.

The Wheels on the Bus (Freebie and also part of our Song & Rhymes Packet, Volume 1)

Around and Wiggle (From the album “Action Poems” by Nancy Kopman)

Shake, Shake, Shake (From the album “Senses” by Nancy Kopman)

Props:

Free Automobile Circle Time Props

Free Airplane Circle Time Props

Airplane Props (Part of our Airport Packet)

Activities:

Put the airplanes on the matching colored cards (from the Rainbow Circle Time Props Packet)

3 and 4 Year Olds: Numbered car matching on the magnetic board (free printable here) – One set will go on the magnetic board and then the children will each get a numbered car. When it’s each child’s turn, they will find the matching numbered car on the board and place theirs beside it. All pieces are laminated with a magnetic dot on the back.

3 and 4 Year Olds: Duck Behind the Truck (Activity and Printables the Preschool Transportation Activity Plans)

Vehicle Matching (From Our Transportation Packet)

Sort Clean and Dirty Cars (From our Car Repair/Car Wash Packet)

Train Color Pairing Cards (From our Train Station Packet)

More to read: Toddler Circle Time Tips and Preschool Circle Time Tips