"In this classroom, relationships are fostered, families are respected, and children are honored.
In this classroom, nature's gifts are valued and children's thoughts are captured.
In this classroom, learning is alive and aesthetic beauty is appreciated." -Unknown

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Transportation Unit: Making a Box Car



We've been working on a Transportation unit at preschool lately and I wanted to create cars the kids could race around in themselves. Out of that desire our Box Cars came to be.


My family had recently moved so I just happened to have some boxes lying around the house. I took four that were approximately the same size into the classroom. I folded all the flaps inside the boxes and invited the kiddos to paint the outside of all four boxes. 


After two coats of paint were dry, I unfolded the two side bottom flaps and using a small plate, drew a circle shape on them with part on the side of the box and part on the flap. Using a boxcutter, I cut off the remaining flap that wasn't part of the circle and painted the "tires" black. 



Kiddo volunteers painted some small paper plates yellow to be our headlights.


 

I found some foil heart-shaped mini tins in the cabinet and asked for some helpers to paint them red to be our taillights/brake lights.


After all the paint was dry, I stapled the headlights to the front of each box and the taillights/brake lights to the back of each box. I folded the remaining flaps inside the boxes for extra sturdiness. When we went outside we put out some cones for an obstacle course and they were off!


Maneuvering a box as you would weave in and out of cones was a spatial challenge, but one that the kiddos seemed to enjoy.





27 comments:

  1. How weird - the girl who works with me was just talking about how her kids had made these at preschool yesterday (her kids are now 18, 16 & 15!). Love them, & thanks for adding them to the link up.

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    1. It was a nice twist for the kiddos. We have bikes and a scooter they can ride around on the bike path, but they seemed really invested in these since they had a hand in creating them.

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  2. How fun! I love those little tail lights/brake lights. I bet the kids will be talking about this for some time :0) Hi! I would love to invite you to link up at our Share It Saturday linky party. We have lots of creative ideas submitted each week and you would fit right in! http://www.sugaraunts.com/2013/03/share-it-saturday-9-and-our-week-in.html

    Hope to see you there!

    Colleen at Sugar Aunts

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    1. Thanks, Colleen! I've shared with you guys before, but lost the link. I'm hopping over to share NOW! lol

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  3. I love that they got to race around in them!

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    1. They did have fun, Jessica. They were weaving in and out of the cone course. After awhile we lost some of the lights, so we talked about how sometimes you have to take your car to the repair shop to be fixed. lol

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    2. Oh, even better! My son spotted this post on someone else's FB page and now he REALLY wants to do it, especially when I read him your comment and pointed out we could take our (which are going to be steam engines) to the engine works if they fall apart.

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    3. Yese, Jessica and what a great way to reinforce the names of the parts of the vehicle as it is being repaired. It would also be fascinating to find out just who repairs steam engines and that could send you down a whole new area of study. Great extension!!

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  4. It looks like they had a great time. Thanks for linking to the After School Link Up.

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  5. We made similar cars one year for my sons birthday party....the kids LOVED it!! Looks like they did here too! :-)

    Thanks for sharing at Sharing Saturday!

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    1. They did have fun with them. They really seemed invested in them since they were an integral part of the creating process.

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  6. Thanks, Mariel. I just hopped over and shared. Thanks for the invite.

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  7. Great fun!!!

    Thanks for sharing with us at Eco-Kids Tuesday!! Hope you stop by again today! http://likemamalikedaughter.blogspot.com/2013/03/nifty-thrifting-at-eco-kids-tuesday.html

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  8. Loving that the kids got to drive their craft, especially after all that hard work painting it. Way better than just sticking something to the wall

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    1. I absolutely agree, Hannah. This way it was not only creative, but practical; hands-on in the creative process and hands-on experientially.

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  9. Appreciation for the great text. I am just glad Concerning taken any time to know this.

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  10. It is a great idea of making a box car I think that the kids will have much fun if their parents ask them to make a car like this of their own.
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