During our Transportation Theme this is always a favorite activity in preschool! Children record the cars they see on the road or parking lot, and then count how many.
Near our school, we have a busy road where lots of cars can be observed passing by. There’s a fence, so it’s a safe place for the children to observe. It’s also a bit of a walk to get to this spot, so it’s kind of like a mini field trip.
If you don’t have a road nearby, read on for other ideas!
As the children watch the cars, I assign them two colors to watch for: we chose red and blue. Each time they see a red car pass by, they color a dot on their recording sheet with a red crayon. Each time a blue car passes by, they color a dot blue. They are to continue until the sheet is full.
When we return to the classroom, I have them count how many of each color. Often teachers help write the numbers, depending the abilities of the individual children.
What if you don’t have a nearby road with a fence where children can observe cars? One alternative would be to go to the teacher’s parking lot (as long as it’s safe), and have children search for cars there. Another idea: ask parents to take photos of red or blue cars they spot with their child. They can take the photo with their phone and email it to you. Depending on class size, you might have each parent send one photo, or more. Drop the photos in PowerPoint slides or Google slides, and use this slideshow for children to observe and record the cars.
Here’s printable for you to use with your class. One has red and blue cars already typed out on it, and the other page has blank lines so you can choose the colors.
Download the Recording Sheet
This is a free printable. Just click to download!
Download: Road Counting Recording SheetFind more Transportation Activities for Pre-K on the category page.
