Get your new bus rider ready for school with this video and craft project made from a recycled milk carton.
Whether your child is headed to kindergarten or on a school field trip, riding the bus for the first time can be fun and provide kids with a sense of independence. It might also be a little scary if it's a brand new experience. Help your child prepare for their bus trip by watching a Let's Ride the Bus video, talking through the steps, and then building your own school bus from recycled materials.
Materials
Directions
1
Wash the milk carton and let it dry. Then paint the entire milk carton yellow and let the paint dry.
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2
Next, cut two strips of white construction paper. Draw vertical lines on the construction paper to make "windows."
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3
Add pictures of students to each window. You could print out and glue pictures of Arthur and his friends from the Crazy Bus activity, draw your own pictures of people riding the bus, or cut out pictures from back-to-school advertisements in newspapers and magazines. After you've added pictures to the bus windows, glue one white construction paper window strip on each side of the bus.
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4
Cut two strips of black construction paper about half the height of the windows. Use a white crayon, paint, or foam letters to spell the word "SCHOOL" on each strip of black paper. Glue one black construction paper strip below each set of windows.
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5
Cut a piece of construction paper for the bus driver's window. Depending on the type of milk carton you have, you can cut either a circle or rectangle window to cover the opening of the milk carton. Then draw or glue on a picture of a bus driver on your window. Glue the window to the bus.
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6
Glue four bottle caps wheels onto the bus. Hot glue will work best for this.
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7
Add any other decorations to your bus. You can add a stop sign, headlights, or other flashing lights like you'd see on a school bus.
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Explore Further
Continue to talk about what it will be like to ride a bus as you play the game of Crazy Bus featuring Arthur and his friends. Can your child find someone on the bus who is wearing yellow? What about someone wearing a ribbon in their hair? Look for details that people might have in common. Is your child wearing the same color as someone on the bus?
