Between cars, buses, trains and trucks, there are many types of ground transportation to cover with preschoolers. Make a chart that shows each type and ask children to help you compare them. For instance, make one line for "wheels" and write under each type of vehicle how many wheels it has. Pass out toy trucks and cars or cut out pictures of ground vehicles from magazines and give one to each child. Ask each child to give suggestions about what his type of vehicle can do and let children "drive" their vehicles around the classroom.
When you're introducing a boat theme, talk with children about what types of objects float and which sink. Creating your own boats teaches preschoolers about trial and error and exploration. Set out sponges, wooden craft sticks, foil, plastic wrap, clay, paper cups and bowls along with tape, glue and art supplies and ask each child to make her own boat. Fill a sensory table or large plastic bin with water and let children test their boats.
Planes and helicopters that fly through the air can seem like magic to preschoolers. To teach children about air transportation, create your own versions by folding paper into simple airplane shapes. Take them outside to test them. Once you've found the airplanes that fly the furthest, ask children to compare them to the airplanes that didn't fly far to find out what made them stay up. Many preschoolers will have never been in an airplane before, so this lesson is a chance to teach children what it's like to fly. Read stories about going on a plane and help children create their own story books about flying.
One of the most important lessons you can teach preschoolers is how to be safe. Spend a day or an entire week on transportation safety. Turning your classroom into a car, boat or plane is not only enjoyable for preschoolers, but it allows you to teach them the safety precautions for each type of transportation. Arrange chairs in rows in the classroom and ask children to pretend they're on a plane or in a car. Ask students to pretend to put on their seat belts, then pretend to take a trip. Talk to children about how to be safe when they're walking near any forms of transportation.