Set up the preschool play area with unit blocks and different types of vehicles. Ambulances, buses and airplanes should be placed in baskets. Place blocks according to size in an area with enough space for the children to build imagined spaces for their vehicles. Children will work on airports, bus stops and cities. Field trips to a local airport or a bus station would be ideal for students to see real places where vehicles are used for transportation. On trips, children should observe and draw what they see.
Read picture books about transportation technology to preschoolers. Books such as "Amelia's Fantastic Flight" by Rose Bursik and "Flying" by Donald Crews are examples of picture books about airplanes. "Curious George Rides a Bike" by H.A. Rey and "Froggy Rides a Bike" by Jonathan London are books about bicycles. Richard Scarry's "Boats" and Anne Rockwell's "Ferryboat Ride" are examples of books about boats. Train books include "I'm Taking a Trip on my Train" by Shirley Neitzel and "Freight Train" by Donald Crews.
Crafts are a hands-on teaching activities for preschoolers. Make a school bus with the lid of an used egg carton. Paint the lid of a egg carton yellow with tempura paint. Trace two bus wheels using milk jug lids on black construction paper. Cut out the wheels and glue them at the bottom of the yellow egg carton, one in the front and one in the rear. The children can draw passengers and glue them over the holes of the egg carton lid, so it looks like they are inside the bus. The children or an adult should write "School" at the top of the bus.
Songs with repetitive lyrics and catchy tunes teach young children new vocabulary and about new topics. Group the preschoolers into a circle and sing along with them. Hand gestures and body movements also help reinforce the words. Use traditional songs such as "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" and "Down By the Station." "The Wheels On the Bus Go Round and Round" can teach about the parts of the bus, while "I'm a Little Airplane" helps kids learn about airplanes flying. Be sure to repeat the songs for more than one lesson.