I’ve been spending entirely way too much time with my little boys these last couple of weeks which is both a blessing and a curse. I love summers when we have picnics in our playset, beach days, marble races and muffin tin meals, because I have so much more time than when I’m teaching everyday. Very little real work tends to get done when you have to stop for, impromptu water fights, super hero races, obstacle course building and car races and car races and more car races. More and more car races has prompted me to create some new items that will appeal to my own little gear heads at home as my 4 year old gets ready to head off to pre-school and my 6 year old heads to kindergarten.
My son loves this activity, but, in no uncertain terms, told me that it needed a ‘parking lot’ for his cars so he could keep them organized and know where they are when he was looking for a certain letter. So I came up with this FREEBIE to park you own cars on. What he didn’t realize is that when he was parking his cars, he was really matching up lowercase letters to capital letters. I love it when they’re learning, and they don’t even know it.
You can get it by clicking either the picture above or below. It’s FREE! So what ‘cha waiting for?
Of course at the beginning of the year, you’ll have those little peeps that won’t even be able to recognize their letters nor write them. For those little ones and for any of them that need the practice in making their letters correctly, you’re going to want to take advantage of the fact that cars have WHEELS that allow them to move.
They allow kinesthetic learners do what they do best too . . . MOVE. If you use a little FROG brand painters tape on your floor you can practice writing your letters by ‘driving’ the cars over the letters.
It’s a guaranteed ‘ask for it again and again’ activity.
Don’t have room on your floor? How about downloading a set of these FABULOUS highway letter cards from Making Learning Fun to use at a table or desk. Click on the picture below to take you to the link.

Of course, if you take that same tape (it’s my favorite) and place a small piece with a letter written on the back, you can sort letters in your name, capital and lowercase letters or even short and tall letters.

For students who are beyond this activity and ready to start segmenting, there is a companion activity Say-Park-Write that is tiered for students working on CVC and CCVC/CVCC words.
And then there’s all the great MATH activities you can do!
I was surprised when my 6 year old found as much joy in sorting as my 4 year old did.

I also had them making patterns as well. Could you use this as an early in the year math station? ABSOLUTELY. It would be a great way to introduce stations to your students with an engaging activity. Plus, like my six year old, I think that you’ll find students who have already mastered simple patterns and sorting, looking for more complex ways of using this center.
Need your own ‘I can’ poster for it? Just grab a copy of mine by clicking on the poster picture below.
Of course, you can also count cars.
There’s a couple of ways you can do this in your classroom. To appeal to your kinesthetic learners, you might want to try this Write The Room activity – Race The Room For Numbers.
So this is what you can do when you’re inspired by the little people who spend the summer with you. Anyway, I have to go. There’s a car race starting in 3 minutes, and I get the really cool green race car to drive! Goodie!
This is so great! I just rounded up a ton of my son’s old cars the other day and was trying to think of a way to use them in my second grade room. You just gave me so many ideas! And I love the folded back card with the clothespin.
http://themeekmoose.blogspot.com
YES! 2nd graders love to play with cars too. You can measure with them (non-standard measurement) . . . what else?
Marsha
I was thinking that I could still put the letters on them and let the kids make words with them. And we start cursive at the end of the year, and they could easily drive the car without stopping over the cursive letters in order to feel the “flow” of the letters. And you can put equations on them and have them “parked” in the garage that features the correct total. Sight word sorta like bingo- parking cars on the road map location of a called out word, whoever gets to the mechanic and back wins. And in general, board game markers for science and social studies, as they travel a map they answer content questions before zooming to the next destination. Measurement wise- the balance scale as well, what is it as heavy as? I’ll try to come up with some more, thoughts usually come to me as I’m falling asleep.
~Heather
Thank you so much. I will be going to the dollar store to buy more cars. My future k kids, especially the boys, will lobe these activities. Have a great time at the races. Amy
Amy, check out your local Goodwill and garage sales for them. I hope your kiddos love them as much as mine do.
Marsha
Thank you!! So many great ideas and I think my little firsties will LOVE them!
Yeah. I’m so glad you’ll be able to use these ideas.
Marsha
Wow, those are some cool ideas! I love the fact that each of these activities turns learning into play. Or play into learning. Its all the same really… I think kids learn way more when they’re having fun and actually want to do the activity!
These are fantastic!!!! My kiddos love playing with cars. They’re going to go crazy when they see this!! Thank you for being so creative!!
You have such great ideas:) I need to go find some matchbox cars for my classroom!
I’m in the process of writing a post awarding you with The Versatile Blogger award, stop on by and see it on Saturday…it’s taking me awhile to write the post, and I’m timing it to post tomorrow cause I don’t want to double post today:-D
We are ALL Special!
Come check out my blog! I have nominated you for two awards!
Thank you for the freebie! My boys are going to love this! I am now following your blog. Please come by mine and follow too. I love to share ideas with other teachers.
Thank you,
Mrs. Janelle
http://mrsjanelleskindergarten.blogspot.com/
What fun games for those little boys!! Some girls would love it too!
I also nominated you for some awards. If you want to see, please visit:
Learning With Mrs. Brinn
These are awesome! So many options and uses! Thank you so much for sharing your talents and expertise!!
I love these! Thank you SO much for all of the wonderful items you make and share!
Thanks so much for sharing these! I’m printing them off and getting ready to go to school and get them laminated and ready to use. The boys, especially will love these, but I’m sure the girls will too!
thanks for the freebie its great..im your newest follower…drop by =)
Just Wild About Teaching
Hi! I’m Amanda from Hugs For The Teacher. I’m your newest follower. You have some great teaching ideas so I want to give you the Versatile Blogger Award. Come to my blog at…
http://www.hugsfortheteacher.blogspot.com to claim your award. Please join my blog while you are there.