Skills developed: fine motor skills, language, imagination, love of music
What you'll need: yourself, your toddler and your singing voice
What to do: Sit on the floor, facing your child. They can sit, too, or they may prefer to stand. Slowly sing the first few verses, incorporating hand motions as follows:
| The wheels on the bus go round and round | Move hands in circular motion |
| Round and round, round and round | Continue hand circles |
| The wheels on the bus go round and round | Continue hand circles |
| All through the town | Move one hand along the floor or through the air, palm facing down, as if it's the bus |
| ---- | ---- |
| The doors on the bus go open and shut | Put both hands in front of you, palms facing out, and move them apart and back together again like doors |
| Open and shut, open and shut | Continue moving hands apart and back together |
| The doors on the bus go open and shut | Continue moving hands apart and back together |
| All through the town | Move one hand along the floor or through the air, palm facing down, as if it's the bus (you can also move the "bus" along your toddler's legs) |
| ---- | ---- |
| The wipers on the bus go swish swish swish | Swish your hands back and forth, like windshield wipers |
| Swish swish swish, swish swish swish | Continue swishing your hands |
| The wipers on the bus go swish swish swish | Continue swishing your hands |
| All through the town
| Move one hand along the floor or through the air, palm facing down, as if it's the bus
|
These hand motions are just suggestions; feel free to change them to suit you.
It's also fun to make up your own lyrics. For example, pause between verses to ask your toddler, "What else is on this bus? Hmm ... how about a cow? What does a cow say?"
Your toddler may or may not answer you, but they'll definitely be listening as you belt out, "The cow on the bus goes moo moo moo / Moo moo moo, moo moo moo / The cow on the bus goes moo moo moo / All day long."
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