We have yet to meet a preschooler who isn’t curious about garbage trucks and large vehicles. One of the highlights of our week is garbage pick-up day. Our preschoolers RUN to the windows to watch – we can hear the sounds from our classroom as the kids yell out, “It’s the GARBAGE TRUCK!” Vroom Vroom Garbage Truck by Asia Citro and Troy Cummings is a book filled with fun illustrations as the story explores all the sounds a garbage truck makes on daily adventures. Come read, play, and learn with Vroom Vroom Garbage Truck large vehicle activities for preschoolers at home or in your own classrooms.

Vroom Vroom Garbage Truck: Large Vehicle Activities for Preschoolers

Disclosure: this post and others within the blog contain affiliate, distributor, and/or sponsored content and links. Please be sure to visit our updated Privacy Policy and Full Disclosures for additional information.

Vroom Vroom Garbage Truck by Asia Citro and Troy Cummings introduces a delightful array of words for garbage truck sounds. It’s a great book for introducing new words with preschoolers and exploring the various sounds a garbage truck makes on daily adventures. Whether it’s a CLICK, a RATTLE, a WHOOP, a BAM, or a BANG, preschoolers will adore reading and playing with garbage truck and large vehicle activities to extend the story.

Garbage Truck Play Dough Pre-Writing Line Paths for Preschoolers

Materials needed:

• Commercial or Homemade Play Dough (our kids use “trash play dough” – meaning play dough that we’ve accidentally or intentionally mixed together)
• Large Craft Sticks
• Permanent Marker
• Free Garbage Truck Printable Line Paths (page 3) – download and print here: Garbage Truck Pre-Writing Line Paths for Preschoolers

 

Directions: 

1. Laminate page 3 of the printable Garbage Truck Pre-Writing Line Paths (linked above).
2. Make line paths on craft sticks with a permanent marker (there are some examples of line paths on page 1 and page 2 of the printable file).
3. Make a center or activity tray with all supplies to invite your preschoolers to play.
4. Demonstrate how to roll play dough “worms” between both hands. Rolling long play dough worms can be a fine motor activity by itself until preschoolers gain confidence and skills.
5. Invite your preschooler to choose one craft stick (already labeled with a line path) and re-create the line to get the garbage truck to the trash can (working with left/right directionality).
6. As your preschoolers gain confidence and fine motor skills, they can try following the pre-writing line paths on page 1 and page 2 of the printable file.

 

Garbage Truck Stamping and Writing Practice for Preschoolers

Read Vroom Vroom Garbage Truck and invite your preschoolers to play with letters and numbers.

Materials needed:

• Alphabet Stamps (Uppercase and/or Lowercase ) and Number Stamps 
• Stamp Pads
• One Blank Die or Cube
• Dry Erase Markers, Crayons, or Ticonderoga Pencils for preschoolers who are ready to write
• Free Printable Garbage Truck Stamping mat or Free Printable Garbage Truck Writing Mat – download and print here: Garbage Truck Letter or Number Stamping or Garbage Truck Letter or Number Writing

Directions:

1. Print the file you wish to use – both are linked above (laminate the printable mat if using dry erase markers).
2. Label a blank die or cube with any letters or numbers your preschoolers have had introduced (or any you are currently working on).
3. Preschoolers should roll the die and write/stamp the letter or number rolled onto a garbage truck (working left to right) until the printable is completed.

Large Vehicle/Stop Light Sensory Bin for Preschoolers

After reading Vroom Vroom Garbage Truck, invite your preschoolers to large vehicles play in a sensory bin full of textures, colors, and (of course) vehicles.

Materials needed:

• Sensory Bin Base – rice/beans/shredded paper
• Red/Green/Yellow PomPoms
• Miniature Vehicles and Signs

Directions:

Make the sensory bin and invite your preschoolers to the carpet to establish “rules” for sensory bin play.

Preschoolers will explore sensory bins politely when all are aware of classroom or homeschool rules for use. If our kids throw beans, stick them in noses, ears, mouths, or dump the bins, we put them away. Often, our preschoolers will ask when they can play with the bin again. We get the bins out and go over rules for polite sensory play.

Preschoolers love to play and it may take a time or two of putting sensory bins away, but your kids will learn appropriate use of classroom materials as you discuss, play (and even put sensory bins away) over the course of a few days. Pushing, dumping, poking, re-arranging vehicles and signs, picking up beans and pom poms promotes sensory awareness through touch. Exploring the different textures, colors, and the feel of different items is a great way to play, but preschoolers build important skills along the way.

Vroom Vroom Large Vehicle and Sounds T-Shirts

If your preschoolers LOVE big trucks, they will also LOVE the Large Vehicles and Sounds T-Shirt after reading Vroom Vroom Garbage Truck by Asia Citro and Troy Cummings. It’s an adorable t-shirt for girls, boys, or even for teachers during Transportation Themes. You can purchase the T’s HERE.

Your preschoolers might also enjoy:

Painting with Toy Cars from Messy Little Monsters

Bubbly Fires Science and Community Helpers

Community Helpers Domino Game Activity from Rainy Day Mum

Transportation Themed Activities for Preschoolers

Firetruck Handprint Craft from The Inspiration Edit

For Exploration and Learning with a Transportation Theme, please see the ready-to-download and use thematic unit here on the blog. It’s filled with math, literacy, science, large motor, dramatic play, and more for hours of playful learning.