3 Cool Activities Inspired by Truck by Donald Crews

Welcome back to the July edition of the Virtual Book Club for Kids! This month's Book Activities are inspired by Donald Crews' awesome book Truck. I'll add some affiliate links to this post, FYI. Let's get truckin'!

If you are new to the Virtual Book Club for Kids, we share book extension activities highlighting a different author each month- and you are welcome to join us! Head over to the Virtual Book Club for Kids' Facebook Page to share your book-inspired ideas!

This month's featured author is Donald Crews.

Book Selections: Freight Train, 10 Black Dots, Truck

I am sharing three activities that we did to go along with Truck, although the kids enjoyed all three books!

I think the Dot book would make a great book to read with an infant and older sibling. The high contrast images are great for baby, while the counting practice is great for toddlers and preschoolers!

Freight Train was my son's favorite of these three and he knows every word. I love the imagery in the book and the way it conveys motion. We have some activities planned for that book too but for now, onto the truck ideas.

Transportation Sticky Window

Materials

Clear contact paper

Black Sharpie marker

Vehicle foam shapes (precut or cut your own)

Window (or wall space that can withstand clear tape without damage)

Clear tape

Note: We had a pack of precut transportation themed foam stickers from Dollar Tree but it did not have a semi truck so I cut one out of red craft foam.

Instructions

Cut a piece of clear contact paper to fit your window or wall space. Before peeling off the backing, use your Sharpie marker to draw a series of roads on the non-sticky side of the contact paper. I tried to model mine after the similar page in the book.

Next remove the paper backing from the contact paper and tape it to your window, sticky side towards you.

Now it's time to play! Just lay out the craft foam pieces and invite your child to stick them to the roads.

My son liked driving the pieces on the book roads first and then sticking them to the contact paper. This one will stay up on the window for a while!

Truck Fill and Spill Estimation Game

Materials

A truck with an open end or a box with one open end

Blocks of various sizes (we used our KORXX and some Mega Blocks)

Instructions

Take turns loading the back of the truck, just like they load the bikes into the truck in the book. If your child is capable, take turns guessing how many blocks will fit. If you have blocks of differing sizes you can also try to predict if you can fit fewer or more of one size than the next.

Up the Hill Twisty Cups

Materials

2 clear plastic cups

A black Sharpie marker

Truck sticker (optional)

Instructions

One one cup stick your truck sticker onto the bottom of one cup, or draw a truck with your Sharpie marker. Nest the cups with the truck one on the top. Make a note of where the truck meets up with the non-truck cup and then separate the cups. Starting where the truck was draw a line spiraling up the non-truck cup. Draw a start and finish line. Done!

Show your child how you can twist the cups to drive the truck up the road to the top of the hill!

My son enjoyed making the mechanical noises of the truck as it labored up the hill. It doesn't take long to drive him up the hill but the kids will do these kinds of things over and over, so I keep putting them out there for them.