A is for Airplane was a very fun theme! With my girls out of school, I put them to work for a portion of preschool. They dressed up as the pilot and flight attendant. We set up a mock airplane in the living room with chairs, magazines, and a poster of the cockpit. We made the kids tickets and escorted them to their seats. Then the pilot took the kids on a trip to England and even told them a little about geography on the way {not sure how much was retained}, even serving them little packets of animal crackers. It was a very fun intro to our preschool.
Songs
Airplane Song
(To the tune of " Wheels on the Bus")
The pilot on the airplane says fasten your belts (fasten
seat belts)
Fasten your belts, fasten your belts.
The pilot on the airplane says fasten your belts
When flying through the sky,
Other possible verses...
The children on the airplane go bumpity bump.... (move up
and down)
The babies on the airplane go waa, waa, waa.... (pretend to cry)
The signs on the airplane go ding, ding, ding.... (point to
signs)
The drinks on the airplane go splish, splash, splish....
(pretend to hold a glass that is wiggling)
The luggage on the plane goes up and down.... (pretend to be
luggage going up and down)
I'm a Little Airplane
(To the tune of I'm A Little Teapot)
I'm a little airplane (arms shoulder height)
I can fly (turn right arm like propeller)
Here is my throttle (reach out with 1 hand)
Give me a try (push throttle in)
When I get all reved up (engine noise)
then I fly (move forward)
Off the runway to the sky (fly around)
Zoom I am a Pilot
In my plane I fly today,
zoom I am a pilot
My right way compass points the way
zoom I am a pilot
All through life I'll safely fly
I can I will if I but try,
zoom, zoom, zoom
I'm an Airplane
Sung to: "Clementine"
I'm an airplane, I'm an airplane
Flying up into the sky.
Flying higher, Flying higher
As I watch the clouds go by.
I'm an airplane, I'm an airplane
See me flying all around.
Flying lower, flying lower,
Till I land down on the ground.
Finger Play and Movement
Six Little Airplanes
Six little airplanes flying in the sky,
One took a dive and then there were 5
Five little airplanes flying in the sky
One landed on shore and then there were 4.
Four little airplanes flying in the sky
One zoomed like a bee and then there were 3
Three little airplanes flying in the sky
One was feeling blue, so then there were 2
Two little airplanes flying in the sky
One just had no fun, so then there was one.
One little airplane flying in the sky
Down came the sun and then there were none.
The Airplane
The airplane has great big wings
(children stretch out arms.)
Its propeller spins round and sings,
Vvvvvvrrruuuummmmm.
(children move right arms around in a circle.)
The airplane goes up.
(they lift up their arms)
The airplane dips down.
The airplane flies--round all of the town!
(With arms outstretched, they turn around twice.)
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVROOOM!
(make sound again)
Games
Relay Game
Split kids into two teams. Have one child run down, put a captain's hat on, fly like an airplane to a pilot's jacket. and fly back to their teammate. Their teammate flies to the same locations and drops off the hat and jacket and then flies back. Continue until everyone on the team is done.
Color/Letter Recognition
Airplanes – Pretend to be airplanes and move around with
arms extended. Call out directions as children "fly", then
"land". Hold up color name flashcards or alphabet flashcards and only
the children with that particular color or whose name begins with that letter
can “fly”.
Captain Says
(Like Simon Says)
Have one player stand up front (with a pilot's hat if you can) and play the game Simon Says, but say "Captain Says" instead. Captain says, "touch your toes" or Captain says, "turn around". They can choose anything. BUT if they don't say Captain says, and someone does the direction, that person is out.
, 
, 
, 
. This is a fabulous board book that tells the story in a simple and short way. 
