Vehicles in Motion
The Vehicles in Motion STEM unit introduces young learners to the science of transportation across land, water, and air. Kids explore how different vehicles—such as boats, submarines, helicopters, motorcycles, and hot air balloons—move using hands-on experiments that teach concepts like buoyancy, lift, friction, and gravity. This engaging unit develops early engineering and physics skills through building, testing, and observing various modes of motion. Designed for preschool and early elementary classrooms, these activities encourage curiosity, problem-solving, and scientific documentation. Printable activity sheets and experiment logs help children track their learning and practice essential science skills. Perfect for educators and parents seeking fun, educational STEM resources focused on vehicles beyond just cars.
In the STEAM Spotlight
Playground Car Wash
This week’s STEAM Spotlight was the Playground Car-wash! We brought out buckets of soapy water, sponges, and lots of excitement as the kids washed their ride-on cars in our hands-on car-wash setup. Children practiced important skills like careful scrubbing and rinsing while learning how soap helps remove dirt and grime. This activity encouraged teamwork, fine motor development, and scientific observation as kids experimented with water, bubbles, and cleaning techniques. It was a fun, engaging way to explore everyday science outdoors in our STEAM class!
Want more engineering projects? Explore our Design. Build. Race! unit for more fun.
Exploring STEAM Stations
Marker Car City
In this hands-on STEAM mapping activity, kids transform a blank sheet of paper into a city map by attaching markers to toy cars and driving them across the page. As the cars move, they create roads, paths, and neighborhoods—building fine motor skills and introducing concepts like map-making, planning, and design. Children work together to add buildings, parks, and landmarks, turning their scribbles into a collaborative cityscape. This open-ended activity encourages creativity, spatial awareness, and early engineering thinking, making it perfect for preschool and early elementary classrooms.
Shaving Cream Tire Tracks
In this sensory-rich STEAM activity, kids drive toy cars through shaving cream to explore texture, cause and effect, and early physics. As the cars move through the foam, children observe patterns, track tire marks, and engage in messy play that supports fine motor skills and scientific inquiry. Perfect for preschool and early elementary students, this activity combines creativity, sensory exploration, and hands-on learning.
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Wooden Railway Explorers
In this open-ended STEAM activity, kids become train track engineers as they build, connect, and test traditional wooden train tracks. Children explore concepts like balance, slope, design, and cause and effect while creating functional railways. This hands-on activity encourages spatial reasoning, problem-solving, and collaboration, making it a perfect fit for preschool and early elementary classrooms.
Raft Builders Challenge
In this hands-on STEAM activity, children use popsicle sticks and tape to design and build small wooden rafts, then test them in water to see if they float. As they experiment with different constructions, kids explore early engineering skills and learn about buoyancy, balance, and structure. This simple yet engaging activity encourages creative thinking, collaboration, and real-world problem solving using everyday materials.
Land, Air & Sea: Vehicle Sorting
In this interactive STEAM group activity, children sort and categorize various vehicles by placing pictures onto a poster divided into land, air, and sea sections. This hands-on project helps kids develop classification skills, understand different modes of transportation, and build vocabulary related to vehicles and environments. Designed for early learners, the activity encourages teamwork, observation, and critical thinking as children explore how vehicles travel through different spaces.
Books About Vehicles
Expand your children’s learning about transportation with these carefully selected books for all ages. For young kids, Whose Vehicle Is This? offers colorful pictures and simple text to introduce different types of vehicles and their purposes. Early readers will enjoy Things That Go, a fun and engaging book that explores vehicles moving on land, air, and water with easy-to-understand language. For school-age children, Amazing Machines: How They Work provides in-depth explanations and visuals about the science behind various vehicles, supporting deeper exploration of STEM concepts. These books complement the hands-on vehicle sorting activity by encouraging literacy, curiosity, and knowledge about transportation.
This beautifully illustrated picture book is perfect for young children just beginning to explore the world of transportation. With simple, rhythmic text and vibrant images, it introduces different vehicles and the roles they play in our daily lives. From fire trucks to airplanes, kids learn to recognize vehicles by sight and sound, helping to build vocabulary and early observation skills.
This fun and engaging early reader book follows a group of colorful vehicles as they work together to get a stuck truck moving again. With simple, repetitive text and lively illustrations, it introduces kids to different types of vehicles and teamwork. Perfect for building reading confidence while reinforcing concepts about various land, air, and sea vehicles in an entertaining way.
This engaging book uses a fun story about a zoo break to explore the mechanics behind various machines and vehicles. With detailed illustrations and clear explanations, it helps older kids understand the principles of engineering and physics involved in transportation. Perfect for sparking curiosity and deeper STEM learning through storytelling.
