Beyond the Book: "Cars Go" by Steve Light

 Got a car lover on your hands? Maybe a car lover who also loves to play outside? Then Steve Light's Cars Go is the perfect book to pack up and go with for a sunny afternoon of story stretcher fun. If you read our post the other day on Planes Go, then you're already familiar with the style of these fabulously illustrated and alliterated transportation themed books. They are great for inspiring dramatic play and story dramas and the sound effects will have readers of all ages giggling.

When I was little there used to be a commercial for a hot wheels car wash on TV and between you and me (and the whole blogosphere now), I really wanted that toy. I was kind of terrified of going to the actual car wash, but soaping up toy cars sure looked like fun. And if you've ever seen my husband, you know that the only thing we use men's shaving cream for here is sensory play! That seemed like the perfect medium to add to a dramatic play and sensory bin set up to accompany our reading of Cars Go.

We've had some great weather, so I packed up our book, materials and set up shop out front. What kind of shop, you ask? Why an auto-mechanic shop, of course! Complete with a repairs wing, gas station and car wash. Some of our story stretchers are more interactive and adult-involved. This particular one is designed to set up and run on its own, truly child-led and play based. It's perfect for when you're short on time but also can captivate your little ones' attention for quite a while. You may just want to join in and play, too! (I still kind of want that hot wheels car wash...)

We began by reading together on the front porch while S ate his afternoon snack. Y was very busy catching up on the naps he had avoided all morning! 

We did some review of the letter C and its hard beginning sound as in the word "car" with this letter tracing activity

You really shouldn't let your babies play with gas cans, but this DIY play prop is constructed from a recycled laundry detergent container and, um, yes, an old CPAP hose (because you probably also shouldn't let your babies play with durable medical equipment, but...)

Our auto shop included larger cars (riding toys), hard hats and construction vests (purchased from a secondhand shop), toy tools and a three year old's infinite imagination...

He was so busy repairing cars and filling them with gas, he didn't even remember he wanted to also go for a bike ride until it was time to go inside for dinner. We compromised with bringing the riding toy back in. Did you know our kitchen is also the parking lot outside of S's office? Neither did I! You may want to watch your step while you're making dinner, though...

We have the ever familiar collection of hot wheels cars here...they are perfect for playing about traffic jams and races and driving across hardwood floors. They are great in play dough or kinetic sand or even paint. And they are a whole lot of fun to wash using shaving cream and water (dyed blue with food coloring). I included a variety of sponges and scrub brushes for washing and experimenting with...

Our toy raceway was a perfect way to zoom and dry...and also make a soapy slip and slide. Squeezing the sponge was so much fun for S. He observed how the soapy water dripped down the ramp (and built those tiny fine motor muscles while he was at it). I cut a standard kitchen sponge in half to make it easier for him to hold.

Transportation themed play and learning is something we love repeating here. We've done longer units with it as a stand-alone theme and included it in themes like our Around the World unit and our Community Helpers unit. The many ways we get from place to place, both near and far, are a fascinating part of every day life. S loves talking about everything from traffic lights to the construction vehicles he sees as we drive around town. I personally did not get my drivers license until I was 30 and am not quite ready for either of my boys to actually take the wheel anytime soon--but I know they will love to play and read about it until then. Steve Light is a wonderful author to introduce to budding backseat drivers. Time flies faster than a jet plane or a race car and soon enough, S and even Y will be begging to get their learners' permits. But until then, we'll be happily playing (and reading)!

Join us next week for a wild rumpus of a story stretcher...