Don T Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus Board Game

Oct 23, 2011 - Buy Board Games and Puzzles at AreYouGame.com. Your source for preschool games, kids games, adult games, trivia games and party games. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus is a fun preschool game that helps teach social skills The pigeon wants to drive your bus and it's up to you to stop him, as you move around the game board If the pigeon lands on the same space as your bus, you must go back to 'Start' and try again For 2 - 4 players ages 3 and up. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! 10th Birthday Celebration Activity Kit. The Duckling Gets a Cookie?! The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! Cardboard Box Bus Craft & Number Game for Kids by Toddler Approved; Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus Activity by Coffee Cups and Crayons Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus Puppets by Playdough to Playto Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus: Puppets, Crafts and Storytelling by Playing with Words 365.

1-2-3 Come Do Some Bus Safety Activities With Me

Do you read the story, 'Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus' by Mo Willems? Click the book cover to see a cute YouTube video.
Because it’s a favorite of young children, I thought it would be fun to spice up bus safety with a pigeon. (Bus Safety With a Pigeon Packet)

If you don't read that story, or are just looking for some super-fun bus safety activities, I also made a matching packet with no bird. (Bus Safety Activities).
Listening to lots of rules can become tedious and boring for little ones, but playing a game, doing a center activity, or making a 'flip-the-flap' booklet, helps get the “you need to know this stuff” into a child’s head, in a hands-on way.
Both these packets includes a nice assortment of quick, easy and interesting activities, that help make learning about bus safety super-fun.
Since “National Bus Safety Month” is in October, I do a few of the activities the first few weeks of school, then others later in the fall, which is a nice review.

You can also plug them in the day before a field trip.
The packet includes:
* 24, “Do” & “Don’t” sorting cards for an independent center game.

There are 12, colorful cards on a one-page pattern to conserve paper and ink.

Simply print, laminate and trim. Children decide if the behavior pictured on the card is a do or don't rule, then place the cards under the correct do/don't header.

You can also pass the cards out to students, then have them show and share their card with the class, explaining the rule on the card.
* To whole-group assess comprehension, I designed a super-fun, Popsicle stick “puppet pal” craftivity.

There's a pigeon one for that packet, and a bus puppet pal in the other packet.

The pigeon is on a red circle for 'Stop! Don't' because of the 'Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus'story.

The flip side of this paddle is a green circle (Green = 'Go! Do'.) Adding a wiggle eye provides the 'finishing touch'.

In the Bus Packet, the puppet pal features a happy & smiling bus on the 'Do!' side, and a bus filled with monsters (!) on the 'Don't' side.

I've included a list of 20+ statements for you to choose from, then read aloud. Students decide whether that statement is a 'Do' or a 'Don't' then flip their paddle accordingly.

My students absolutely LOVE this 'quiz game'. Plus, I can see at a glance who's having difficulty & make corrections.
* Another fun way to reinforce bus rules, is by making a “flip the flap” booklet.

There's a cute pigeon booklet for that packet, and a big bus for the other.

I kept the booklets short, with just 9 pages to choose from, which feature the graphics for some of the most important rules.

Children color the picture, then circle a 'Do' or 'Don't' word to describe what's going on in the graphic.

The pigeon's 'wing cover', flips open to reveal the pages, while the booklet for the bus, is on the 'windshield'.
* There’s also a set of 24, colorful graphic rule posters, which show the various “Do’s & Don’ts”for riding the bus. I printed mine on card stock then laminated.

Use them to introduce bus safety, then hang them on the wall; or... add the cover & last page ('No muss. No fuss.We know the rules for riding the bus!')and make a booklet with a split ring.
* The packet also includes some “paper praise” options: a slap bracelet, a bookmark, and a brag tag necklace, plus a “color me” bus safety certificate.

There are 10 bracelets on a one-page pattern for quick printing. Simply 'slap' a bracelet on a child's wrist with a piece of Scotch tape.

Making a bus safety necklace, provides fine motor practice, which helps strengthen finger muscles.

I cut up colorful plastic straws to use as dividers between pony beads. Both can be purchased at The Dollar Store.

This also practices counting as well as showing a pattern too. Plus studets really enjoy making them.

Hopefully, people will ask children about their necklace, giving them an opportunity to explain some of the bus safety that they learned, once again reinforcing the lesson.

There's also a 'High fives from ________ who knows bus safety' craft in the pigeon packet, which makes a sweet keepsake, as the bird's wing is a child's hand print.

There are two FREEBIES today. Both come from these new packets.

One is the 'Stop-Look and Listen'poster.

The other is the 'Stay Out of the Danger Zone'poster.

In the packets, I've included matching worksheets. I truly believe that if a child colors the danger zone, they are more apt to know what and where it is, then follow that life-saving rule.

Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by.

I feel fall in the air, as the lovely breeze is cooler and a sprinkling of leaves are actually turning!

As long as we have to be inside at school, we may as well have lovely fall weather.

'There is a time in the last few days of summer, when the ripeness of autumn fills the air.'- Rudolfo Anaya

As the winter season approaches and the pandemic is still going, we’re going to be spending even more time in our homes with our families. Many parents are looking for options of fun things to do that don’t involve a screen. Enter: the classic board game. But let’s not talk about the “boring” ones your kids already know. Here’s a roundup of some new ideas to add to your game options.

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus Game!

This straightforward game for little ones channels the charms of Mo Willems’ beloved book series. (Child-whisperer Willems also worked on Sesame Street and The Muppets, so the man knows how to speak “kid” while keeping grownups engaged.) Here, the pigeon wants to drive your bus, and it’s up to you to stop him already! (If the pesky pigeon lands on your spot, you have to start over.)
Ages 2+

Top This! The Ice Cream Game

If you’re a discerning, design-minded parent who chooses toys based on aesthetics (we get it), then this charming ice-cream game will likely be your favorite on this list. (Fortunately, it’s a visual feast for kids, too!) Each player gets a sundae board and must spin the spoon to acquire six toppings to complete the dessert. The sweet scalloped napkin cards serve up additional challenges posed by the pretend parlor.
Ages 4+

Clack!

When your family is a blend of kiddos of all different ages and you need a game that everyone can quickly understand and enjoy, Clack is it.

Don't Let The Pigeon Activities

The directions are super easy. Spread out the magnetic discs and roll the two dice. Depending on the shape and color combination, everyone playing will race to pick up every disc that fits the bill. No need to spend hours arguing over the directions — just get to playing.
Ages 5+

Don't Let The Pigeon Videos

Beat the Parents

It’s kids versus grown-ups in this battle of smarts, wits, and trivia. The rules are pretty simple (answer correctly, move your piece), which means it’s game on once you unfold the board. (In other words, it’s a home run for parents who aren’t looking to wade through longwinded instructions or a complicated, read-the-instructions setup.)
Ages 6+

Cauldron Quest

In this collaborative game, which will appeal to magic and quest-lovers, everyone has a common goal: to create a potion that can break the wizard’s spell, while finding hidden ingredients before he’s able to block their path.

Kids will get to practice skills like problem-solving, planning ahead, and shared decision making as they work together. The game takes 20 minutes for one round, and comes with playful game tokens like a wizard’s hat and potion bottles. It’s also simple and straightforward enough that children as young as four were able to play alongside older siblings.
Ages 6+

Exploding Kittens Card Game

If you and your gang are both kitten-obsessed and get a soul tingle when you see an explosion in a movie, then add Exploding Kittens to your family game night.

The game is super simple to follow. Each player picks up a card, and if you are the unfortunate player to pick up an exploding kitten, then you are out. But if you have other strategic cards in your hand that you can use, like a diffuse card or cat card, then you are still in the game. Super fun and perfect for every player in the fam, your brood will love this one.
Ages 7+

Throw Throw Burrito

PigeonDrive

Here is your fair warning: Do not play this game in the room with all of the fragile family heirlooms. If you were to combine a matching game with dodgeball, Throw Throw Burrito would be it.

As players race to snatch up matching pairs, other players try to throw the soft burritos at them. If you are hit with a smiley-faced burrito, points are automatically deducted.
Ages 7+

Azul

In this eye-pleasing diversion, players — make that, artisans — compete to decorate a royal palace with beautiful mosaic tiles. (It’s like the decorative tile-loving hashtag #IHaveThisThingWithFloors has come to life in board game form!) Warning: Unlike other board games on the list, this one may also leave you wanting to renovate the master bath.
Ages 8+

Ticket to Ride

All aboard! This award-winning board game is a crowd-pleasing cross-country adventure in which players collect and play cards to claim routes across North America. It’s also — welcome to the future, y’all! — compatible with Alexa, which means you can skip the rule book and have the device walk you through how it works. (You can even play against Alexa.) This requires roughly 30 to 60 minutes to chugga through, so just know it’s a bit more of a commitment. (But well worth it, insist devotees.)
Ages 8+

Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus Board Game

The Phantom Society

In this spooky game, players are divided into two teams: One controls the ghosts, and must find smart places to hide them before the game begins, and the other controls the ghost hunters.

Each round takes about 20 minutes, and there are challenges and variations to make it a bit trickier, although this is definitely a game that’s more aimed at kids than, say, adults having their own party.
Ages 8+

Not Parent Approved: A Card Game for Families

Inspired by the very adult game Cards Against Humanity, this family-appropriate card game prompts players with fill-in-the-blank questions, and each person chooses a card from their hand that they think fits best with the question. Warning: The answer cards are totally ridiculous, so be prepared for some wacky combinations.
Ages 8+

Game

Spontuneous Board Game

This family board game belongs in every home. Not only will your family have a blast getting goofy, but time spent playing this game doubles as an opportunity for kids to build confidence when it comes to expression, creativity, and improv.
Ages 8+

Disney Villainous Strategy Board Game

Even if you hate to admit it, the most entertaining character in a Disney movie is definitely the villain. This board game is all about tapping into your inner bad guy to win.

The game comes with some of your favorite evil characters like Scar and Ursula, but it can also be played with other Villainous expansion packs.
Ages 10+

Jewel Heist

Don't Let The Pigeon Stay Up Late

How well can you and your family work under pressure? Heist is a family board game that tests how level-headed you can stay when trying to crack open a safe and steal all of the loot. Follow the instructions carefully — because after three false moves, you’ll sound the alarm.
Ages 10+