Transport in English: Vehicles Vocabulary for Kids

Practice on screen

Look at the picture or number and choose the right English word. Ten questions each round.

How to teach it

1. 1. Sound and move

   Make the sound and the movement of each vehicle: arms out for an airplane, hands on a pretend steering wheel for a car, rowing for a boat. Say the word as you move. The child copies, and later guesses the vehicle from the movement alone.

2. 2. Build a road with blocks

   Lay out a road, a river and an airport with blocks, paper or tape on the floor. Give small toy vehicles to the child and say, "The bus is on the road. The boat is on the river." The child places and repeats the sentences.

3. 3. Traffic game

   Give the child colored cards. When you say "go," the child walks, and when you say "stop," the child freezes. Then say vehicle words: "Drive like a car. Fly like an airplane." It gets the child moving and listening for English words.

4. 4. How do we get there?

   Name a place and ask how to get there: "How do we go to the beach?" The child answers with a picture or a phrase: "By car." Try near places and far places, so that the child can also choose between a bike and an airplane.

5. 5. Spot it on a walk

   On a walk, or from a window, name each vehicle you see. Keep score: "Three cars, one bus, no trains." Count together in English. The child learns words that are linked to the real street around them.

6. 6. Sort land, water and air

   Draw three big areas on paper: a road, a sea and a sky. The child places toy vehicles or picture cards in the right area and says a sentence for each: "The ship is on the water." A mixed pile makes a good short game.

Common mistakes

• Using an article after by

  To say how you travel, use by with no article: by bus, by car, by train, by plane. Wrong: "I go by the bus." Right: "I go to school by bus." If you use a or the, change the word: "I go on the bus."

• Saying "by foot"

  For walking, English says on foot: "We go to school on foot." Wrong: "by foot." You can also say "We walk to school," which is just as common and easier for children.

• Mixing up in and on

  Use in for cars and taxis: in the car, in a taxi. Use on for larger public transport: on the bus, on the train, on the plane. Wrong: "I am in the bus." Right: "I am on the bus."

• Using drive for everything

  You drive a car, a bus or a truck. You ride a bike, a horse or a motorcycle. You fly a plane or travel by plane. Wrong: "I drive my bike." Right: "I ride my bike."

• Using the wrong word for American or British English

  American truck is British lorry, and American airplane is British aeroplane. A fire truck is a fire engine in Britain. Choose one set of words for your lessons and keep to it.