Start with children seated in a circle.

Place Stretchy Band on the floor in the middle of the circle.  I instruct the children not to touch the band until I tell them to so that everyone reaches for it at the same time.

“Take one hand and reach for the band in front of you, pulling it back to yourself.”

Now place both hands on the band.

Children should be sitting with legs crossed or straight out in front of them.  (NO SITTING ON KNEES – it’s dangerous. Children can pitch forward and hit their heads on the floor!  I’ve seen it happen!)

If working with adults and younger children, children should sit beside their adult if possible.  If they need to be in the parent’s lap, the parent should hug one arm around the child’s middle to prevent them from going forward when the band does.

Start singing the traditional song, “The Wheels on the Bus”, while moving the band in circles away from your body.  Children will follow along quickly.  Below are motions for some of the additional verses.  Feel free to add your own!  This is definitely a favorite activity in my classes!

1. wheels – move band in circles away from body.

2. doors – legs straight out in front, lay backslowly, sit up  (yup, it’s sit-ups!)

Use the band to help you get back to sitting.  Instruct children not go flop backward as they might hurt their heads.  This verse takes practice.  Children don’t have well-developed abdominal muscles, and they struggle to get upright again.  GOOD WORKOUT!  Only lay back on “open”, return to sitting on “shut.”  Check out my video presentation on the bottom page of this link.

3. windows – move band up’n’down- up on the word “up”, down on the word “down.”

4. wipers – move hands/band from side to side

5. people get bumped around – shake it, baby!

6. babies cry – knock fists together, then apart quicklyon “waa waa waa!”

7. repeat wheels verse to end the song

Miss Carole presents music and movement with “Wheels on the Bus” and a BPC stretchy band. Share on X