If your kids love the Magic School Bus, they will love these fun Magic School Bus activities that can be completed in school or at home.
The twins (particularly Flynn) absolutely love The Magic School Bus. I’ve put together some fun projects for kids that are inspired by a few of the books.
Note: I originally wrote this article for the website Rusty and Rosy, however, that website is now offline. The images included were from a Scholastic event I attended in New York City.
The twins borrow books from their school library each week. At least the last five books my son has borrowed have been from The Magic School Bus series. This is not the first sign I’ve seen of his interest in these books, both he and his sister have borrowed them on occasion before.
The first time one came home I thought for sure that the books were a little old for them, they can be quite lengthy, and delve into a variety of scientific topics. The kids are only five years old, and more often than not are reading about trains, animals, (and in my daughters case), Pinkalicious. However, I think the combination of these books being set in a fun classroom environment, and all of the wonderful adventures the children take on the school bus seem to have my kids completely enthralled.
Magic school bus activities
Here are a few of The Magic School Bus books and some fun hands-on learning activities you can do with your children.
The Magic School Bus Gets Planted
Have your child grow fruit and vegetables from seeds. They will learn how to care for their new plant, as well as learn important information about what plants need to thrive. The end reward will be them picking, preparing, and eating whatever they have grown.
The Magic School Bus Sees Stars
On a clear evening take your children outside to lay under the stars. Print a map of the stars and let them observe that before heading outdoors, you might want to take a flashlight with you too so they can compare the map to what they are seeing above them. Can they see the Milky Way or a shooting star? Have them draw or paint a picture of the night sky as they saw it. Do they have glow-in-the-dark stars? If they do have they may want to arrange them just like their picture.
If you have a science center or planetarium in your area take the kids along so they can learn even more about the solar system. Make sure to sign up for updates too, on occasion they may have night viewings led by experts.
Another thing that we love to use is the NightSky app on our iPad. It’s a great way to see where all of the constellations, stars, and satellites are.
The Magic School Bus Gets Recycled
Encourage your kids to recycle. Set up a variety of bins for them to place items such as batteries, cans, bottles, paper, compostable materials, and garden waste. Take them to visit a recycling center, and if you have curbside recycling pick-up in your area they will love watching the truck coming to collect items for recycling. Also, see if there are facilities available close by where kids can take cans and bottles for extra money.
Don’t forget to set up a bin for scraps (yarn, paper, cardboard, etc.) that they can use for future craft projects.
More educational storytime activities
Plan even more fun and educational activities to do with the kids that relate to their favorite books. Check out these ones:
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar craft ideas
- The Lorax activities and crafts for kids
- Get the kids into the kitchen with these book themed snacks
- Crafts that pair with your child’s favorite book
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