Transportation Parade

For the last several weeks John and his Kindergarten classmates have been learning about modes of transportation.  Learning about cars, trucks, trains and airplanes in school sounds like any little boys dream, right?  To end their transportation unit they had a transportation parade.  A parade through the school where each Kindergartner gets to "drive" a vehicle of their own making.

Since this type of project mostly falls on the parents I gave John a couple of choices of vehicles he could choose from (the choices were ones I could figure out how to make of course).  He chose a tractor, a green tractor.  I gave Paul the assignment of manufacturing and assembly and I would handle the paint job.

John wasn't terribly interested in painting, however his sisters were more than happy to help.  On the other hand John was very excited about the finished product.

I was worried that he wouldn't want to wear his tractor when it came time for the parade, and that he would be sort of "lost" in the chaos of the parade through the school.  I don't know what all the worry was about because I don't know that I have seen the little boy happier than he was to be wearing/driving his tractor through the school along with all of the other kids.  It was a proud Mommy moment.

After the parade all of the Kindergartners parked their vehicles in the gym, parking lot style, and serenaded us with "Route 66".  It was pretty cute.  Recently I had often heard John singing this song as he would be playing with his trains or cars in his room, now I know why.

As I listened to them sing I couldn't help but have a thankful heart and let a smile cross my face that even living in rural places my children are learning some culture and history of the town they call home.  In Monticello my kiddos made stick horses, had Derby Day, and learned to sing "My Old Kentucky Home".  Now in Kingman, they make vehicles, have a transportation parade and learn to sing, "I get my kicks on route 66".