Color an empty egg carton with yellow paint or a yellow marker. Glue two black water bottle lids or black construction paper circles on the bottom of the carton to serve as wheels. Write on the top of the bus the word "school" in black permanent marker. Cut out pictures of people's faces from magazines, and glue them inside of the carton so they will show through the egg carton (bus) windows and look as if the people are riding the bus. Outline the windows with the black permanent marker. Lights can be drawn on the front and back of the bus with red permanent marker.
Create a collage on poster board by cutting and gluing shapes together to form a bus. Before getting started, draw a bus outline in pencil as a guide. After the bus, wheels and any background scenery, including trees, grass or flowers, are glued and dried into place, glue photos of your friends or family in the window positions on the bus. Outline the windows in black permanent marker. Put a date on your bus collage -- it will become a special keepsake.
Large cardboard boxes that transport furniture or appliances can make effective buses. Many furniture or appliance stores can give those boxes away for free to parents or teachers upon request. These boxes can be painted, colored or cut. Paint them to resemble buses, cut out windows, glue on black wheels and, with a child inside crawling around, it becomes movable. Why not have enough for an entire classroom to each make their own box bus and have bus races? Children love being creative and reusing a box at the same time. This can also be accomplished on smaller scales by using shoe boxes.
Make bookmarks shaped like buses out of construction paper. Decorate the buses with permanent markers. Be as detailed as you like. On the back of the buses, include bus safety rules.
1 -- Pay attention to the bus driver.
2 -- Don't yell, push or bother other riders.
3 -- Stay out of the Danger Zone.
4 -- Keep the aisle clear.
5 -- Wait patiently in line.
6 -- Stay seated quietly during the ride.
7 -- Never throw items out of the window.
Have the bookmarks laminated. Trim the bookmarks after lamination.