10 Transportation Themed Activities for a Truck-Obsessed Toddler

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (and Trucks and Boats and Bikes!)

Oliver has been a bit stir-crazy lately, with everyone taking turns getting sick and no one wanting to spend much time outside. At almost-two, he’s already quite clever, despite his limited vocabulary. He’ll waltz on over to whichever one of us might be resting, tilt his head to the right, and casually suggest, “walk?” or “park?” Like, you know what would make you feel so much better…

I love reading the little activities other moms come up with, so I thought it’d be fun to share a few of ours. These are his favorite things—and I guess they’re some of mine too!

1. Coffee & Trucks
   Lucky for me, my favorite coffee shop sits on the perfect corner for truck-watching during the workweek. We’ll sit there for over an hour, me sipping my coffee, him enjoying his snack. It got even more fun when he learned to pump his arm and get them to honk. He squeals with delight!
   

2. Stroller Bike Rides
   I found the most amazing stroller bike on Facebook Marketplace (my kryptonite) for a steal. My parents picked it up for me (thanks, Dad!), and now it’s Oliver’s favorite thing in the world. He can control the steering, and it helps us continue our neighborhood walk routine now that his regular stroller is nowhere near as exciting.

   

3. Ramps!
   Like any first time mom, I wanted all of the “best” toys for my boy, thinking that he’d be lost in a world of creative play. Turns out, it takes a while for kids to learn those independent skills and some are more extroverted than others, wanting Mom to join in at all times… While he’ll occasionally use his indoor wooden slide as an actual slide, he’ll play with it forever as a ramp for all of his cars to see how far they can go. The slide I’d imagined as an indoor jungle gym has taken on a new life as a ramp for all of his vehicles!
   

4. Train Screen Time
   I thought I’d be a no screen time mom—then I realized I actually wanted to be a mom with low screen time myself and no devices for the kids. It turns out, watching something on TV together can actually be really special and sometimes incredibly helpful (like when Mom is under the weather). We’ve enjoyed many YouTube videos of trains on rainy afternoons. Literally just different montages of steam-trains…and Oliver couldn’t be more captivated.
   

5. Transporters & Ferries
   As far as toys, it’s pretty obvious: Buy cars and trucks. But what I’ve noticed Oliver enjoys the most are the vehicles that transport other vehicles. Imagine that. He will spend a solid thirty minutes loading up his car transporter, and in the bath, he has a ferry to ship his all-weather cars across his tiny sea.
   

6. Books About Cars
   Self explanatory. Richard Scarry books are our absolute favorites, but we’ve spent many hours reading through First 100 Trucks, Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site, and the Little Blue Truck series to name a few.
   

7. Mini Road Trips
   If you have a transportation kid, it sure does make car rides a lot easier, and I don’t take that for granted. As long as the car is moving, he’s happy riding along (most of the time). I love hearing his little “woah” when we pass a bus and big “WOAH” when a semi-truck is behind us. If he starts getting fussy, it helps for me to point out and name the vehicles.
   

8. Transportation Sounds
   I’ve found some great stories on Spotify like the Thomas The Train collection. Sometimes I’ll play those in the car or during wind-down time. He also enjoys literal car sounds. There are so many playlists full of sounds of different vintage cars and racecars and trucks. He loves listening and mimicking every noise.
   

9. Duplo Train Legos
   Oliver’s most used toys are his Duplo Train Legos. It took him a while to figure out how to attach the trains, so he’d have me do that part, but now he can click them together himself. It’s amazing! They’re the first toy I pull out every morning, and it’s a great little post-breakfast routine.
   

10. Paper Airplanes
    He thinks I am the coolest when I make him a paper airplane, and he loves watching them fly. It is the most entertaining activity for both of us, and he enjoys throwing them around for the rest of the day. The simplest joys are really the most delightful!
    

If you have a transportation kid, you know the type. No other toy will do! I’d love to hear your favorite activities to keep your truck-obsessed toddler entertained.