School Bus craft - make a DIY notebook

This school bus craft is a fun back to school craft idea for kids that  also works really well as a 'Wheels on the Bus' nursery rhyme activity for toddlers and preschoolers. Kids will have so much fun as they get to make a DIY notebook just in time for school. This school bus craft is the perfect addition to transportation themes and goes along brilliantly with other transportation activities. We've even included a printable school bus template to use as you follow along. Just follow these easy step by step directions to make your very own DIY notebook!


Easy school bus craft for kids. Make a diy notebook as a fun back to school craft idea or as part of a transportation activity or transportation theme. Also a fun 'Wheels on the Bus' nursery rhyme activity for toddlers and preschoolers.




If you're looking for even more fun school bus activities, try out this wheels on the bus art project to go along with the popular nursery rhyme! This is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers. 

This school bus craft is great for kids as they head back (or start) school this year. This back to school craft idea for kids has been made especially with our US readers in mind (who use the yellow buses to get to school). You could however make this bus craft in any colour you choose and it makes a great transportation activity for children doing a project based on a transportation theme. 

Kids of all ages will have great fun making and then using their own DIY notebook.We have a unicorn version of this make your own DIY notebook craft coming soon too! 

Just scroll down below for easy step by step directions to make your very own bus notebook!


SCROLL DOWN FOR THE FREE SCHOOL BUS TEMPLATE!



wheels on the bus nursery rhyme transportation activity for toddlers and preschoolers


Supplies for your school bus craft:


  • Coloured craft paper
  • Craft glue
  • Scissors
  • Pencil
  • Black sharpie

Directions to make your school bus craft:


STEP 1: Gather up supplies


First things first - gather up all your supplies! Have your child choose which colours they'd like to use for their school bus craft. Traditionally in the US, it is a yellow school bus, but they can choose whatever colors they would like! If you are making this craft as a 'The Wheels on the Bus' activity to accompany the nursery rhyme it would be fun to let toddlers and preschoolers go really wild with their colour choices!

Be sure you download and print your free school bus template for this school bus craft below!

back to school craft idea. School Bus craft - make a DIY notebook

STEP 2: Prepare the coloured papers


Next, trace all the patterns from the template onto the coloured paper your child picked out and then help them cut them out. Fold the big piece in half and draw smaller round shapes inside the circular pieces (these act as the wheels) as shown below.

School Bus craft - make a DIY notebook

STEP 3: Glue coloured papers onto the cover


Glue the wheel patterns on the big rectangular piece on the bottom of the bus shape and then stick the long thin strip on the folded paper as shown below.

transportation activity- bus craft for toddlers and preschoolers

Next, arrange the windows on the bus with the four square shapes. Line three of them up horizontally starting from the "back" of the bus, and then arrange the rounded one at the "front", making sure they are all aligned with each other. 

It could be fun to add people to the windows of your bus craft either by drawing them in the windows or by sticking on tiny photographs.

In the empty space left between the set of three and the rounded square, glue the long rectangle shape vertically, this will act as the door to the bus.

Lastly, glue the two small square shapes, one on the "front" and the other one on the "back" of the bus lined up right under all the windows.

school bus craft for a transportation theme

STEP 4: Glue papers inside your DIY notebook


Now it's time to turn your cute little bus into an actual notebook! Take some stationary papers and trace the big rectangular pattern onto them and cut out as many as you need.

Fold the papers in half and then open up your bus so you can attach them inside. 


There are two ways of adding the pages. If you have a large stapler that adding a couple of staples to the centre of the notebook is the easiest way to add the pages. If you don't have a large staplers apply glue along the middle crease of the cover and then place the folded papers along the crease and then close the book.


how to make a diy notebook


STEP 5: Allow the glue to dry before use


Before you can use your notebook you need to wait for the glue to dry (if you used it!) Once dry you can add additional details if you choose to, gems for headlights could look good!

transportation activities for kids




STEP 6: Use your notebook


There are so many uses for this school bus notebook. This school bus craft is great for the back to school season we are in - use it for first day of school photos, have your kids draw a first day of school portrait (and even portraits of their friends and teachers), or just use it for a fun notebook.

back to school craft for kids - school bus craft


Another fun ideas for this bus themed diy notebook is to incorporate it into the wheels on the bus nursery rhyme. Toddlers and preschoolers will have SO MUCH fun drawing or writing different verses on the inside.

This would even be great for a transportation theme unit or other transportation activities.


No matter what you decide to do, kids will have so much fun as they get to make a DIY notebook.

School bus craft - make a diy notebook

DOWNLOAD YOUR SCHOOL BUS TEMPLATE BELOW

To download this school bus template for free add $0 and click on the 'I want this' box below. It may take a moment for the page to load so please be patient.

For personal use only. Not for redistribution. All images are copyrighted. When sharing this printable please link directly to this blog post and not to the PDF. Thank you.




Easy school bus craft for kids. Make a diy notebook as a fun back to school craft idea or as part of a transportation activity or transportation theme. Also a fun 'Wheels on the Bus' nursery rhyme activity for toddlers and preschoolers.

Your kids will LOVE this school bus craft and it goes brilliantly with other transportation activities if you are following a transportation theme. It's also a great back to school craft idea as kids get to make a DIY notebook of their very own. 

Alternatively toddlers and preschoolers will have tons of fun singing the wheels on the bus nursery rhyme as they make their own bus craft. Be sure to check out this wheels on the bus art project too!

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