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Things That Go

Zoom, soar, and sail into reading adventure! Explore exciting stories and games about cars, planes, trains, and boats to discover how people and things travel all around the world.

Our favorite things that go passages

A hand-picked selection for every level — each with questions, a quiz, and a printable worksheet.

Image for How to Read a Train Map and Schedule
New
How to Read a Train Map and Schedule
Lower ElementaryInstructions • Functional Texts
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Image for How We Get Around
How We Get Around
Grade 2Informational
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Image for How Airplanes Fly
How Airplanes Fly
Upper ElementaryExplanatory Article • Informational
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Image for Alaska Travel: Plane vs. Boat
Alaska Travel: Plane vs. Boat
Upper ElementaryOpinion / Argumentative
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Image for Travel Pass for Kids!
Travel Pass for Kids!
Lower ElementaryAnnouncement • Functional Texts
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Image for Kayaking and Boating in Washington State
Kayaking and Boating in Washington State
Upper ElementaryInformational
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Discover many more things that go reading passages

Our hand-picked reading list bundles the best things that go texts, ready for home or the classroom.

Transportation Reading Passages22 readings

Things That Go word games

Pick a game and play with things that go words — every game has easy, medium, and tricky levels.

Word searchFind the hidden theme words in a letter grid.
Ages 6+
Word scrambleUnscramble the letters using a kid-friendly clue.
Ages 6+
Memory matchFlip the cards and match each word to its meaning.
Ages 6+
Word guessGuess the secret theme word letter by letter.
Ages 8+
CrosswordFill the crossing words using kid-friendly clues.
Ages 8+

Coloring pages

A selection of our free printable things that go coloring pages — each comes with a short reading passage.

Lower ElementaryCute Tow Truck Coloring PageCute Tow Truck Coloring PageUpper ElementaryRace Car Coloring PageRace Car Coloring PageUpper ElementaryVikings History and Longship Coloring PageVikings History and Longship Coloring PageUpper ElementaryElectric Car Coloring PageElectric Car Coloring PageUpper ElementaryAmbulance Coloring PageAmbulance Coloring PageLower ElementaryBig School Bus Coloring PageBig School Bus Coloring PageUpper ElementarySports Car Coloring PageSports Car Coloring PageUpper ElementarySupercar Coloring PageSupercar Coloring Page

Want them all?

This is just a taste — browse every things that go coloring page, ready to print.

All Free Car Coloring Pages for Kids

Connect Literacy and Motion

Children are naturally fascinated by vehicles that fly, roll, and float. By tapping into this high-interest topic, you can help kids build critical vocabulary and reading comprehension skills without the struggle. Learning about transportation bridges the gap between science and daily life, allowing young readers to explore concepts like gravity, engines, and geography through engaging stories.

Multi-Sensory Activities for Every Learner

To make the most of this theme at home or in the classroom, try blending different types of media:

  • Read and Discuss: Start with reading passages about airplanes or boats, tailoring the selection to your child's reading level. Use the included comprehension questions to spark a discussion about how they travel.
  • Play and Reinforce: Use themed word games to solidify new vocabulary terms like propeller, locomotive, or navigation.
  • Create and Connect: Let kids wind down with printable coloring pages while they listen to a read-aloud book from our curated transportation reading lists.

This multi-sensory approach keeps kids engaged while strengthening their literacy foundation.

Frequently asked questions

What age group is this theme designed for?

This theme features reading passages and activities that span multiple grade levels, from lower elementary through middle school, making it easy to find matching content for any reader.

How do transportation themes help with reading comprehension?

Real-world topics like planes, trains, and boats build background knowledge. When kids understand how things work in real life, they can more easily comprehend new vocabulary and complex texts.

Can I use these resources for classroom lesson planning?

Yes. Teachers can pair the reading passages and comprehension worksheets with the themed word games to build a complete, cohesive unit on transportation or basic physical science.

How can parents support spelling and vocabulary at home using this theme?

You can encourage your child to play the themed word games after reading a passage. This reinforces the spelling and meaning of new words they just encountered in the text.