Singing “The Wheels on the Bus” – A Simple Joy for Little Ones

If you’ve ever travelled with young children, you’ll know that a familiar song can turn even a short journey into something special. The Wheels on the Bus has always been a favourite in our family—simple, repetitive, and endlessly adaptable (which is exactly why children love it!).

You don’t even need a book. The song always starts with the wheels, and from there, children can take the lead—choosing what comes next and making it their own.

Our Early Bus-Singing Days

When my grandson was little, our journeys were only about ten minutes long—but we always squeezed in a few songs. We’d spot buses along the way, and I’d chat to him about my Playbus days.

“Nanny, you know a lot about buses,” he once said—and I suppose he was right!

Like many families, we also sang along to television favourites, especially Coco Melon. We were particularly fond of Jay-Jay, and it wasn’t long before The Wheels on the Bus became a daily sing-along.

We even watched different versions of the song together. Alexander loved every one of them—although I must admit, after a while, I found them a bit repetitive! Still, it was lovely to see how each version introduced new ideas while keeping the same familiar tune.

Longer Journeys, New Memories

These days, our journey is much longer—around 45 minutes. With Alexander now at school, I spend that time with my granddaughter, Isabelle.

Our car rides are full of chatter, song, and plenty of bus-spotting. The children have even noticed that buses near their home are red, while the ones near mine are blue. And of course, we keep an eye out for both single- and double-deckers!

First Real Bus Adventures

Taking the grandchildren on real bus journeys made the experience even more exciting.

Alexander loved his trip on a double-decker, where we sang rhymes from Bus Rhymes and Playtime—especially his favourite, A Spooky Bus Ride.

Isabelle’s first journey was on a single-decker, but we’re already planning a longer double-decker adventure soon.

Bringing the Song to Life

One of the best things about The Wheels on the Bus is how easily you can personalise it.

We’ve added all sorts of characters and sounds over time:

• Babies crying
• Grown-ups saying “shh”
• Grandad's snoring
• Children bouncing up and down

And of course, all the classic bus sounds:

• The wheels go round and round
• The horn beeping
• The wipers swishing

It’s a wonderful way to encourage imagination—and it keeps children engaged for much longer than you might expect.

Favourite Bus Books

We’ve also enjoyed several Wheels on the Bus-style books over the years. Some of our favourites include:

• Interactive flap books (always a hit with little hands)
• Animal-themed versions with playful illustrations
• Lion on the Bus
• The Whales on the Bus

I wasn’t sure about all of them at first, but the children loved them. Isabelle, in particular, adored The Whales on the Bus—she even memorised it and proudly read it aloud.

Creating Our Own Version

At one point, I decided to create our own version of the song for my book, Daisy Daydreams Bus Rhymes and Jokes.

I added a simple new line:
“The children on the bus play and play, all day long.”

From there, things grew! After a preschool visit, we added new verses for my different bus characters:

• Daisy’s wheels go round and round
• Jay-Jay’s horn goes beep, beep, beep
• Gloria’s doors open and shut
• Sparky’s driver calls, “Come on board!”

Alexander preferred the traditional version—he likes things done properly—but Isabelle loved our new one. It quickly became part of our weekly routine.

Later, with a new book for Maggie and Maggie's bus friend Dennis, we added even more verses together:

• Maggie’s wipers go swish, swish, swish 
• Dennis’s bell goes ding, ding, ding

Before long, we had a whole collection of buses and verses—and a song that felt completely our own.

A New Idea Taking Shape

Lately, I’ve been thinking about a new story—a bus that gets stuck in the mud.

It hasn’t quite got a name yet, but I can already imagine it calling out:
“Pull me out, please!”

And who knows? With a little help from the children, that idea might soon turn into another story—or even another song.