Seeing the world of a 3 year old.

Our 3 year old grandson came on a plane to visit us. He told his nursery that he went on the plane because 'Granny and Grandad live in a different world!'

I took my grandchildren every saturday morning, to the library, railway station then the park. I became nanny park. On a friday I would collect them from school and take them on a train ride two stations up the track, we'ed go in a cafe for a drink and a cake then back on the train and home. This was two at a time as from different families and age gaps.

When my first Granddaughter was 5 I took her on the bus to go to town , visit a museum and a general poodle around Liverpool, I made her a packed lunch to eat when we got to the museum. There are picnic areas in the nearby park. We went upstairs on the bus and we had barely been going for 10 minutes ,when off came her backpack and she said she wanted to have her picnic now on the bus,!, She just loved the idea of sitting on the bus seeing everything, and enjoying her sandwiches at the same time, It was a lovely day for us both, she is 14 now but I still remember that magical day with her,

the open-topped tourist buses, hop on hop off, that run in many cities and seasides, are always worth a trip.

GreenGran78

I often used to take my children on the bus, but one day I had gone out by myself. The man sitting next to me looked rather surprised when I suddenly exclaimed, “Oh, look! There’s a fire engine!”

and then started singing,
the wheels on the bus go round and round...

Pap67

My sil and I went in a bus yesterday whist having a few hours to kill whilst waiting for an appointment at the hospital.. we had a great time! We are both bug kids at heart...?

i can see you now, jostling to get on the bus with your nets on bamboo sticks and collecting jam-jars....

DGS2 (3) loves buses too. Last bus trip with him just before he was 3 was when we were snowed in and I was minding him - February - and the car was unable to move as our street was impassable. Intermittent buses were running so I got the bus (slithering about) to his house and he was so excited as the snow was really deep. Got on bus and it kept sliding into bus stops and getting stuck! He was ecstatic, I was terrified! After a day of snowballs, snowcats and Mummy's old sledge we got the bus home to Mummy. Same situation. We even watched cars and vans sliding round and round on his street which is hilly. He loved it! Was never so glad to get home!

Video message from 5 year old grandson in Australia.
(Jumps up and down in excitement) -

'Look what I've made, Nana!
A marble wun. Made out of toilet paper wolls!'

I often used to take my children on the bus, but one day I had gone out by myself. The man sitting next to me looked rather surprised when I suddenly exclaimed, “Oh, look! There’s a fire engine!”

My sil and I went in a bus yesterday whist having a few hours to kill whilst waiting for an appointment at the hospital.. we had a great time! We are both bug kids at heart...?

We’ve just been to the coast with our 2small GDs. open top buses (cold!), small steam trains, pirate ships (!), land trains, model villages. We had a fabulous time and they were thrilled by it all.

Sounds a lovely day out and I’m sure you will be repeating it. My mum used to take my son all over the place on the bus or on coach trips, they both loved it.

At the ripe old age of 8 No 1 son was asked what he would like to do for his birthday. 'Can we go on a train?' To our shame, we had never done this. It was car everywhere and, for some unknown reason, we had never thought about it. We went the whole hog by taking him to Edinburgh and chose a trip over the Forth Bridge. He was ecstatic and we too were very happy. Still gets mentioned to this day over 40 years on.

I accompanied a grandma and grandson on the train to the nearest town (40 mins max) when he was just 3 years old. He was enthralled by the train, we had a picnic and a lovely day browsing, and he spent the entire return journey marvelling at the full moon in the sky 'coming with us'. A magical day I'll never forget.

What nice stories, thank you for brightening my morning!

Just on the news the other day was a boy from Toronto that had completed the whole route of the Toronto transit system, including every bus, subway and train route. I think they said over 6000km total. He loved busses from the age of 3 and wanted to check every route. His dad has been on his journey with him. They completed all the system before his 13th birthday, when he would have to start paying for tickets. A fun story.

Some years ago when we lived in London we planned a day for the DGCs with as many forms of transport as possible. We did bus, train, water bus, Docklands Light Railway, tube and cable car. We all loved it!

What a lovely thing to do. A really good example of getting inside the head of a child and going with it. Little cost, but it’s the precious gift of time spent together doing something that he wanted to do.

I used to take my youngest GCs on the bus then on the Metro to go to soft play in town. They loved the bus and ringing the bell. Once at the Metro it was down the lift the hop on. It wasn’t until they were about 3 1/2 that I braved the escalators both up and down. They loved it all and it prompted some interesting discussions. At the same time it was an opportunity to teach them how to behave on public transport. I didn’t get as far as taking them upstairs on the bus as their safety was on my mind. Such lovely times with little ones.

We took our small grandson on a train - the first time he had been on one - and he was excited beyond measure at everything. DH pointed out various railway items along the way, and GS each time turned to me and said 'Look Rosie - that's a signal' - clearly under the impression that Nanny was deaf or daft. The whole carriage was amused, and a delightful hour was had by all; so simple, but a very happy memory from his childhood.

Sweet! I remember being about 6 and going to see my grandparents in London. It was a real treat to go into the city on a bus with my granddad.

How times have changed - it was exciting for our generation to travel in a car, as we mostly had to use the bus, whereas the reverse is now true for our children and grandchildren. The first time I took my 3 year old son on the bus, he was besides himself with excitement and he insisted that we had to go upstairs and sit on the front seats. When we got to town and the bus station (which was the terminus) he refused point blank to get off! Each time I unfurled his little chubby fingers from the chrome bar at the front of the bus, he simply grabbed hold if it with his other hand ? I finally managed to get him off when I explained that we would get on the bus again for the journey home!

It was a lovely day and I am glad we were able to go on Wednesday was warm and sunny because the weather since then has been horrendous.
Tomorrow gs will be going on a train with his parents as we have an historical railway near by. The track is only about 600metres long but they get to go both ways twice. The railway is having its grand reopening tomorrow after Covid but unfortunately we won’t be able to go as we are heading to South Devon for a weeks holiday ( I am hoping for better weather).

Sounds a lovely day and one you will never forget.

I used to take my GS to the local station. We’ d go on the bus, and take a picnic, he would be in his pushchair and we’d go on the platform. The ticket collectors got to know us and let us through. We would stay there about an hour watching trains come and go, and all the people rushing about. He loved it (and so did I)!

EllanVannin

It's so exciting at that age, how lovely that the young chap enjoyed himself so much. It's lovely to hear.

It was magic when I went on a train----years ago when it was steam and the clickety click of the wheels. Belle Vue zoo it was.

My mum still talks about going on a ride on an elephant at Belle Vue when she was young - she’s 89 now with dementia and it is one of her treasured memories! She used to get the tram there from Burnage which was another treat.