Kids Corner
We want to hear what you have to say!
Port Authority understands how important it is to include youth in the NEXTransit planning process. As the next generation of potential transit users, today’s youth will be the ones who benefit the most from the 25-year NEXTransit Plan. The Kids Corner is set up to allow kids to express their thoughts on transit, as well as educating them on the way transit works and why it is important. With the help of you, their parents and guardians, we hope to engage the next generation of Pittsburghers, educate them on where we are right now, and have them envision where we need to go.
Check out below our various age-appropriate interactive activities, contests, and educational worksheets.
Meet the Transit Friends!
Buddy
Hello! My name’s Buddy and I’m a bus. I help people get from one place to another via the roads. Port Authority of Allegheny County operates 700 buses in their service area! I have lots of friends out there on our roads every day! You probably see them all the time!
Tina
I’m Tina, and i’m a light rail train—you probably know it better as “the T!” Many trains are big and carry lots of separate cars that hold cargo such as coal, but my job is to move lots of people! I move using electricity as part of the light rail system and have stations that are just for me!
Monty
Hi! I’m Monty the Incline! An Incline is a rail car that moves up and down a steep hillside, and that’s what I am! Pittsburgh has a lot of steep slopes, so I am very busy! I guess you could say I’m famous—people come from all over to see me! I like helping people connect with my friends Buddy and Tina!
Time to create with NEXTransit!
Explore below to find our NEXTransit activities featuring the Transit Friends characters. We have coloring sheets and mazes to try. We encourage you to share with your friends and upload your finished masterpieces to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Just use the #NEXTransit and #PGHtransit tags when you do*!
We thank you in advance for your participation in the NEXTransit kids corner activities. We hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoyed creating them!
This activity is appropriate for ages 3 and up. Published 5/18/20
* By downloading and participating in the NEXTransit Kids Corner activities you give your consent for any products produced to be used by Port Authority for advertisement, marketing, or other purposes for the NEXTransit project.
A box of crayons
Pick an activity!
Coloring!
No matter your age, it’s fun to color! Color inside the lines (if that’s your thing), or be a free spirit and let your imagination run wild! Show your creative side and share your creations with us! Remember to draw someone next to Buddy!
Commuter Maze
People everywhere have lots of places they need to go. Can you help the people in this maze find their way? Having a transit system that is easy to use is one of the goals of this plan, so this is good practice for all you young planners out there!
Bus Maze
If you have ever looked at a map of Pittsburgh, it sort of looks like a maze. Buses in our area use a lot of twisty-turny, winding streets—just like this maze! Find your way from the back of the bus to the front if you can! Try the easy one first, then see if you can do the hard one!
Transit Town
Congratulations, you’re the new mayor!
First order of business is to name the bus stations. The bottom left is your start, and at the top is the last stop for your favorite place. All you have to do is name all the transit stations on the way there, then draw your favorite place and label it! If you have a printer all you need is something to write with, but no printer, no problem! You can also draw the route on a separate piece of paper and name the stations! When you’re done with your map share it with us with #NEXTkidsPGH #NEXTransit #PGHtransit"
Tic-Tac-GO!
Enjoy a fun game of Tic-Tac-Toe with our transit friends! Simply print out the game board and cut out the Buddy Bus and Tina T game pieces. Have fun!
Transit Friends Board Game
This fun game can be played with 2-4 players. It comes with printable game pieces, or you can use your favorite from another game!
Calming coloring for all ages!
Download our neighborhood coloring sheets and take some time to relax and color in the neighborhood. Check back each Friday for a new neighborhood coloring map.
Oakland
Northside
Wilkinsburg
Learn More About Transit
The best way to learn about anything is through books! We have put together a list of awesome books that will teach children about transit. Check with our friends over at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh to get your copies!
Ages 0-3:
Indestructibles: Things that Go!, by Amy Pixton & Stephan Lomp
Vroom & Zoom: Things That Go Flip-a-Flap, by Rose Partridge
Ages 3-5:
Hop On That Bus, Gus, Inspired by The Kaine Family Dog
100 Words on the Go, by Redd Byrd
Charlie Rides, by Bob Bianchini
Ages 5-9:
Underground, by David Macauley
The Way Downtown, by Inna Gertberg