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How We Travel to School Bar Graph

📊 Reading Bar GraphsAge 6-8EasyTransport🇺🇸 1st–2nd Grade🇬🇧 Year 2–3🇦🇺 Year 1–2🇮🇳 Class 1–2📐 2.MD.D.10📐 3.MD.B.3

Next: Pets in Our Street Bar Graph →

Every morning, children reach school in different ways. Some walk with a friend, some ride a bicycle, and some come by school bus. In this free activity for kids, a class of children was asked how they travel to school, and the answers were turned into a colourful bar graph.

Your child looks at the bars, reads the numbers, and answers simple questions about which way is the most popular and which is the least. It is an easy, friendly way to practise counting, comparing and data handling.

How to play

  1. Look at the graph title and the picture labels under each bar so you know what was counted.
  2. Follow the top of each bar across to the number line to find its value.
  3. Compare the bars to see which is tallest and which is shortest.
  4. Answer each question, then check by counting the bars again.

This activity builds early data handling skills that children use right through school. By reading each bar against the number scale, your child practises careful counting, number recognition and the language of comparison - more than, fewer than, most and least. Answering the questions also encourages simple addition and subtraction, such as finding how many more children take the bus than the car. Because the topic is everyday travel, children can link the graph to their own journey to school, which makes the maths feel real. You can extend the learning by surveying family or friends and drawing a new bar graph together on paper.

Frequently asked questions

What age is this bar graph activity suitable for?
It works best for children aged 6 to 8, who are starting to read graphs in Class 1 to Class 3. Younger children can join in with an adult reading the questions aloud, while older children can add their own survey questions.
How do I explain a bar graph to my child?
Say that each bar stands for one group, and the taller the bar, the more children chose it. Show how to run a finger from the top of a bar across to the number line to read the exact value, then compare two bars side by side.
Can I print this activity for classroom use?
Yes. The bar graph and questions are free to print and use at home or in class. Many teachers print one copy per child for maths practice, or display it on a screen and discuss the answers together as a whole group.
What maths skills does reading bar graphs teach?
Children practise counting, reading a number scale, comparing quantities and simple addition and subtraction. They also learn to pull information from a picture, which supports reasoning and word-problem skills in later classes.

More reading bar graphs

📊 Pets in Our Street Bar Graph📊 Reading Bar Graphs · Age 8-10 📊 Favourite Fruits Bar Graph📊 Reading Bar Graphs · Age 6-8

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Updated 5 Nov 2026