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TRAIN THEME

CRAFTS:

Egg Carton Train
Supplies: bottom half of egg carton, scissors, glue, empty spool (one per child), toilet paper tube (1 per child, black construction paper. small paper cup to trace, chalk, black and red paint
Cut the bottom of an egg carton in half lengthwise and give one half to each child. Have each child glue a toilet paper tube on top of their first egg cup and a spool on top of their last. Have them paint the spool and the adjourning egg cup red. this is the caboose. Have thempain the rest of the egg carton black and let dry. Using the small paper cup, trace ten circles on the black construction paper. Cut these out to be wheels. Glue five wheels on each side of the the train.

Milk Carton Caboose
Rinse out milk carton (pint, quart, or half gallon). Press the top flap down and tape shut. Use white paper and tape to wrap the carton. Cut four circles from cardboard and cover the circles with foil. Glue these onto the sides of the carton for wheels. Use markers to add windows and doors to the train.

Shoe Box Trains
Have children paint and decorate shoe boxes. Add two wheels on each side of each shoe box. String them together. Sort toy trains by type, color, size, etc. Sort pictures (stickers on cards) of trains.

GAMES & ACTIVITIES:

Train Cars
Use one large cardboard box per child. Cut top and bottom off. Make
shoulder straps from heavy ribbon. Let them paint their own train cars. Use small painted paper plates for the wheels. Line them up and let them march and sing "Workin on the railroad."

Zoo Train
Make a Zoo Train out of small milk carton or other boxes. Label the cars #1, #2, etc. and put one animal in car #1, two in car #2, and so on. For homework, have the children each bring in a box car of a train & something for it to carry. Then, hook the train up (I used strings with paper clips
tied at each end) and have the children chant "I think I can" while you pull the train. Sing Hap Palmer's song, "Clickity Clack" substituting the items that the children put in their box cars in the appropriate place.
 

SONGS:

Down By The Station
Down by the station
Early in the morning,
See the little pufferbillies
All in a row.
See the station master
Pull a little handle.
Chug, chug, Toot, toot.
Off we go!

Little Red Caboose
Little red caboose, Little red caboose,
Little red caboose behind the train, train,
Smokestack on his back, Going down the track,
Little red caboose behind the train, train.
 
 

STORIES:

Have any good stories? Let us know!
 

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:

Marshmallow Trains
Use pretzel sticks to hook the "cars" together and use peanut butter to glue cheerios on as wheels and other features.

Twinkie Trains
Take one twinkie and 6 vanilla wafers. Use those decorator gels in the tubes(or you can use cream cheese to glue the wheels on) and have the kids decorate the twinkies then "glue" the wheels on the sides. Use a marshmallow for the smoke stack.

TIPS/NOTES: