Create holiday magic this winter through this easy Christmas train invitation to play. No special materials needed!
This week, we read The Polar Express
Creating Our Christmas Train
All four kids worked together to create a track that went all the way around our tree. They were able to use up all but a couple pieces of track! We have one small Brio train set that I was sent to review years ago. The rest of our trains and tracks come from IKEA. The Brio set is clearly superior quality, but the much more affordable IKEA sets still work pretty well.
I have our train tracks mixed in with the wooden blocks. Soon the kids were using the wooden blocks to build houses, schools, and other structures. Most of our blocks come from this Melissa and Doug block set, but there others I found at yard sales when Emma and Johnny were small.
Four-year-old Anna and seven-year-old Lily spent HOURS playing on this train track after we built it. We put it together in the morning, and they were still playing after dinner.
I see our Christmas tree as a very special toy we get to have in the house for one month of the year. Adding the track adds another layer to my children’s enjoyment of the tree.
Unlike model trains, which are set up and stay put together, I think we will see a lot of evolution on this track and its surrounding decor between now and Christmas. Especially since we will have to use at least part of the living room rug for other things between now and December 25th.
More Train Themed Learning Fun for Kids
The Polar Express was this week’s pick for the Virtual Book Club for Kids. As always, my co-hosts came up with fun train-themed learning activities to go along with this book! I also recommend Silver Packages: An Appalachian Christmas Story as an alternate picture book to go with this theme.
Train Themed Literacy Activities
Polar Express Train Track Letter Puzzle from Adventures of Adam
Beginning Letter Sounds Train Ride from Rainy Day Mum
Spell My Name On a Train from Powerful Mothering
Train Themed Math Activities
Polar Express Jingle Bell Count from JDaniel4’s Mom
Train Shapes from Craft Create Calm
Geometric Shapes Train from Mama Smiles
Sensory Train Activities
Trains & Magnets Sensory Bin from Preschool Powol Packets
Painting with Trains from Views from a Step Stool
Train Cake from Mama Smiles
Active Train Activities
Train Ride Yoga from My Storytime Corner
THE 2016-17 VIRTUAL BOOK CLUB FOR KIDS
Click on the image above to see all of the themes, books, and activities for this year’s 2016-17 Virtual Book Club for Kids! I am updating the page as new posts go live.
Do you know of another fun train themed learning activity we should try? How about another book we need to read? Let me know in the comments. You can also share photos on my Facebook page, or tag me on Instagram. Sign up for my newsletter to receive kids activities, crafts, and parenting tips in your inbox every week.
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