Letter T - Trains: Train Crafts. Train Pretend Play. Trains/Towers Peg Board

I found so many great train ideas. Choose from the following:

Train Craft (Zoo Animals): I've always loved Easton's handprint art, so I thought it would be fun to incorporate it into our train craft today. Easton really loved this craft! Here's what you need:

Large white paper
Black Marker (for the train tracks)
Construction Paper (we used black, blue, purple and yellow)
Washable Tempera Paint (we used blue, brown, yellow and black)
Pom Poms & Clothes Pin (for the train wheels)
Small Goggly Eyes

1. Draw train tracks on a piece of large white paper.
2. Cut out engine and three train carts from construction paper and have child help glue them onto your white paper.
3. Paint child's hand and stamp desired animals onto the train carts - we did an elephant, lion and giraffe at Easton's request.
4. Attach a pom pom into a clothes pin. Dip the pom pom in black paint and stamp your paper to make wheels.
5. Glue on goggly eyes.

Other Train Craft Ideas: For additional train crafts, see the links and pictures below:

Sponge Painting Train from Buggy and Buddy.
Rainbow Train Craft from Bloglovin.
Name Train from Storytime Katie.

Number Train: I LOVE this idea of making a train puzzle by ordering numbers from Tot Schooling.

Train Pretend Play: We have a few train sets, so I thought it would be fun to set up stations and play with all of our train sets today. Below are links and pictures of our favorite train sets:

1) Animal Rescue Train Set (top left): This is Easton's favorite train set we have. It's battery operated and easy for him to handle. We built a lego tower as a tunnel for the train to go through. The original set comes with a tunnel and a few other items.

2) Thomas the Train Set (top right): Easton frequently requests to play with this simple train set. 

3) 100-piece Wooden Train Set (bottom left): My MIL bought this for Easton for Christmas. This is a great set. Lakeshore Learning almost always has discount coupons if you google them online.

4) Tall-Stacker Number Express (bottom right): This is a peg board/number puzzle train that Easton enjoys playing with. It's a little difficult for him to get the pegs in. The peg boards listed next are much better for toddlers.

5) Duplo Number Train (not pictured): I have had my eye on this number train, but haven't bought it yet.

6) Ikea Wooden Train Set (not pictured): This set is only $9.99 and comes with four trains and sixteen track pieces. It's a great starter train set.

Trains/Towers Peg Board: I taught preschool a few years ago, and we used similar peg boards often. I taught Easton how to make trains (horizontal pegs) and towers (vertical pegs) today. This set is so great for toddlers! Make sure to place the pegs in the board beforehand, so the holes are stretched out. Pegs are a great learning resource for so many things:

1) Fine Motor Skills

2) Colors (What color is this train? Can you make a red tower? Let's make a red and blue tower.) 

3) Counting (Can you make a train with three pegs? How many pegs are in this tower?)

4) Sizing (Which tower is the tallest? Which train is the shortest?) 

5) Patterns (Blue, Red, Blue, Red. Which color comes next in our tower?)

6) Matching (Look what tower I built, Can you build a matching tower?) Here's a link for Pegboard Activity Cards.