Train Birthday Party

Invitation:
All Aboard...
to celebrate ___'s Birthday!
Inside:
Name of "Station" Your Name
Please meet at Track # "street address"
Date:
Time:
RSVP: To the Station Master

Dress the birthday boy/girl like an Engineer and welcome each guest with an engineers hat, bandana or whistle.

Decorations:
Red and Black balloons and streamers.
Draw tracks (with Chalk) up to the front door or entrance.
Sign on front door: "________" Station, Track #--- through the entrance.

Cover your table with a white sheet or table cloth. Make train tracks with black construction paper or streamers running down the middle of the table. Place a toy train on the track.


Two cake options...
Complex:
Make a train cake with 5 pound cakes and different colored frostings. 3 cakes will be a train cars and two will be used for the engine. Cut a triangle and some squares from one of the cakes. Attach with frosting to another pound cake to form the train engine. Frost with Chocolate or blue frosting. Add cookies and shoe string licorice for the wheels.

An easier option is to Make a Sheet cake...Use shoestring licorice for a track and a toy train on top.

If you are planning to serve lunch, serve simple sandwiches cut with a train cookie cutter and a plate of fresh fruit and veggies.

Party Favors:
A Golden book of the
Thomas the Tank Engine Book.
Maybe some train stickers and a
choo- choo- whistle as well.

Game and Activity options...
Select two or three activities.
Young children there should always be free play activities to
start with. This keeps them focused while all of the guests arrive.
We call these Party Stations. A mat with wooden Brio type trains, Coo-choo coloring books and crayons Play-dough, Duplo Blocks and puzzles work well. You may want to have an adult at each station. Station time should last about 15-20 minutes and then on to the group games.

Craft Activity: Make your own sticker train
You will need to make the sticker paper a night
or two before the party. This is a recipe for you to make the adhesive for your own lick and stick stickers.

1 packet (1/4 ounce) unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon cold water
3 tablespoons boiling water
1/2 teaspoon white corn syrup or sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon or vanilla extract

In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin into cold water.
Let soften for 5 minutes. Pour boiling water into softened
gelatin and stir until dissolved. Add corn syrup or sugar
and extract. Mix well.

Brush the gum thinly on the back of the paper. I find that it works better if you do a whole sheet and then cut after it's dried. The page will curl up but after it has dried you can press it under something heavy such as the phone book. Pre-cut train
cars for the kids to use or older children can cut their own.
Just moisten the sticker and apply to paper.

Choo choo Course:
Use several packing boxes, one per child and decorate them to look like train cars. Play train music and have the kids line up to the 'command' "All Aboard". They will play follow the leader pretending to be a train. Make train noises and movements. Have obstacles set up for them to go around, through and under. Also, use this method, to get them from one area of the party to another...i.e. activities, presents/goodie bags and cake
Play music and let the kids ride the course.

Bean Bag Toss:
Make a train out of shoe boxes.
The children take turns with three bean bags
trying to get them into the boxes.

Musical "Train Cars":
Play train music and have the kids climb into a car when the music stops. We don't recommend traditional competitive play for young train lovers...there should be enough boxes for all of the children.

The Conductor Says
instead of Simon Says

Find the Train:
You need a lot of string or colored yarn and enough small trains for everyone. Fasten a string to each of the toy trains. Hide them in various places in a room, winding the string around furniture and banisters as you go. Each person is given the end of a string and must untangle it to find her prize. Each child who finishes can help the others find their prizes.
Candy trains work well for this game. See the photo at the top.
You'll need candy, gum and a low temp glue gun to complete the project.

End the Party with quiet story time of The Little Engine That Could or another favorite story.

This party plan from: AmazingMoms.com

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