Crafts & Activities
Songs, Finger Plays & Nursery Rhymes
Books, Videos, Music 
 

Also see:  Transportation Theme

Crafts & Activities

Egg Carton Trains
Give each child a 6-cup section of a cardboard egg carton.  Paint the front egg cup red and train cars either red or other colors.  Allow to dry.  Paint a single cup black. Turn egg carton half so that the empty cups are facing up.  Have them glue the black cup on top of the front cup (engine) to represent the smoke stack (upside down).  Add buttons or felt circles for wheels. 
 
 

Songs, Finger Plays, Nursery Rhymes

Choo Choo Train (finger play)
This is a choo-choo train,
   Bend arms at elbows.
Puffing down the track.
  Rotate forearms in rhythm.
Now it's going forward,
  Push arms forward; continue rotating motion.
Now it's going back.
   Pull arms back; continue rotating motion.
Now the bell i sringing,
   Pull bell cord with closed fist.
Now the whistle blows.
   Hold fist near mouth and blow.
What a lot of noise it makes,
   Cover ears with hand.
Everywhere it goes.

Engine Engine Number 9
Chug shoulders and arms in rhythm.  Repeat singing faster, then repeat singing slower.  After the first verse, hold thumb up and toot your whistle three times. 

Engine, engine, number 9,
Coming down the Vancouver line.
If the train goes off the track,
Do you want your money back.
Yes, no, maybe so.

I've Been Working On The Railroad
I've been working on the railroad,
All the live-long day.
I've been working on the railroad,
Just to pass the time away.
Can't you hear the whistle blowing,
Rise up so early in the morn,
Can't you hear the captain shouting,
"Dinah, blow your horn."

Dinah, won't you blow,
Dinah, won't you blow,
Dinah, won't you blow, your horn?
Dinah, won't you blow,
Dinah, won't you blow,
Dinah, won't you blow, your horn.

Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah,
Someone's in the kitchen, I know,
Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah,
Strummin; on the old banjo.

Singing
Fee-fi-fiddle-ee-i-o,
Fee-fi-fiddle-ee-i-o-o-o-o
Fee-fi-fiddle-ee-i-o,
Strummin' on the old banjo.
 

Engine on the Track
Here is the engine on the track (hold up thumb )
Here is the coal car, just in back (hold up pointer finger)
Here is the box car to carry freight (hold up middle finger)
Here is the mail car. Don't be late. (hold up ring finger)
Way back here at the end of the train. (hold up little finger
Rides the caboose through the sun and rain. 

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!

I'm a Little Red Train (Jean Warren)
  Sung to "I'm a Little White Duck"
I'm a little red train
Chugging down the track,
A little red train
Going up and back.

I travel all day
Going round and round,
Taking goods from town to town.

I'm a little red train 
Going down the track
Chug -- Chug  -- Chug.
 
 

Books, Videos, Music

BOOKS:

The Train by David McPhail
The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
Train Song by Diane Siebert
Freight Train by Donald Crews
Trains by Gail Gibbons
Train Whistles by Helen Roney Sattler

VIDEOS/MUSIC:

Engine Engine Number 9 - on "Songs and Games for Toddlers" cassette by Bob McGrath and Katherine Smithrim.

I've Been Working on the Railroad - on "Raffi's More Singable Songs" cassette.  Words and music are in The Raffi Singable Songbook.