Train Buffet

This morning we set up a train buffet for morning snack. Before the children arrived, I used painters tape to make a train track around one of our classroom tables. 

 When it was time to eat, I set out different snacks in bowls around the the track. We told the children that these were stations where they could load their trains. 

 For the trains, I cut the tops off of several egg cartons and cut the bottoms in half lengthwise. When it was time to eat, we gave each child a section of egg carton and showed them how to chug around the track, stop at each station, and load their train with food. 

 The children enjoyed this so much that snack time went on for over half an hour as they returned to the train buffet for seconds and thirds. It was such a big hit that I think we will have to do it again tomorrow!

Train Whistles

These can be made with recycled items that you probably have laying around the house. 

For each whistle, we used:

- 1 toilet paper tube or 1/2 of a paper towel tube 

- 1 small square of wax paper

-1 rubber band

The children decorated their paper towel rolls with markers. When they were finished, I poked a small hole near one end of the roll with scissors. 

We used the rubber band to secure the waxed paper to the same end of the roll that I had poked a hole in. 

We hummed and tooted into the open end of the whistle to make a kazoo sort of noise. We lined up our classroom chairs to make a train and went for a ride while blowing on our new whistles. Just beware, these toys can be loud, especially when a room full of happy children are using them. 

Sailboats

After reading Sail Away by Donald Crews, we made these simple sailboats.

For each sailboat we used:

- one paper plate

- one drinking straw

- one 9" by 6" piece of paper 

- a small lump of air dry clay

First, we poked a hole at each end of the piece of paper and pushed the straw through the holes to make the sail. 

 Then we put the lump of clay in the center of the plate and stuck the sail in it. 

 We didn't wait for the clay to dry because the sails were standing up pretty sturdily and because we were anxious to sail our boats. 

Our sensory table is too small for sailing boats this big so we brought in the wading pool that we use for water play in the summer. 

 I gave each child a straw and showed them how to blow through it to make wind so that the boats would sail. 

 We had lots of fun sailing our boats and even gave our little people a ride. 

Later, we put a plastic plate in the water and put all of the little people on it to see if it would sink. 

 It didn't sink so we added more toys to see how many it would hold...

...until it capsized.