Name Train

Combining a nice train craft with developing name writing skills.

The train set up.

What you need:

- long piece of paper (I used the large IKEA roll)

- draw and cut out a train and carriages on different coloured paper (I kept the shapes very basic!)

- photo of your child

- glue stick

- circle stickers

- marker pen

Step 1: Building the train

Firstly I told my son that we were going to build a big colourful train. I let him arrange all of the carriages on the large piece of white paper and I helped him to stick them down. As we were doing this I asked him simple questions like 'what colour is this carriage?' and 'how many carriages does your train have?'. We also stuck on a passport photo so that he could be the driver of the train.

Next I asked him to use the circle stickers to give his train and carriages wheels. Being the train geek that he is, my son insisted on adding some connecting rods as well.

Building the train.

Step 2: Naming the train

On each carriage I dotted out the letters to my son's name in black marker. I also provided him with his name written on paper to help him copy the letters. My son connected the dots on each carriage to make write the letters in his name. As he formed each letter we would repeat it verbally.

Naming the train.

End Product

My son did a great job carefully forming the letters and spent the next 15 minutes driving his train around the house. It inevitably got rather crumpled but it was in tact enough to stick up in his bedroom. Before bedtime I ask him to tell me the colour of each carriage and the letter that he wrote on it.

Putting the final touches to his name train.