The Little Engineer and I started making books together at about the same time he began speaking in sentences. Sometimes I write down a particularly popular bedtime story I've come up with (usually with his help, because he likes to take over the story!). But I especially love to help him write ...
Pipe Cleaner Trees for Wooden Train Layouts
Trees are a classic component of wooden toy train sets. But as much as I love the cute little wooden trees we've collected, most of them are barely three-dimensional, just a simplified outline of a tree given enough depth to stand up. Generally painted a single shade of green, there's no texture ...
Exploring the Art of Steam Train, Dream Train (Part 2)
After we did this train art project, the Little Engineer and I were sitting in Snuffleupagus, our mammoth Japanese lace leaf maple tree. He just discovered this quiet, secret world this spring, and I'm grateful he invites me in with him to sit on the twisted, sturdy branches. Surrounded by ...
Train Reading Game: Railroad Word Crash
While I was taking photos for Word Family Freight Yard, my guest post on Train Up a Child, the Little Engineer was not entirely enthused about doing the activity. While we had happily played this train reading game together in the past, this time he wanted to use his regular wooden train freight, ...
Exploring the Art of Steam Train, Dream Train (Part 1)
While searching for train books on Amazon for the eight-hundred-and-seventy-sixth time, I spotted Steam Train, Dream Train. Just from the thumbnail, I was drawn in by the cover art. When I clicked to take a closer look, I knew why. It turned out Steam Train, Dream Train is the new book by ...
Playing Along with Blue Mountain Mystery
If you've read my other posts, you may have noticed that the Little Engineer and I enjoy playing out stories from the books we read. The same goes for videos and games. The Little Engineer doesn't ask to watch a lot of TV, and while he loves certain games on our iPad, he generally prefers to play ...
Puzzle Train Ticket Mix-up — Read & Play Trains
When I talk to the Little Engineer about how this is "our train blog," those are not just empty words. I try to involve him in every aspect of the blog that I can. When he looks over my shoulder and sees Google Analytics up on my browser, he asks, "How many people came to our train blog today?" ...
The Caboose Who Got Loose: Train Book Review & Play
Sometimes, I put a lot of effort into helping the Little Engineer bring a book to life. Most of the time, however, the transition from book to play is unplanned and effortless. Recently, we read The Caboose Who Got Loose by Bill Peet again. In a longish narrative (by today's standards, not that ...
Angry Birds Space Letter and Word Crash with Thomas and Cranky
One of our favorite elements to add to train play is light. We have a tub full of various LED lights to play "Night Train" with, and I'll have to tell you all about them another time. Today, we have something a little more...epic to play. It started when I came across Caution! Twins at Play's ...
Toddler Train Track @ IKEA
If you're anything like me, you'll look at this picture and see a aid for visualizing the shape and size of rugs. At least, that's how I used to see this sight every time I pushed the cart through IKEA. Fortunately, I have the Little Engineer around to see things with different eyes. Eyes that ...
Our Play Date at the Seattle Monorail
We had been inside the Seattle Monorail's Red Train for five or ten minutes already when it seemed to sink in for the Little Engineer. He picked up his best buddy, Meekat, from where the he had been sitting next to Monorail Bunny on a seat and lifted the meerkat above his head, beaming upward in ...
“Dice Cars”: the Little Engineer’s Favorite Train Math Game
I have this theory that trains can be used to teach any subject. This seems especially true for math. I keep thinking up new train math games myself, finding new commercial train games with a math element, and running into new ideas online. But there is one and only one train math game that has ...
Rescuing Toy Trains from Ice
I can't think of a better motivator for a little train lover to put on a thinking cap than to see a collection of toy trains, trapped in ice and in desperate need of rescue. Especially if the toy trains are new, never-before-seen ones, like they were for the Little Engineer when we did this last ...
Snow Trains: Seven Ideas for Bringing Snow into Train Play
We haven't gotten any snow yet this year, much to the Little Engineer's disappointment. But that hasn't stopped us from playing trains in the snow all winter. We've combined snow and trains in our play off and on through every season. It's always a popular element. It taps into one of the ...
Because I Love Mama…
The Little Engineer has been very loving of late. After closing circle time at preschool, he's been choosing the heart stamp "because I love Mama." Anything with hearts goes to me, usually with a similar statement of affection. And when we went out shopping recently, he was telling me he loved me ...
United Northwest Model Railroad Club’s Annual Model Railroad Show
If you live in the Seattle area, you might want to make plans to visit the United Northwest Model Railroad Club's annual model railroad show this coming weekend. The show runs February 2-3, 2013, at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe, WA. In addition to the cool model train layouts, the ...
Classical Train Music: Encouraging a Child’s Love of Music
Affiliate links are included below for your convenience. When the Little Engineer was tiny, the days turned into weeks, then months, and I never remembered to do some of the things I had planned to do with my baby. One of those was to surround him with the music we loved in the hope that he'd ...
The Pacific Science Center’s 39th Annual Model Railroad Show
The 39th Annual Model Railroad Show at the Pacific Science Center is almost here again! It runs from January 19th to 21st, 2013. Read all about our fun time at the show last year. We can't wait to go again next weekend! Our son had an absolutely wonderful time last year, and so did all of us ...
“Train Song” by Charlie Hope – Train Music for Children
When I heard the music accompanying the video below, "Train Song," I knew I had to track it down. I loved the simple but poetic lyrics and the way you can hear the train coming closer and closer through the song. And I especially loved how the joy in the chorus mixes with the mournful notes of a ...
The TNW Model Railroad Show and Swap Meet
We attended the TNW Model Railroad Show and Swap Meet at Freighthouse Square in Tacoma, Washington, on May 19th. And by "we," I mean the Little Engineer, his parents, his aunt, all four of his grandparents, and his great grandma. Never let it be said that he isn't well-supported in his train ...
Mockingbird Books – Train Tables in Seattle
One day, when we had nothing better to do, the Little Engineer and I decided to find a new train table to go play at. Our living room floor may be covered in track, but a train table at a bookstore or toy store has its own special magic. Even when it's the same standardized layout, over and ...
Hi, I'm Jessica! While playing trains for the last several years, my Little Engineer and I have had a lot of fun and learned so much together. I'm excited to share our discoveries with other people who have kids who love trains in their lives.