Shape Train

Our theme this week is TRAINS! Those of you with little boys would probably be happy if you never saw another toy train - let alone another episode of Thomas or Dinosaur Train - again. But I have girls and while we are drowning in princesses, trains are a rare treat.

This simple train craft is easy to make and reinforces both shapes and color recognition. Simply grab what you already have on-hand: a few sheets of construction paper, scissors, and God's gift to teachers and moms everywhere: a glue stick.

My glue-obsessed girls did a great job building their trains from three rectangles, one square, one triangle, and seven circles.

Of course, that's not the only thing A glued...

and no project of hers is complete without first being turned upside down, scribbled upon, and then torn apart.

My eldest independent-thinker used extra scraps to turn hers into a bustling train, puffing smoke as it races along.

Freight Train by Donald Crews

This Caldecott honor book is perfect for teaching colors to train-loving toddlers. The sparse text on each page describe one of the train cars: "Green cattle car," "blue gondola car," etc. The illustrations are simple, utilizing only six basic colors and shades of black.

This is a great one to buy as a board book for babies and younger toddlers. There are also Spanish editions, for those of you who wish to introduce a new language to your little ones.

I'm linking up to:
- Show & Tell at ABC & 123
- stART @ A Mommy's Adventures