Steam Train, Dream Train by Sherri Duskey Rinker

This book has a bit of a Toy Story vibe to it, with toys coming to life and loading a toy train up over night. It is fun and lyrical to read, looks beautiful and kids adore it. It also gave us loads of ideas for play activities, which is a bonus!
Scroll down for:
​⚈​ 1 Play ideas  ⚈​ 2 Classroom Activities  ⚈​ 3 Links to more Resources
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Get your hands on this book here:
Invitation to play - Age 1+

If you have a train loving child, there is high chance that you have a train set.  Try leaving the book out with the train set and some characters from inside it, riding the train. Try to recreate some of the pages if you can and then just let your little one explore!

Read about when we originally shared it on Instagram - HERE
Ball play - Age 1+
Each page of this book offers great inspiration for play. Try reading the page of the book where they load a ton of balls onto the train. Then present your little one with as many balls as you can find. An old box can be emptied and filled with the balls (they love the 'emptying' part, don't they?). It can also act as a target to throw in to. Stuffed animals can also be put to bed in it. Let your little ones take the lead and have some fun bouncing, rolling and throwing.

Read about when we originally shared it on Instagram​ - HERE

​Counting cargo - Age 2+
Old tissue boxes work really well as train cars. Try labeling them each with numbers. Using an object that you have many of, (we used balls from a den building kit) count out each value and place inside each train car. So one inside '1' and two inside '2' and so forth. This helps children visualise the actual value behind the number. 
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Read about when we originally shared it on Instagram -  HERE
Ball toss train - Age 2+
Old cardboard boxes are a favourite in our house.  ​​They are easy to make into anything you have the patience to build and can be destroyed by rambunctious children then tossed in recycling. Try making a train they can climb inside or just a 2D shape with holes in it for a ball toss. You can label the holes with numbers or letters and say them as you go along.

Read about when we originally shared it on Instagram - HERE
Train track alphabet - Age 4+

​This ease of this activity depends on the variety of your train track set! Challenge kids to make a letter shape out of their tracks. It seems to work better with smaller track pieces. Kids can have fun making letter sound choo-choos as they drive their trains around their letters. 

Read about when we originally shared it on Instagram - HERE
Toy get-together - Age 2+
Since this story makes us believe in toys playing around at night time, why not set up some of your kids' toys in some unusual situations? Have them reading books to each other or eating snacks in the kitchen. Elf on the shelf provides a lot of good ideas for this activity. When kids find them in the morning, act just as surprised as they are!

 Read about when we originally shared it on Instagram - HERE
  • Write a story about what your own toys would get up to at night, based on what is in your room
  • Create a picture of what your ideal train carriage would look like (mine would be similar to the ice cream carriage from the story!)
  • Work out the maths of train journeys to certain locations
  • Imagine your own a train line and write a list of rules for appropriate behaviour 
  • Write to your local train authority with your request (...for more stations or upgraded trains or ??)
  • Compare more books by the same author (she wrote the Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site series)
The publishers, Chronicle Books, has a lovely little book trailer on Youtube:
Click below for other books and activities about trains: