278

Thomas Tank Engine -4yr- Island of Sodor

April 2003

Tina in Overland Park, Kansas USA

Honorable Mention

My son Alexander LOVES Thomas the Train, so for his 4th Birthday we had a train party.

For the invitations, I made boarding passes on the computer.  On one side it said "All Aboard" and on the back it read: Now Boarding to celebrate Alexander's 4th Birthday!  Leaving from the Miller Station on Track # (our address), Departure date and Time(date and time of party) and Please RSVP to Sir Topham Hatt(our phone number).

For the party, I turned our living room into a railroad.  On the front door was a sign that said "Island of Sodor" and I had made train tracks around the room with black electrical tape.  Alexanders grandfather made two railroad crossing signs out of pvc piping and wood that stood at two crossings in the room.

When the kids arrived, they each had their own train that they were to decorate while waiting for everyone to arrive.  I made each child a train out of boxes that I had spray painted blue and had glued black plates on as wheels and had made straps out of felt that I attached with Velcro.  Each child got to add their own personal touch with stickers and markers and then they each put on the train and lined up to visit the train stations.

Alexander's grandfather dressed up as Sir Topham Hatt (complete with top hat and tails) and was responsible for leading the trains around the room to the train stations where there was a game to be played. 

The first station was Wellsworth Station where they played "Pin the bee on James's nose".  I printed a picture of James off of the internet and had it blown up and glued it to poster board.  I found bee stickers and each child was blindfolded and then had to get the bee on James's nose. 

Each child received an engineer’s hat as a prize (ordered from Birthday Express).  All of the trains then moved on to Tidmouth Bay where they played a train bean bag toss game.  I had made two wooden box cars and used a train piñata as the engine.  Each child threw 3 bean bags into the cars. 

As a prize, they each received red bandanas to add to their outfits.  The trains then moved to the last game which was The Docks.  I hung a blue plastic tablecloth between a door way and glued some paper fish on it and had each child us a wooden fishing pole to "fish" for a prize.  This prize was a wooden Thomas the Tank engine train whistle. 

By now each child was outfitted as a little engineer and they kept going around and around the room as trains.

They took a break for lunch and we had basic party fare of hotdogs, chips, fruit and juice boxes for the kids and chicken salad croissants for the parents and of course a huge Thomas the Tank Engine cake. 

After, the feast, everyone enjoyed breaking open a train piñata.  During the whole party, I had a Thomas CD playing in the background to set the mood and we had a Thomas play hut set up in the middle of the tracks, so the kids could also ride in him. 

As each child was leaving, they received a back pack with a personalized wooden train name tag that I had painted and of course the hat, bandana, whistle and candy.  This party was a HUGE success, and I received many compliments from the parents. The kids really enjoyed being a train for a day!

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