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Thomas Tank Engine -3yr- Pin Bee on James

March 2008

Tammy in Kaukauna, WI, USA

Special Mention

I planned a Thomas the Tank Engine Birthday for my son's 3rd birthday. We invited friends & relatives to the birthday so we have about 8 kids ranging from 2yr to age 9yrs plus several adults.

INVITATIONS: The invitations were in the shape of a ticket printed on cardstock.  I downloaded a ticket template from the internet and used Microsoft Paint to edit it. When finished- It said All Aboard Date; (name) 3rd Birthday; SODOR TRAIN STATION:  (our address); ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE:   2 P.M.* Section: Party   Row: (fill in) Seat: (fill in). Each family was placed in a separate row A-F and seat numbers corresponded to the number of people in their family 4 people seats 1-4. In smaller print at the bottom: *Games start at 3pm Dining Car Opens at 5pm; Tickets are non-refundable. In the corner was a picture of James that I scanned from a coloring sheet and used Microsoft Paint to color.

DECORATIONS:  I put up R/R crossing signs I made from clip art and placed them throughout the house and on our front door.  On the driveway, I took sidewalk chalk to make a train track up to the front door. We have an arched window near our door so we put up letter above it that said TICKETS and hung a pouch with tickets in it. Our party was in our basement since it is cold outside. Our basement flooring is 2x2 foam mats from Sam’s Club  so I took white sidewalk chalk and drew tracks all around the room and decorated the ceiling with Black and Yellow streamers.

GAMES: We planned games to keep the kids busy for about 2 hrs. All the games were no tears everyone was a winner and everyone left with a smile! When the kids were beginning to arrive we had coloring sheets to color on printed from www.thomasandfriends.com  in the birthday party activities section. I also had a video playing from the library Firefighter George and super steam trains.

(1) The kids had to go to the ticket window and get a train ticket. They came back and traded in a ticket for a slip of paper that had a number on it. There were chairs lined up with numbers taped on the chair back. The kids matched the number on the slip of paper to the number on the chair and sat in their chairs. I gave them each a conductor's party hat (Toys R Us) and we started to watch a movie about trains also from the library The alphabet train we watched until we got to letter E (about 10-15mins).

(2)Loading Dock, I arranged the chairs in a circle and they passed a package around that I wrapped in brown paper grocery bags in 8 layers. I started the Thomas theme song which was on the Thomas' train yard tracks CD, I got from the library. When I stopped the music;  the person holding the package un-wrapped a layer. They all got a turn. Inside were packages of train shaped fruit snacks which the we passed out to everyone.

(3): We all sat in a circle on the floor to eat our fruit snacks while I read  James goes Buzz Buzz.

(4) I printed out a picture of James from the Thomas and Friends Website and laminated it. I had bees which I made from clip art and we played --Pin the bee on James nose.

(5) Craft: The kids made train faces. Each child had 2 sheets of colored paper and I punched a hole in the top of each sheet on each side. I tied 2 strings to connect the sheets together. So It was like a smock (the strings went over their shoulders and one colored paper was over their tummies and the other on their back) The kids took Grey/Silver paper plates that you find at a party store. The kids pasted large Googly eyes, noses (Round (like James) or Triangle (like Edward) and mouths (happy or sad) which I had drawn on paper and pre-cut on their plates.  Then we glued the paper plates to the colored paper that was over their tummies so they looked like Thomas friends.

(6) The kids lined up and we played Sir Topem Hat says with various instructions, go slow, go fast, whistle, go to sleep, say chug-a-chug-a etc.

(7) Then they formed a train and ran around the train tracks I had made on the basement floor to the song  Locomotion. As they ran around they grabbed an adult to join in on the train until we had all the kids and adults doing the locomotion!! We all had a blast.

(8) I led the train over to a box I decorated like the troublesome trucks. The trucks had spilled Easter eggs all over the place. (Easter was the day after this party) The kids had to find all the plastic Easter eggs hidden around the room and put them in the Troublesome Trucks.

(9) Last the kids, help Salty down at the docks. I took a baby gate and covered it with a blue table cloth. The kids took a fishing pole- I made from a wrapping paper tube and attached a string and a clip to the end. They each got a treat bag with candy, Thomas tattoos and stickers in it. 

MOVIE: While I set out the food the kids played with other toys or watched the rest of the Alphabet Train which we kept running through supper.

FOOD:  We had Choo-Choo Chili and train shaped sub-sandwiches. I took French bread and cut about 3 inches off one end and set aside. Then I filled half with ham and half with turkey. I sliced the subs into 3 inch pieces I took sliced cucumbers and attached them to the sandwiches with toothpicks for wheels.  Near one end I stacked several cucumbers up for the smoke stack and secured with a toothpick. On the other end, I took 2 of the ends with the cut end facing each other and put on top of the sandwich for Engineer cab part.  I had a plate of several cheeses, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles & black olives, mayo, mustard & ranch dressing) and let everyone make their own.

CAKE: Thomas the tank engine shaped from a Wilton cake pan. My son loved every minute and all of the kids had a great time.

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