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Thomas the Tank Engine Birthday Ideas

Notes from Leanne (the mom who runs DLTK's are in brown)

Our site has loads of free printables for use at a Thomas the Tank Engine themed Birthday Party, including greeting cards, treat bags, doorknob hangers, coloring pages, iron on t-shirts, calendars and crafts.  Many of these are needed for every party and many of the others make great treat bag additions or even gifts for the birthday boy or girl.  Check out our Thomas the Tank Engine Section for all of these and more.  

But we all know there's more to a party than things you print out!  Here are some ideas to fill in the gaps:

ACTIVITIES/GAMES:

Keri contributes:  

• Make a BINGO game using pictures, signs or words from the series.
    

One viewer suggests:  

• When each child arrives, give them a boarding pass with a unique number on it.  Have a hat (a conductor's cap would be great!) with all the same numbers in them.  Throughout the party, whenever things seem to be getting out of hand (or boring), draw a number from the hat and award the winner a prize to include in their treat bag.  Make sure you've drawn all the numbers by the end of the party so no one is left out!
      
• "Hot Train" (variation of Hot Potato - Pass around a Thomas the Tank train in a circle while playing some train music. Whoever is left holding the train when the music stops is out.   Repeat this until there is a winner!
    
• Pin the Whistle on the Steam Train - Draw a picture of a steam engine on poster board and have the children take turns trying to pin the whistle on the train.
  • If you're not excited about drawing a train, consider using the paper crafts from the Thomas the Tank Engine Section.  Enlarge at the photocopy shop and put them together.  Add a whistle or leave his face piece off and let the kids try to pin that on 
      
• "Box Car Fun"- Go to a local appliance store and get some really big boxes. Have everybody at the party decorate these boxes and turn them into a train. (you need at least three....one for the engine, one for passengers, and one for the caboose) 
    
• "Train Bean Bag Toss"- Make a Thomas the Tank Engine Shoe Box Train. (or enlarge everything at the photocopy shop and use a larger box like the type printer paper comes in, I'm sure the photocopy shop has extras!) The children take turns with bean bags trying to get them into the train.

DECORATIONS:

One viewer suggests:  

• Make train conductor hats:  purchase inexpensive painters hats and draw black strips on them.  You can often get them free from the paint store (especially if you bring an excited little one along with you)!
    
• Red and blue streamers and balloons would work well with the Thomas color scheme.
• placemats (use colouring in pages and let the little ones colour them)
• Railroad Crossing Sign made from cardboard. You cut two rectangles of cardboard, about 3 inches wide by 16 inches long.  Paint these white and glue together in an "X".  Paint RAILROAD in black (or use marker) on one piece and CROSSING on the other. Glue, nail or staple the X to an 8 foot stake.  You can make a few of these -- instead of writing RAILROAD CROSSING, you can write things like:  GIFTS HERE, GAMES AREA, LET's EAT and put them in the appropriate locations in the house or yard.
• In good weather, draw tracks (with sidewalk chalk) up to the front door or entrance. 
• Hang a sign on front door: "Shining Time Station", Track # (age of child) --- through the entrance.
• Cover your table with a white disposable table cloth. Make train tracks with black construction paper running down the middle of the table (use glue or tape). Place a toy train on the track.
    

FOOD

The purchase of one appropriately shaped cookie cutter can go a long way!

• I made train shaped Peanut Butter & Jelly (make sure the guests aren't allergic!), egg salad, & bologna/cheese sandwiches, train shaped cookies with blue frosting, train shaped blue Jell-O jigglers (make a big cookie sheet of jello jiggler and cut out once set)
   
• The children can decorate their cookies with icing and sprinkles as a food activity.
   
• Glue small images (from coloring pages or clipart) onto toothpicks.  Let dry.  Stick in the top of cupcakes for an instant theme party treat!
   
• Becca and her friend made an amazing Thomas the Tank Engine cake.