Choo Choo Trains!

This semester we have been focusing on exploring trains.  The children have shown a strong interest in all vehicles, but trains seem to bring the most excitement!  We started out the year by exploring ramps and movement, which later led to the interest in creating tracks.  The children were interested in exploring which path the trains or cars would move down a ramp. 

We found ways to create twists and turns, as well as other obstacles (including gates and tunnels).  This led to us creating our own track on a large piece of cardboard.  We began by laying down a tape outline, and adding more including the cross pieces of the track. We looked at pictures of different types of tracks for inspiration.

We used different mediums to create our tracks.  The children incorporated the wooden train tracks into their every day play.  We later brought in wooden slats to make paths.  We also created a track using paint and stamps (as if we were stamping out pieces of the pathway).  The children figured out ways to create turns in their tracks.  We also looked at bridges, and how we could add these to our pathways.

Over the past few weeks we have started investigating train sounds and how to create them.  The children seem to think the sounds are made using a whistle, but have also noticed that many trains have bells.  We are looking at what the different sounds mean.  We have also been investigating different types of train cars.  The children can identify the engines, box cars, and cabooses.  We have also discussed tanker cars and flat bed cars.  The children are curious to know what types of objects these cars carry.  It seemed the children believed that trains only carried people (as most of their train experience involves them riding on a train).  We are learning that trains are used to transport all types of objects, and not just people.