Lay the tracks for an incredible party with our Train Party Ideas! Read on for general party planning tips as well as great train-themed decorating, food, game, and activity suggestions.
Party Planning
For peace of mind, begin planning 6 - 8 weeks in advance to allow time to purchase and mail invitations, as well as to give your guests time to RSVP and make travel plans, if needed. Don't panic if you find yourself short on time; you can still plan a great party! Planning ahead simply reduces the risk of conflicts with guests' plans and may increase attendance.
To simplify the rest of the party planning process, check out our Party Planning Timeline, take a look at our When & Where to Have the Party page, and read the paragraphs below for information on selecting decorations, supplies, activities, and more for your child's party.
What Do I Need for the Party?
If you plan to use paper tableware and themed party supplies, our Suggested Party Supply List may be helpful when placing an order. Please note that you may not need everything on the list; it is intended only as a guide.
History
Children, especially little boys, love the sights and sounds of trains. This fascination with trains is further reinforced by children's books and shows about trains, such as Thomas the Tank Engine. (Thomas, a train engine, is the main character in a series of books written in the 1940's by the Reverend Awdry.) Read on for a very brief history of trains and some fun facts that you can share with the birthday child, and even with your guests during the party.
Trains have been a part of our transportation history for far longer than the engine has been around. A train is defined as one or more vehicles that ride on wheels which travel along a track. While most of us think that a train must be pulled by a locomotive, railroads were actually used for more than 150 years before the steam engine was invented. The first railroads were used to haul loads of earth and minerals out of European mines in the mid 1500's. The trains that mounted these railroads were pulled by people or horses. The first steam engines were successfully built and operated in England in the late 1700's and early 1800's. They did not appear in the United States until the 1820's.
Decorating & Food Ideas
Fun Ideas To Set The Mood
- To get all of your guests in the right spirit for a train party, try calling them all to activities or to the table by blowing a train whistle and/or by shouting, "All aboard!" while wearing a conductor's cap.
- Stop by a local appliance or department store, and ask for large, empty boxes. Use several to set up a big cardboard train in your front yard. Paint the boxes various bright colors, and cut out windows or doors. Attach painted cardboard wheels to complete the effect.
- In addition to the cardboard train mentioned above, you can also draw train tracks on your driveway, and set the cardboard train on top of them, pointing in the direction of the front door. Alternatively, you can use spray paint to create railroad tracks in the grass.
- Draw and cut out different kinds of railroad crossing signs from cardboard or poster board. Use a variety of colors and styles, and then hang the signs throughout the party area.
- Need to block off areas of the house for the party? Create railroad barriers (i.e. the type that keep cars from crossing a track when a train is coming) from cardboard, and a sign that says, "DO NOT CROSS WHEN BARRIERS ARE DOWN."
- Hang up streamers that match the colors of your party plates, napkins, cutlery, and other party decorations. For more impact, twist two or three strands of streamers together in a spiral, and then hang them along the walls, from railings, and in a cascading row across the doorway(s).
- Visit your local toy store, and purchase several small, inexpensive toy train cars. Place them around the party table, and let each guest have a toy train to take home at the end of the party in place of, or along with, favor bags.
- Set up a game of "Pin the Smokestack on the Train" using our Train and Smokestack printouts and a few thumbtacks. The train makes a nice wall decoration in addition to a fun party activity.
Train Treats
When it comes to food, partygoers are usually perfectly content to eat pizza or hotdogs, which is certainly much easier on the hosts! However, if you have the time and would like to serve up some more interesting train-themed dishes, consider these ideas:- Purchase a train-shaped cookie cutter, and use it to cut out train-shaped cookies and sandwiches.
- Using a simple sugar cookie recipe, a butter knife and icing, you can create railroad crossing signs by cutting the dough into rectangles and icing on the crossing pattern—no cookie cutter required! Once the cookies have cooled, simply ice them white and add, "RAILROAD CROSSING," with black gel frosting.
- For a simple cake decoration, use black gel frosting to draw a railroad track around the outer edge of the cake. You can place one—or several—miniature toy trains on the tracks. The children will especially love this cake if there are enough train cars for each child to get one with his or her piece of cake!
- You can also turn fruit into train cars by cutting melon into rectangular strips for the body of each car, and then using a melon baller to make wheels to attach to the cars. You can use toothpicks to hold the wheels in place, crossing them to look like wheel axles.
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