Track-tastic Train Activities for Kids!
Below you’ll find quite possibly the largest collection of train activities for kids ever assembled! Which is a good thing, because after you read Old Tracks, New Tricks with your children and try all the “tracktivities” from the story (there are instructions included in the back of the book!), they’ll want to find even more creative ways to play with their tracks and trains.
For even more spec-track-ular wooden train activities, make sure check out our list of activities inspired by Old Tracks, New Tricks, and our page of learning activities and printables designed to go with the book. Whether you’re planning a transportation unit for a preschool class, a train storytime for your library, or an afternoon of fun at home with your own child, you’ll find plenty of inspiration here!
DIY Play Dough Train Set
from Play Trains!
Put together your own play dough train set with toys you already have.
DIY Cardboard Box Train Tunnel
from Thrive 360 Living
Make a fun toy tunnel by upcycling a cardboard box!
Marble Run Train Play
from Play Trains!
Combine two favorite toys for a fun train activity that exposes children to STEM concepts.
CREATIVE BUILDING PLAY WITH DUPLO AND WOODEN TRAIN TRACKS
from Play Trains!
Build amazing creations with two of your favorite toys.
Chain Reaction Science
from Inspiration Laboratories
A fun physics activity to play with wooden trains and other toys.
ICY ENGINE Train Sensory Play
Make an ice train for some cool sensory play.
Wooden Road Tracks and Ramps
from Adventure in a Box
This DIY tutorial shows you how to make some fun roads and ramps to go with your wooden train set.
TOY TRAIN FREIGHT FROM NATURE
from Play Trains!
Play trains out in nature and haul some real freight.
Exploring Cause and Effect with Trains
from Inspiration Laboratories
Explore the concept of cause and effect with children while playing with trains.
Ice Train Play
from Play Trains!
Train-themed sensory play that’s winter fun in any season.
Wooden Train Roller Coaster
from Play Trains!
Build a wooden train roller coaster with easy DIY light boxes.
CREATIVE PLAY WITH CARDBOARD
from Powerful Mothering
A simple activity to encourage creative play.
WINTER TRAIN PLAY IN THE SNOW
from Play Trains!
Got snow? Here are some tips for taking your trains out to play in it!
Action Rhymes for Kids: Be a Train!
from Preschool Powol Packets
A fun action rhyme that helps kids develop pre-reading skills while moving and having fun.
Candy Train Game
from Play Trains!
Practice letter recognition and counting with this fun game for using leftover Halloween or Easter candy.
TRAIN TRACK LETTER PUZZLE
from Adventures and Play
A DIY train track puzzle to help little engineers learn the alphabet.
PLAY DOUGH PUMPKIN PATCH TRAIN
from Play Trains!
A train activity that encourages creativity and pretend play.
OUTDOOR FALL TRAIN PLAY
from Play Trains!
Take your trains outside to play this autumn.
RESCUING TOY TRAINS FROM ICE
from Play Trains!
A train-themed take on a classic STEM activity.
STEM Engineering: Bridge Building
from JDaniel4’s Mom
This bridge building activity is a fun way to include wooden trains in STEM learning.
TRAIN ENGINEER SNOWMAN
from Play Trains!
Build a snowman fit to drive a snow train.
House Blocks for the Railroad
from Adventure in a Box
Learn how to make bright and cheerful houses for your child’s wooden railway with this DIY tutorial.
DIY ZOO TRAIN SET FOR WOODEN TRAINS
from Play Trains!
Create an upcycled zoo destination for your wooden trains and toy animals.
Dress-up Costumes for Wooden Trains
from Play Trains!
Get creative making easy dress up costumes for your trains (or tracks!).
Textured Name Trains
from The Preschool Toolbox
Use a free printable template to cut out a colorful train, and then add textured letters for preschoolers and kindergarteners to practice the letters in their names.
GEOMETRIC SHAPES TRAIN
from Mama Smiles
Create a set of geometric felt shapes for children to create trains on a felt board with this free printable template.
JINGLE BELL COUPLING CHAINS FOR WOODEN TRAINS
from Play Trains!
A great STEM activity for learning about magnetism with your wooden trains.
Train Counting Games
from Inspiration Laboratories
Practice counting, skip counting, and filling in the missing number with your wooden trains.
Mini Sand Play Set
from Play Trains!
Make a cute minature train set to build a railroad with at the beach or in the sandbox.
TOY SURFBOARD CRAFT FOR KIDS
from Play Trains!
Make and decorate surfboards for your toys.
PRETEND SNOW SENSORY PLAY WITH TRAINS
from Play Trains!
Tips for including toy trains in pretend snow sensory play.
PENCIL BOX PORTABLE TRAIN SET
from Play Trains!
Take your wooden trains on the road in this compact way to carry a complete train set anywhere you go.
PAINTING WITH TRAINS ON CERAMICS
from Play Trains!
Great tips for painting simple but beautiful ceramic gifts with a train at a paint-your-own pottery shop.
Train Set Letter Play
from Inspiration Laboratories
Practice letter identification with your wooden train set.
Train Counting Puzzle
from Inspiration Laboratories
Practice counting with a DIY puzzle.
Squirrel Train Small World
from Play Trains!
A fun and creative small world combining a forest train and some playful squirrels.
MASKING TAPE TRAIN TRACK
from Adventures and Play
Turn your living room or classroom into a railroad!
Upcycled Train Shed
from Play Trains!
Even toddlers can help make this easy upcycled engine shed for their wooden trains.
Train Beginning Sounds Activity
from Rainy Day Mum
Another fun way to learn to read while playing trains.
Monorail Ticket Booth Pretend Play
from Play Trains!
A fun pretend play set-up, complete with stuffed animal passengers.
Egg Carton Train Challenge
from Rainy Day Mum
Create a fun train engine with materials from the recycle bin.
FREE TRAIN PRINTABLES AND MONTESSORI-INSPIRED TRAIN ACTIVITIES
from Living Montessori Now
A great list of free train printables and Montessori-inspired activities.
Cardboard Box Tunnel
from Powerful Mothering
Make a tunnel for your trains with a cardboard box.
Train Science: Self-propelled Train
from Inspiration Laboratories
Make your own self-propelled train.
PAPER ENGINEER’S HAT CRAFT
from Play Trains!
A free printable template for making engineer hats for your stuffed animals.
Train Color Matching Activity
from KC Edventures
A book-inspired train activity for teaching colors and sorting.
Color Train Rocks
from Thrive 360 Living
Teach your child colors with these bright and colorful DIY train rocks.
Train Sticker Craft
from Play Trains!
A fun and easy train craft using stickers.
Railroad Word Crash
from Play Trains!
A fun way to practice reading, especially for kids who love to crash their trains.
DIY Upcycled Wooden Train Platform
from Play Trains!
Paint a sturdy upcycled platform for building elevated areas in your wooden train layouts.
Make a Train Whistle
from Adventure in a Box
Create your own train whistle for engineer pretend play.
A Magnetic Superhero STEM Challenge for Kids
from Hand Made Kids Art
Can your superhero move a train? Find out with this fun science activity for kids.
PORTABLE PRETEND MODEL TRAIN SET
from Play Trains!
Create a portable pretend model train set, perfect for trips near and far from home.
Snowy Train Sensory Bin
from Inspiration Laboratories
Make your own snow for this fun, wintery sensory bin with trains.
POOL NOODLE TRAIN TRACKS
from Play Trains!
Build your train tracks, and then work off some steam pretending to be a train.
SPELL MY NAME ON A TRAIN
from Powerful Mothering
Children can practice spelling their names while having fun with trains.
SAND TRACKS: TRAIN BEACH ACTIVITY
from Play Trains!
A fun way to play with trains out in nature.
STORY CUPS FOR LIGHT PLAY
from Play Trains!
Make these DIY story cups for train-themed light box play.
PUMPKIN MOUNTAIN RAILROAD BUILDING
Create a railroad spiraling around a pumpkin “mountain” in this fun STEM activity that builds fine motor.
COUNTING ON AND BACK WITH TRAINS
from Rainy Day Mum
A great math activity that incorporates your child’s toy trains.
TRAIN TRACK COUNTING ACTIVITY AND BUSY BAG
from Play Trains!
A fun train-themed couting busy bag.
Sensory Train Play
from Learning and Exploring Through Play
Add a sensory component to toy train play.
Freight Train Color Matching and Letter Practice
from Inspiration Laboratories
Practice colors and letters with a favorite train book.
Preschooler Train Activities
from There’s Just One Mommy
A collection of fun ways for preschoolers to play and learn with trains.