Tremendous Trains

All aboard?
Whooo-hoooooooo!!!!!!
It's time for a TRAIN storytime!

Storytime was introduced today with a demo of a wooden train whistle. The train whistle I have is from Lionel and can be purchased here for the low, low price of $3.99. If you have a true train afficionado in your household, you may want to consider this for the next birthday gift.

Then we climbed aboard and shared these stories :

This chant is something I've known since I was about five years old -- we used it when I was a child to count off for who was "it" in tag. Can also be used as a nice train chant and tied in great with the text of "I'm Fast!" which involved, what else? a race to Chicago!

Engine, engine, number nine
Going down Chicago line,
If the train should leave its track,
Do you want your money back?
Yes ... (nod head)
No ... (shake head)
Maybe so ... ("so-so" hand sign)

For our flannel today, I used the pieces from my longer "Freight Train" flannel to accompany this text (thanks to Storytime Katie for the fab idea!) :

Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
Here comes a train on the railroad track!
Clickety-clunn, clickety-clunn,
Here comes the engine -- that's number ONE!
Clickety-clew, clickety-clew,
Here comes the coal car -- that's number TWO!
Clickety-clee, clickety-clee,
Here comes the box car -- that's number THREE!
Clickety-clore, clickety-clore,
Here comes the tank car -- that's number FOUR!
Clickety-clive, clickety-clive,
Here comes the cattle car -- that's number FIVE!
Clickety-clicks, clickety-clicks,
Here comes the caboose -- that's number SIX!
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack, there GOES the train on the railroad track ...
Chooo - chooooo .... goodbye!

My handout today was intended to help with "Read Together!" at home.
Courtesy of Making Learning Fun, this is a cool activity to take home and work on together.
Simply color in each train image, cut on the long edge, tape the ends together, and fold accordian style to form a book.
(this image is intended for at-home use only)