Our Favorite Train Books, Songs, Puzzles and More (Plus a Giveaway!)

If your toddler loves trains as much as mine does, chances are you’re often on the lookout for new ways to encourage your little one’s fascination. From train books and songs to puzzles and rhymes, I created a round-up of our favorite train things in honor of Amtrak’s National Train Day on May 12th. There will be fun (and free!) train-themed events taking place across the country with live music, model train displays and more. Check out the sidebar to your right for more info!

Giveaway!

Win this set!

I wasn’t aware that there was a National Train Day until B. Toys told me about it. This year they are the official toy partner for this event, so in addition to doing a round-up for you I also get to host a giveaway! B. Toys is offering one lucky reader a 26-piece Elemenosqueeze set and all you have to do is leave a comment on this post sharing your favorite train themed book, song or anything else! We have these blocks and adore them so please don’t miss this opportunity to win a set of your own. Winners will be selected randomly and announced on Monday, May 7th. :)

Now on to the trains!

Winner! Congrats to Kristi DuBay who won a B. Toys Elemonosqueeze set with comment #21! Click here for the Random.org screenshot & Kristi please send me your mailing address.

Thank you to everyone who participated & check back for more giveaways soon. :)

Train Children’s Books

Below are the train books the munchkin requested most often over the past week, all of which have fun stories and illustrations that both parents and kids can enjoy.

Book titles:

• The Goodnight Train by June Sobel
• Chugga Chugga Choo Choo by Kevin Lewis
• Thomas & Friends: Blue Train, Green Train by Rev. W. Awdry
• Freight Train by Donald Crews
• My Big Train Book by Roger Priddy
• The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper
• Smokey by Bill Peet
• The Caboose Who Got Loose by Bill Peet
• Choo Choo by Virginia Lee Burton
• Can You See What I See?: Toyland Express by Walter Wick (Picture puzzle book)
• I’m Fast! by Kate McMullen
• Misty Island Rescue by Rev. W. Awdry

Train Songs

• Freight Train by Elizabeth Mitchell
• Little Red Caboose by Lisa Loeb & Elizabeth Mitchell
• I’ve Been Working on the Railroad by The Conductors
• The Great Freight Train by The Conductors
• Down by the Station
• Chatanooga Choo Choo by Glen Miller (Not really a sing-along song, but we love listening to this one in the car!)

To the tune of “Row, Row Your Boat”:
Ride, ride, ride the train
Quickly down the track.
Clickety, clickety, clickety clack
When will you be back?

Train Rhymes

A peanut sat on a railroad track
His heart was all a flutter.
Around the bend came number ten
Choo, choo, peanut butter!

Here’s a little choo-choo train
Chugging down the track
Now it goes forward
Now it goes back
Now the whistle blows
Whooooo, Whooooooo!
What a lot of noise it makes
Everywhere it goes
Chooo-chooo-chooo!
The train comes running back.

Tickerty-tack
Over the track
Far, far away
Puffing all day
Tickerty-too
Hurry up do!
Trains cannot wait
Must not be late
Tickerty-tock
Nickerty-nock
Speeding along
Singing this song
Tickerty-tackerty
Nickerty-nackerty
Tickerty-tackerty
Tock!

Train Puzzles

We are a little obsessed with puzzles around here and below are some of the munchkin’s favorite train-themed puzzles. I’ve arranged them from easiest to hardest.

• Melissa & Doug Chunky Wooden Transportation Puzzle
• Wooden Vehicle Puzzles (Airplane, Train, Truck & Car  3 pieces each)
• Wooden Vehicle Puzzles (Train, Helicopter & Firetruck 5-6 pieces each)
• Melissa & Doug Deluxe Vehicles in a Jigsaw Puzzles (4 puzzles with 12 pieces each)
• Thomas & Friends Track Trouble Floor Puzzle (24 pieces)
• Thomas & Friends: Thomas the Tank Engine Shaped Floor Puzzle (24 pieces)
• Thomas & Friends Puzzle in a Tin (35 pieces)

Train Toys

Thomas the Train engines and tracks comprise the biggest portion of our train collection. We don’t have a train table because I like having the munchkin come up with different track configurations every time he wants to play with his trains. It’s kinda like a puzzle and as you can see in the picture above, we have a lot of fun with it!

• Fischer-Price Little People Musical Zoo - We got this one when the munchkin was a baby, but he still loves it.
• Anything Thomas the Train, of course
• Handmade wooden train set (4 cars)

Train Coloring Pages

We have a big sketch pad that I use as a giant coloring book. I’ll print out coloring pages from the internet, then tape 1-2 of them on each page. I find it’s easier for the munchkin to color this way since he doesn’t have to worry about holding a smaller piece of paper steady.

• Thomas the Train coloring sheets: 1, 2, 3, 4
• Steam engine 1 & 2
• Diesel train
• T is for Train
• Toy train
• Tired train

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway by sharing your favorite train book, toy, song or anything else train related in the comments!