You know when you have a song stuck in your head? Well, I've had one stuck for a few weeks now. I think my brain is telling me that I have to pass it along and tell it to the world ;)
The song:
Dan Zanes' Catch That Train
OPL Link
I warn you, you listen and you will get it stuck too. From here on out, it's on your head if you continue!
If you are going to ignore my warning, I better at least give you a few ideas to add to your list of Train ideas:
FINGERPLAYS and SONGS
To Stop the Train
To stop the Train
start with arms going in a back and forth choo choo motion, then hands up in stop motion
In cases of emergency
hands up waving
Pull the cord
pull on an imaginary cord
Pull the cord
again
Penalty for improper use
wag pointer finger in a no-no gesture
Five pounds!
make fist and pound palm of other hand
now let's try it faster!
Good job! Let's see how fast you can really go!
...go until you can't anymore - or it's just lost it's fun
Bill Grogan's Goat
(kids repeat each line after you)
Bill Grogan's goat
Was feeling fine
Ate three red shirts
Right off the line
Bill took a stick
Gave him a whack
And tied him to
The railroad track
The whistle blew
The train drew nigh
Bill Grogan's goat
Was doomed to die
He gave three groans
Of awful pain
Coughed up the shirts
And flagged the train
That's all there is
This story's done
I hope you had
A lot of fun
A Peanut Sat on a Railroad Track
A peanut sat on a railroad track.
His heart was all a-flutter
Engine nine came down the track
Toot Toot! Peanut butter!
This is the Choo Choo Train
This is the choo choo train
bend arms at elbows
Puffing down the track
rotate arms forward in train motion
Now it's going forward
move arms forward, still in train motion
Now it's going back
arms come back, still in train motion
Now the bell is ringing
pull bell cord
Now the whistle blows
pretend to blow a whistle
Everywhere it goes
arms out
Clickety Clack
Clickety clickety clack
fists together, side by side then clap on the 'clack'
Clickety clickety clack
repeat
Clickety, Clickety
fists together side by side
Clickety, clickety
click sides of hands in an 'x'
Clickety, Clickety
clap, clap
Clack!
back to sides of fists together side by side
Big Black Train
(from the Out-of-Print Fireside Book of Children's Songs, by Marie Winn, pub. 1966)
(teach kids the chorus to join in with you - use shakers to keep the beat)
Oh, what do you do with the big black coal
I asked the big black train
Do you really swallow the big lumps whole?
Chorus:
The train said, 'No, I choo,
I choo choo choo choo choo
That's all I ever really do,
I choo choo choo choo choo"
Oh what do you do when the fire gets hot
I asked the big black train
If you swallow flames an awful lot
Your tummy must complain
(repeat chorus)
Oh, what do you do with the big black smoke
I asked the big black train
Do you swallow the smoke until you choke
I wish you would explain
(repeat chorus)
Down by the Station
Down at the station early in the morning
See the little Puffer Bellies all in a row
See the engine driver pull the little handle
Chug, chug, toot, toot
Off they go
_____________________
BOOKS for LAPTIMES
The Rain Train by Elena De Roo (OPL Link)
~perfect laptime or storytime book, pair up with a rain theme and have a lot of fun!
Jiggle Joggle Jee by Laura Richards (OPL Link)
~Fun and rythmic - a perfect storytime and laptime book
Down by the Station by Will Hillenbrand (OPL Link)
~based on the song
Clickety Clack by Rob and Amy Spence
I Saw an Ant on the Railroad Track by Joshua Prince (OPL Link)
GREAT new book for storytime or laptime!
Country Crossing by Jim Aylesworth (OPL Link)
Lots of good action sounds in this - also really good for storytime, not just laptime.
Freight Train by Donald Crews (OPL Link)
~ or take a look at the cool new sliding door board book - Inside Freight Train by Donald Crews
Train Ride by June Crebbin
Billed as a 'Share and Read' book - great to use as a 'repetitive phrase' book for storytimes.
Whoo! Whoo! Goes the Train by Anne Rockwell (OPL Link)
Puff-Puff Chugga-Chugga by Christopher Wormell (OPL Link)
Engine Engine Number Nine by Stephanie Calmenson (OPL Link)
Animals Aboard by Andrew Peters (OPL Link)
A delightful pre-bedtime (or end of storytime) read-aloud option.
Goodnight Train by June Sobel (OPL Link)
Start our fast and fun, then slow way down as the pace changes to get babies in a sleepy mood.
BOOKS for STORYTIMES
Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper (OPL Link)
A must read for every child.
Mailing May by Michael Tunnell (OPL Link)
Set in 1914 young Charlotte May Peirstorff is shipped via the US Postal Train as a 'chick'; postage due .53 cents. Based on a true story.
An Outlaw Thanksgiving by Emily McCully (OPL Link)
Based the true story of the Thanksgiving Banquet given in Brown's Hole, Utah, in the 1890's. A true WIild West adventure!
Owney, The Mail-Pouch Pooch by Mona Kirby (OPL Link)
The mail train riding stray dog that adopted the New York Post Office and became an official mascot!
