Thomas the Train Birthday Party Ideas

Thomas the Train birthday party theme will work very well with young kids. Take them on a "train ride" using the following ideas!

Resources:

Invitations

Make your Thomas the Train birthday party invitations look like train boarding passes. (Do a 'train ticket' image search on the internet to use picture as a guide.) Write "All Aboard!" and "Boarding Pass" on one side of the ticket.

On the other side write "Now boarding to celebrate (your child's name) __th Birthday! Leaving from (Last name) Train station #1001 (address), Departure (date & time). Please RSVP to the station master to reserve your seat. Keep this ticket!"

As a variation, print the picture of Thomas the Tank Engine on the front of regular invitation cards. Add stickers, and write Thomas the Train birthday party details on the inside of the invitations.

Decorations

For Thomas the Train birthday party decorations, have some theme items (e.g., train images, railroad crossing signs, etc.) taped to the fence. Use black construction paper to create railroad tracks on your driveway leading to the front door. Make a large sign out of poster board that says "(Last name) Train Station", and hang it near the entrance. Have Thomas & Friends CD playing in the background.

Guest Arrival and Introductory Activities

As each Thomas the Train birthday party guest arrives, a conductor (one of the party helpers) should greet them. Have the kids present their tickets. Then check off their names from the "passenger list", and direct them to the introductory activities area ("passenger waiting area").

*Coloring Pages: Invite young kids to color in Thomas the Tank Engine coloring books with crayons and markers while they are waiting for others to arrive.

*Box Train Car Decoration: For this craft activity, you'll need several big cardboard boxes (at least three), blue washable paint, construction paper (or poster board), adhesive, stickers, crayons, glitter and other decorative items from around the house.

Before Thomas the Train birthday party, paint boxes blue and line them up like a train. Pre-cut train wheels, Thomas' face, windows, numbers, and other items from construction paper. At activity time, have the kids decorate their cars with various decorative items.

*Train Door Hanger Activity: You can get a door hanger activity kit from a party store. Have the guests decorate the door hangers with stickers and felt train pieces.

Favors

For your Thomas the Tank Engine party favors, give out whistles, Thomas the Train bubble solutions, train stencil books, keychains, cookie cutters, stickers and blowouts.

Thomas the Train Birthday Party Games

*Follow the Locomotive: Line up the kids with the birthday child at the head of the train. Turn on some fun music and have the birthday child lead the "train of people" by making creative moves that everyone must follow (e.g., jumping, hopping, skipping, spinning, rolling on the ground, waving arms and any other fun gestures).

*Red Light, Green Light: To start this Thomas the Train party game, you'll need two lengths of rope and prize ribbons (or medals) for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Lay two lengths of rope about 20 feet apart in the party area.

One child stands in front of one line acting as the Train Conductor, and the other kids stand behind the second line. The game begins when the Conductor turns his or her back to the guests and shouts, "Green Light!" The Conductor then counts to five as fast (and loud) as possible. The other players must walk quickly toward the Conductor.

When finished counting, the Conductor shouts, "Red Light!", and turns around quickly. The guests must freeze instantly. If the Conductor catches anyone moving, that player must return to the starting line.

*Train Wheel Necklaces: Dye pasta wheels black, blue and red by dipping in liquid dye or rubbing around the dye paste. Spread bowls of colored pasta wheels in front of the children. Hand guests a string and help them as they make their own train wheel necklaces.

*Bobbing for Apples: Before Thomas the Train birthday party, purchase a small apple for every child. Tie a string to the stem of each apple. Then hang them from a furniture fixture or a tree branch, making sure they hang low enough so the kids can reach with their mouths. Have each guest try to take a bite out of their apple without touching it with their hands.

The children will have a challenging time biting on their apples. This activity is a perfect opportunity to take lots of pictures.

*Train Track Crossing: Cut out four large rectangles from the white cardboard (about 12"x 15"). Use black or brown marker to color in railroad rails and cross ties. Tape a paper streamer across the floor to mark a starting line (which will also serve as a finish line). Place two chairs about 15 to 20 feet away from the starting line.

At game time, divide the kids into two equal lines and give the first person in each line two cardboard cutouts ("train tracks"). Explain that the train tracks are the only thing they can step on as they travel from the front of the line, around a chair and back to the line again.

Begin the game by having the first child on each team place one train track on the ground and step on it. Next, he or she places the other train track on the ground in front and steps on it. The player then picks up the first train track and places it on the ground in front of the other. When the kids go around the chair and back they hand the two train tracks to the next players in line. The first team to have all its members go around the chair and return is the winner.

*Engineer to Caboose Phone Message: Have the kids sit in a circle. Instruct the birthday child to think of a message the Engineer would like to send to the Caboose (it can be any message - directions, friendly hello, observation about scenery, etc). Then tell the birthday child to whisper that message to the next child in the circle.

The message must go all the way around the circle, whispered from one child to the next. The Caboose, the child on the opposite side of the birthday child, announces the message out loud. The birthday child then announces the original message. Prepare to be surprised at how the Engineer's message has changed as it was sent.

*Hot Thomas the Tank: Gather children in a circle. Hand them the train car and turn on the music. They are to pass the train car around quickly until the music stops. The person holding the train car when the music stops goes out of the game.

Explain before starting the game that throwing the train car is an automatic out. Award a series of prizes, such as stickers for eliminated players, so everyone feels included.

*Bean Bag Toss: Paint several shoeboxes blue and line them up like a train. Have Thomas the Train birthday party guests take turns throwing beanbags (socks filled with dried beans) into the "train cars." Reward guests with prizes. Vary the prizes depending on where their beanbag lands (a different prize for each shoe box).

*Pin the Nose on Thomas: Make a big blow-up of Thomas the Tank face. Cut circles out of black construction paper for noses (enough for every guest). Write guests' names and place double-sided tape on the "noses."

At game time, hand each child a nose. Tell them they are to pin the nose on Thomas' face. Blindfold children one at a time, spin them around, and point them in the direction of Thomas.

*Watch the Show: At the end of Thomas the Train birthday party, allow the kids to unwind and watch an episode of "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends."

Thomas the Tank Engine Birthday Cakes:

*Thomas the Train Cake: Bake 1 large rectangular cake and 9" round cake according to directions. Place round cake on top of rectangular cake.

Frost the round cake with white icing. Tint icing blue, and frost the rectangular cake. Decorate the top of the round cake like Thomas' face. (Use a picture of Thomas the Train as a guide.)

*Traffic Light Cake: Bake three 9"-round (or smaller) cakes according to directions. Frost one cake green, the other yellow, and the last one red. Place the cakes next to each other so they look like a traffic light.

Need more ideas? Have a look at this cute Thomas the Train birthday cake.

Thomas the Train Birthday Party Food Ideas:

*Pizza Faces: For this Thomas the Tank engine party recipe, you'll need half of an English muffin per child, shredded cheddar (or mozzarella) cheese, pizza or red marinara sauce, pepperoni, mushrooms, olives, peppers, and so on.

Split muffins and top with pizza sauce and shredded cheese. Let each child decorate their own muffin half using pepperoni, mushrooms, olives and peppers to make funny faces. Bake muffins on cookie sheet until cheese melts (approximately 5-10 minutes at 375�).

*Train Car Sandwiches: Make triple-decker sandwiches using the birthday child's favorite fillings. Remove crusts. Slide 2 pretzel sticks through the middle of the sandwiches for axles. Place half an olive or gumdrop at the end of each pretzel stick for wheels.

Lay licorice strings on a platter like train tracks. Use the remaining pretzel sticks for cross ties. Arrange the train car sandwiches on the platter so it looks like they are racing around the platter.

*Pigs in a Blanket: Slice hotdogs lengthwise and cut cheese into strips. Unroll refrigerator croissants and stuff them with hotdogs and cheese. Roll croissants back up and bake as directed, or until golden brown.

*Blue Train Sugar Cookies: Prepare sugar cookies according to recipe. Cut them into train shapes using a train cookie cutter. Decorate with blue icing.

*Veggies & Humus for Dip
*Pasta Salad
*Pizza
*Grilled Hamburgers
*Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches
*Chips & Salsa
*Popcorn
*Ice Cream

Thomas the Train Birthday Party Drink Ideas:

*Blue Fizz: Place a small amount of frozen chocolate chips in the bottom of each kid's cup. Add a few drops of blue food coloring to the bottle of cream soda before pouring. Fill the cups with cream soda.

*Blue Slush: For this Thomas the Train birthday party drink, you'll need blue drink mix, 1 1/2 cups of sugar, 2 cups of pineapple (or white grape) juice, and ice cubes (approximately 4-6 cups).

Place all the ingredients in blender on high until uniformly mixed. Serve immediately after blending.

*Root Beer