All Aboard!

All Aboard! craft

What type of train do you like best? Freight train? Passenger? High-speed? Subway? Monorail? Invent your own engine, cars, and sound effects!

  • 1.

    Wash and dry three or more recycled plastic containers. Ask an adult to help you punch a hole in each container where you want to attach it to another of your train’s cars. Use the tip of Crayola® Scissors to poke holes.

  • 2.

    Hitch up your cars! Shape a small piece of Crayola Model Magic into a cube. Push a chenille stem through it. Connect one car to another by passing the chenille stem through the holes in the recycled plastic containers. Fold the ends inside. Connect all of your cars with hitches before you decorate them.

  • 3.

    Use your imagination to make any kind of train you wish. Here are some ideas to make a freight train with a cowcatcher.

  • 4.

    Catch a cow? Many freight and passenger trains had a metal V-shaped grille on the front of the engine. This grille was called a cowcatcher. It helped keep debris off of the tracks, including wandering wildlife. Cut construction paper in a cowcatcher shape

  • 5.

    Look out! Make windows for the entire train by flattening a long, narrow strip of Model Magic. Cut small rectangles. Glue on the windows.

  • 6.

    It’s smokin’! Create a smokestack for the engine by using your markers to color a cork black. Spread out a cotton ball, so it looks long and wispy. Glue it to a short piece of chenille stem. Ask an adult to push a scissors point into the top of the cork.

  • 7.

    Use a small bit of Model Magic to hold the cork at a slight angle. Press the Model Magic to the top of the engine, then put a drop of glue on top of it. Push the cork into the Model Magic, pointing it slightly toward the rear of the train.

  • 8.

    Roll ‘em! Make wheels for each train car. Roll out and flatten small balls of Model Magic. Place a drop of glue on each wheel. Press a metallic button into each wheel. Put a drop of glue on the top, back of each wheel. Turn your train cars upside down. Pu

  • 9.

    Add train details with markers or more Model Magic. All aboard!