Beginning Sounds Polar Express Activity
Simple and easy to do activities are the order of the day here no matter what time of year but during busy seasons like Christmas the quicker to set up the better. This Christmas Beginning Sounds Activity inspired by the book Polar Express and featured as part of Virtual Book Club for Kids weekly theme of trains and our storybook advent is ideal. I was even able to adapt it on the spot when my oldest wanted to join in as well.
Don’t forget to check all the way down as I will be sharing some more Train themed books for 2 to 5-year-olds as well as the co-hosts of our Virtual Book Club who have put together activities that complement the book.
Materials Needed for this Christmas Beginning Sounds Activity
Toy Train
Some Christmas Decorations
How to play this Polar Express Inspired Learning Activity
As I said simple is good this time of year and this was very simple to set up. I sent the kids around the house collecting different Christmas items and then we set them on the floor.
Taking the train I asked them to drive to the item that started with the sound b – so bauble.
We moved through the different items focusing on the beginning sounds – now at this stage it was a mix between true digraphs and blends so TREE although having two digraphs we used the blend tr to drive the train to there.
Extended this Christmas Train Inspired Activity for Older Children.
My oldest also wanted to join in so instead of working on beginning sounds I challenged him with which item has a split digraph (where the e changes the vowel) or had the digraph “ar” in it. This was especially handy as he is working on spelling lists and getting him to think about the word in his head and then drive it is another way to think about the rules of spelling.
More Train and Beginning Sounds Activities
- Beginning Sounds Farm Animals Game
- Counting forward and back with trains
- Beginning Sounds Community Workers
More Train Books for Toddlers and Preschoolers
This week’s featured book for the Virtual Book Club for Kids is Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg.
Here are just a few others that you can add to your book box for this week on the theme of trains.
Freight Train by Donald Crewes
The Little Engine that Could by Watty Pipper
Trains by Byron Barton
and
Dinosaur Train by John Steven Gurney
Your Weekly Virtual Book Club for Kids Train Themed Lesson Plan
Each week on Rainy Day Mum we host the Virtual Book Club for Kids – a weekly series themed with popular preschool and tot school themes that we match with a children’s storybook and create hands-on learning and play ideas based on the book. You can join us keeping up with the book either through our Weekly Virtual Book Club for Kids Facebook Group or by signing up to our own Weekly Bringing Books Alive Newsletter.
This week the co-hosts have put together a fantastic set of activities which I’ve split into different sections to make it easy for you to mix and match what you want to focus on. Have fun and we will see you back in JANUARY for the Virtual Book Club for Kids.
Polar Express Themed Literacy Activities
Beginning Letter Sounds Train Ride – You are Here
Spell My Name on a Train from Powerful Mothering
Maths Activities based on Polar Express
Polar Express Printables- Jingle Bell Count from JDaniel4’s Mom
Train Shapes from Craft Create Calm
Learning colors by Painting with trains from Views from a Step stool
Building a Moving Polar Express Train from The Educators’ Spin On It
Sensory Play for a Polar Express Unit
Christmas Train from Mama Smiles
Trains & Magnets Sensory Bin from Preschool Powol Packets
Snowy Train Sensory Bin from Inspiration Laboratories
Motor Skills Activities for the storybook The Polar Express
Train pretend play fun for kids from Toddler Approved
Train Ride Yoga from My Storytime Corner