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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.

Christmas themed hands-on learning activity to help young children with their awareness of beginning sounds in this Polar Express Activity.

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.

Christmas themed hands-on learning activity to help young children with their awareness of beginning sounds in this Polar Express Activity.

Taking the train I asked them to drive to the item that started with the sound b – so bauble.

Christmas themed hands-on learning activity to help young children with their awareness of beginning sounds in this Polar Express Activity.

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.

Christmas themed hands-on learning activity to help young children with their awareness of beginning sounds in this Polar Express Activity.

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


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


Pin this Polar Express Activity to do later

Christmas themed hands-on learning activity to help young children with their awareness of beginning sounds in this Polar Express Activity.

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Christmas themed hands-on learning activity to help young children with their awareness of beginning sounds in this Polar Express Activity.
Author
Cerys Parker

Cerys is a marine biologist, environmental educator, teacher, mum, and home educator from the UK. She loves getting creative, whether it is with simple and easy crafts and ideas, activities to make learning fun, or delicious recipes that you and your kids can cook together you'll find them all shared here on Rainy Day Mum.

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