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Description
Line up small cardboard boxes and connect them with string to build a pull-along train. Your child loads the carriages with toys or other small objects and drives it around the room.
What to prep
- cardboard_boxes
- string
- scissors
- crayons_or_markers
Play guide
- 1Collect 2-4 small cardboard boxes or shoeboxes of similar height.
- 2Make a small hole near the front and back of each box with a pencil or skewer (parent does this). Thread string through the holes to connect the boxes in a line, leaving enough string at the front to hold as a handle.
- 3Hand the train to your child and let them decide what to load in each carriage.
- 4If they want to decorate the boxes first, set out crayons or markers. Decorating is optional - many children skip straight to playing.
- 5Let them pull the train around the space and narrate the journey if they choose.
Success signals
Your child loads items into the carriages without prompting. They pull the train around the room and narrate or describe where it's going. They add or rearrange cargo at least once
If it's tricky
The string pulls through the holes when loaded: Tie a knot inside each box so it can't pull out. Boxes are different heights and the train tips: Choose boxes with similar dimensions or stabilize with tape. Your child wants to decorate before playing: Let them - some children need to personalize before they can commit to the play. You don't have enough boxes: One box with a string handle is a valid starting point that can expand later