January is a tough month for Kindergarten students. The weather is cold, snowy and icy, and therefore students just cannot go outside to work off their extra energy. One way to compensate for the lack of outdoor time is to find new and interesting indoor activities.

Toy train tables are a great tool to focus your students on. These tables are the perfect place to complete many activities that will inspire imagination and teach kids valuable skills to boot. The first activity is a simple follow instruction activity. This activity will have the teacher read a series of instructions that relate to setting up a brio trains scene on the table. The students will follow the instructions to replicate the scene.

The next activity is to have the students create their own stories using the toy train table as a stage. Their story can involve any type of character and can include toy trains, toy cars or even dolls. Students create their stories and tell them to the group as their group members act out the story with the toys.

For ambitious kindergarten classes a construction project can be undertaken. In this project the class will work together will class aides and parent volunteers to build and decorate a toy train table for the class. The finished table can be used for many years to come.The finished table can be used for many years to come. This table can also be auctioned off at the end of the year to raise money for the class picnic or field trip.

When you teach kindergarten your main challenge is to keep your students engaged in an activity long enough for them to learn what they need to learn. One way to do this is to use a play or learning surface that is easy for the kids to reach and that has enough space to complete a variety of activities. A toy train table is a great surface to work with.

There are many activities that can be completed on a toy train table. The first activity is a follow the directions activity. This activity will involve giving your students directions about how to set up a train setting on the table. You will use descriptive words that relate to shapes and colors in this activity.

Number games can also be played on toy train tables. For example, you can have your students tell you how many blue trains are on the table, how many people are on the table or how many animals are on the table. You can also play addition and subtraction games that utilize toys and trains.

For creative play games you can have your students create story lines using a specific grouping of toys. You can also have them interact with one another and create impromtu plays for the classroom. You can also have the students act out the train stories from a book.

I am an active participant on Mamasource and it seems that many 4-5 yr olds all of a sudden are fearful of going to Kindergarten about this time. So here is a technique that I used with children when they were afraid (did my therapeutic internship at a residential treatment center).

Sit on the floor with your daughter. You mirror exactly what you ask her to do. Use descriptive words that she can relate to. Here goes.

Let’s put a pretend ball in each of our hands.

1. When you think of going into your kindergarten room, what color is the ball?

2. What shape is the ball? Is it round, does it have pointers (spikes on it)? (Make different shapes by drawing in the air – zigzag, irregular shape)

3. What does it feel like? Is it soft, hard, ruff like sandpaper or the sidewalk? Pointy like a fork that you eat with?

4. Let’s each of us put the ball to our ear. Does it have a sound? (if so) What does it sound like?

5. Put the ball to your nose? Does it have a smell? (if so) what does it smell like?

6. Is the ball small? (show the size with your hands by cupping them together, start with the size of a ball that you play jacks with. Then go to a medium size ball, or a large beach ball).

7. Is the ball moving or standing still?

8. Is the picture of the ball real close to you or far away?
(Now you are ready to transform the imaginary feelings that are going on in your child). Put a smile on your face so that your child believes this is the fun part.

1. What is your favorite color? Ok, lets turn the ball into (pink or whatever she says). Tell me when it is (pink).
2. Lets make the ball round.
3. Lets make the ball smooth.
4. Let’s turn off the sound. (If there was a sound).
5. What is your favorite smell? Ok, let’s have the ball smell like…
6. Make the ball the perfect size for you.
7. If your child said the ball was bouncing tell her to have the ball resting and quiet. If she said the ball was still, have her have it bouncing happily.
8. Have your daughter take the picture of the ball and move it way out in front of her until it becomes a dot and disappears.
9. Good job.
10. Now ask her what fun thing she would like to do and do whatever she wants. This is important. (Maybe they want to play with their toy train!)

This “little” exercise looks like nothing but brings absolutely amazing results. Even adults have wonderful transformational experiences after doing the exercise.