Round the Rails Train Rug

Challenge the child to balance the trains on top of each other and see how far he or she can roll them across the rug and around the tracks without letting them fall over!

Line up the three trains at the bottom left corner of the rug where it says, "Melissa & Doug." Challenge the child to give each train a single push to get it as close as possible to the tunnel at the upper left of the rug - without touching it!

Move a single train car around train tracks from one location to another. Ask the child to watch you and then follow the same route from memory with another train car. Take turns being the leader and the follower as you change the route around the rug. Be sure to make some train noises as the train goes around the tracks!

Ask the child to drive a route around the train tracks based on your directions. For instance, you could say, "Start at the small train station and head toward the tunnel, but don't go in it. Stop at the large train station, then go past the cow and over the bridge . . ."

Talk to the child about the names and specific functions of each of the three train cars: The engine pulls the train, the passenger car carries people, and the caboose brings up the rear. Place the cars in the switching yard, one near each arch. Ask the child which car needs to leave first, second, and third to connect in the proper order.

Encourage the child to tell a story using the rug and trains. Perhaps someone wants to go from her big yellow house to her grandmother's small yellow house. What kinds of things can she tell her grandmother she saw along the way?

Add your own toys: Round the Rails Train Rug is designed to play perfectly with toys you already have! Use additional wooden trains, cars, chunky puzzle pieces, animals, and play people to fill the scene and play make-believe. You can use blocks to construct (and demolish!) a building, add fish to the river, or use pebbles to build up the rocks or line the roads. Get creative and have fun!