First Trip

Ask the children if they’ve ever taken a train, subway, or tram.

Where did they go?
Tell them they’re going to play the choo choo train game!

• Have the children line up and put their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them.
• Explain that when you say, “go” they’ll move around the classroom like a choo choo train, and when you say, “red light” they’ll slow the train down and stop.
• Play a few rounds of the choo choo train game.

• Have each group pick a building card and build one of the models shown in the sidebar.
• When the children have finished building, ask them to work together to build a double-ended track.
• Make sure the track is long enough to fit the train station and the destination (using eight track pieces is recommended).
• Start at the train station and use a LEGO^® DUPLO^® figure as a passenger.
• Tell the children that the passenger would like to go fishing at the harbor.
• Can you help them get to the harbor?

Tip: The children don’t have to build what’s on the building cards. They can build any
destination they’d like.

The children are likely to stop the train one of three ways:

• By hand, which they’ve learned in the getting started activities
• Using the red action brick
• Using the red stop brick

Show the three different ways of stopping the train.
Talk to the children about the red action bricks.

Ask questions like:

• How many red action bricks did you use?
• Where did you place the red action brick(s) and why?
• Where did the train stop?

Encourage the children to build a longer track and to create more stops.
Pique their interest in using the green action bricks on the track.

Ask questions like:

• What did you see when the train went over green bricks?
• How can we help the train get back to the station?

Evaluate the children’s skills development by observing if they’re:

• Identifying cause and effect relationships
• Observing and describing objects and events
• Asking questions about concepts related to science and technology