The Love Train

With our focus on kindness the past few weeks, I have felt it was important to talk with my daughter about the importance of being kind to EVERYONE regardless of what they look like and where they are from. 

Inspired by the words below of Martin Luther King, Jr. 

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation were they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character ."

"I have a dream that one day little black boys and girls will be holding hands with little white boys and girls."

as well as the song Love Train by the O'Jays, and  Donald Crews' book, Freight Train - I thought that making a "Love Train" of our own would be a fun way to teach about loving and accepting everyone. 

Would you like to make one too? First, print out an engine and as many box cars as you will need (I've provided black and white versions here and here).

 Cut out around three sides of each boxcar door - so that the door will have a lift-the-flap effect.

Place a piece of contact paper (slightly larger than the door) on the back of the train (so that when you flip the train over and open the door the sticky side of the contact paper will be facing up).

Have your child arrange faces cut from magazines behind the door of each boxcar.  If you don't have contact paper, you could also mount your train on another piece of paper and glue or tape the faces on.

Line up your love train and display (or play with) it.

Wouldn't it be fun to get everyone dancing together (in train formation) to this song at your Kindness Celebration?