Lessons and materials

Theme-Based Sensory Activities: Train Rides

Theme-based sensory activities for students with visual impairments center around a journey by train

By Gwyn McCormack

Here I share another sensory curriculum session plan full of ideas to support the theme of: Journeys on the Train.

Tactile

  • Work with the children to simulate and role play being on the train. 
  • Sway and rock to simulate movement of the train. 
  • Guardsman uniform – feel flag, blow whistle. 
  • Dress up as ticket officer or train manager. 
  • Make ticket machine to use, make shiny circles to add to the ticket machine 
  • Make cardboard train. 
  • Fan to create the breeze made when the doors or windows of the train are open. 
  • Simulate rain on the window of the train using watering can on metal tin. 
Toy train
Toy train

Visual

(some of these ideas would also be used in the tactile section also) 

  • Play with brio train track. 
  • Look at, feel and explore toy train. 

train whistle

Sound

  • Shakers to make sound of train 
  • Horn, whistle 
  • Sound of train passing through the station
  • Doors opening and closing

 

Taste

  • Sandwiches, biscuits eaten on the train. Picnic on the train! 

Smell

  • Smell of sandwiches, biscuits, orange juice 

Literacy

  • Make up a story about the journey the children might be making e.g. to the seaside, to a farm. 

Down By the Station 

Down by the station 

Early in the morning 

See the little pufferbellies 

All in a row 

See the station master 

Turn the little handle 

Puff, puff, toot, toot 

Off we go! 

Bumping up and down in my little red wagon 

Bumping up and down in my little red wagon 

Bumping up and down in my little red wagon 

Let’s ride off together! 

Repeat using 

  • My little brown donkey 
  • My little black buggy  
  • My little blue trolley 
  • My little green airplane 
  • My little white sailboat

Numeracy

  • Count the train carriages.
train collage