How many of your children play with toys from your own childhood days? We have a good amount of hand-me-downs that’ve been saved and since passed down to our own little ones. Since we were blessed with little boys, they aren’t all too fond of my all-pink play items but one thing that they did find their own love for was one of their daddy’s favorite pastimes – trains!
With that, of course, comes one particular train. Any guesses?
Here, I’ll clue you in a little bit…
They’re two, they’re four, they’re six, they’re eight.
Shunting trucks and hauling freight.
Red and green and brown and blue,
They’re the really useful crew.
All with different roles to play,
‘Round Tidmouth Sheds or far away.
Down the hills and round the bends,
Thomas and his friends!
It’s Thomas and Friends, of course!
Since Thomas the Tank Engine left the depot more than 65 years ago, this Really Useful Engine and his Island of Sodor friends have chugged their way into the hearts of preschoolers and grownups worldwide. Based on The Railway Series of classic stories authored by a father who loved trains and wanted a shared experience with his son, Thomas & Friends is a rite of passage that inspires the imagination while teaching the life lessons of friendship, exploration and cooperation.
It has been a staple in our house for, well, as long as I can remember. Whether it was a toy train, a logoed t-shirt, or even just a childhood photo of Daddy, Thomas the Tank Engine was always to be found somewhere here. This past weekend, however, we ventured out to get a glimpse of the famous train as opposed to searching our house. You see, Thomas is so much more than just a toy or just a television show. He’s real, very real, and his story lives on in the hearts of children. And now we can take their imagination to a whole new level by proving his reality to them and letting them experience the Island of Sodor first hand. How? With this…
Day Out with Thomas is exactly what it says it is; a day out and about to explore the world of trains with everyone’s favorite train engine – Thomas!
Day Out with Thomas is a family event, perfect for all ages, that offers aspiring engineers and their families the unique opportunity to take a ride with the classic storybook engine, Thomas the Tank Engine at regional heritage railroads across the country.
Here, children get to watch their dreams play out in real life. Travel the Island of Sodor, meet Sir Topham Hatt, explore Tidmouth Sheds, enjoy train related activities, and best of all, go for an incredible train ride lead by none other than the bright blue engine himself.
Last weekend, we attended Day Out with Thomas in Phillipsburg, NJ and I truly cannot say enough about the event. Between the train ride itself and all of the activities that filled the day, it was an amazing family trip.
Just take a look at all of the fun we had!
If your little ones are fans of Thomas the Tank Engine, I highly recommend this event. Our boys were beyond thrilled and seeing their eyes light up with excitement most certainly warmed my heart.
Visit:
You, too can visit the Day Out with Thomas event at the Phillipsburg, NJ location as it embarks on its final station tour this weekend. This particular event is run through the Delaware River Railroad Excursions. Thomas and his crew will be there on Friday, July 18th through Sunday, July 20th and train rides will be rolling out once each our from 10:00 AM through 5:00 PM. You can purchase advance tickets here.
Connect:
Be sure to keep up with Thomas the Tank Engine and his cross-country Day Out with Thomas tour via social media on their Facebook page. There, you can stay up to date on all of the latest news, fun train facts, exciting announcements, and even find out when Thomas will be arriving at a station near you!
With forty locations across the US and Canada, there are plenty of chances for you to get up close and personal with good ol’ Thomas himself.
And, after all is said and done, your child will be bestowed with the coveted new title of Junior Engineer! Now, I don’t know about you, but that’s certainly a spectacular way to kick off or even end the weekend!
So, what are you waiting for…?
ALL ABOOOARD!
*Randi received tickets to the above event, free of charge, to facilitate this review. All opinions are those of the reviewer only.
