# The box train

You turn a row of boxes into a train that travels to made-up stops around the house.

To do with your toddler between 2 and 3 years old. It works on: imitation, language development and symbolic play. You'll need: boxes, sofa cushion and small plush toy.

## What do I need?

- Boxes
- Sofa cushion
- Small plush toy

## How do I do it?

1. **Build the train.** Line up 2 or 3 cardboard boxes in the living room and put a sofa cushion in the front one. Invite your little one to sit on the cushion: “All aboard! Who's driving today?” Sit behind them, outside the boxes.
2. **Let them drive.** Watch how they settle in, what noises they make and how they move their hands to drive. Don't correct them or tell them what to do. If they stop, add a sound without taking over: “The train goes choo-choo.”
3. **Call out a stop.** Give a corner of the house a name: “First stop, Bear Mountain! Let's put your teddy on the train.” Hand them the small plush toy so it can ride next to them.
4. **Keep the train going.** Make up another stop with its own mission: “Next stop, Snack Station! Should we get some water for the trip?” If they come up with their own stops, go wherever they say.
5. **Pull into the station.** When they lose interest, end the trip calmly: “We're here! Thanks for the ride, driver.” Another day, you can make up new stops together.

## What are they learning?

As they play, a few boxes become a train and their plush toy becomes a passenger. While driving, they copy the gestures and noises they've seen on trains and in cars. Each stop gives them a new place to name and a little story to follow.

- **Imitation**: Copies the driving gestures and noises they've seen outside the home
- **Language development**: Hears and says the names of the stops and what happens at each one
- **Symbolic play**: Pretends some boxes are a train and their plush toy is a passenger

## What the research says

- Barr R, Dowden A, Hayne H. Developmental changes in deferred imitation by 6- to 24-month-old infants. Infant Behavior and Development. 1996;19(2):159-170. doi:10.1016/S0163-6383(96)90015-6 (https://doi.org/10.1016/S0163-6383(96)90015-6)
- Carpenter M, Nagell K, Tomasello M. Social cognition, joint attention, and communicative competence from 9 to 15 months of age. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development. 1998;63(4):1-143. doi:10.2307/1166214 (https://doi.org/10.2307/1166214)
- Goldstein MH, Schwade JA. Social feedback to infants' babbling facilitates rapid phonological learning. Psychological Science. 2008;19(5):515-523. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02117.x (https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02117.x)
- Weisleder A, Fernald A. Talking to children matters: early language experience strengthens processing and builds vocabulary. Psychological Science. 2013;24(11):2143-2152. doi:10.1177/0956797613488145 (https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797613488145)
- Lillard AS, Lerner MD, Hopkins EJ, Dore RA, Smith ED, Palmquist CM. The impact of pretend play on children's development: a review of the evidence. Psychological Bulletin. 2013;139(1):1-34. doi:10.1037/a0029321 (https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029321)
- McCune L. A normative study of representational play in the transition to language. Developmental Psychology. 1995;31(2):198-206. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.31.2.198 (https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.31.2.198)

Reviewed by Javier Atance Ibar, PhD in Education.

https://papakoala.com/en/activities/the-box-train/