Need help with presentation on model trains.

[Lucas in Alaska]

In Sitka where I live there is an event for kids that takes place usually once a Saturday every month during the winter. It is for kids in Kindergarten, first and second grade and on march 31st there will be a "Super Saturday" on trains. I have volunteered to help with a small layout for the kids to see. I plan on setting up an HO layout with Unitrack (an oval with a couple siding and industries to switch.

The problem I'm having is I will be talking with up to 14-18 kids for 16-20 min at a time. I have very little idea about how to talk with them without talking way over their head. I do plan on passing one of my Athearn cars and one of my N scale cars around so the kids can look at them and touch them. I realize with the train going in circles it will be very hard to keep their interest talking to them.

So any hints on exactly what to say?

We have several areas planned for them to go to. There are usually 8 stations the kids get to visit over the course of the morning. They will get to build a small wooden steam engine that each of them get to take home, make some life size track in the hall all made out of wood, get a talk on RR safety (even though we don't have a railroad in Sitka), eat some cake in a mock dining car and I will have my layout and talk about model trains.

We are also looking for three more ideas on stations. I suggested to the person who is putting this on to contact Athearn and see if we could get some blue boxes for the kids to build but I haven't found anything else out about it. I also think she talked to Kalmbach about getting some MR mags to hand out but I don't know where that stands either.

We have a limit of 120 kids.

So I’m looking for advise on how to talk to little one in a way that makes sense.

I’m also looking for advise on 3 other train related stations for kids to see/do.

Side note manufactures if you have an overstock of kits to get rid of for that little ones can build in about 15 min with help please contact me, I don’t know how much money is available but I do believe there is some.

Thank you for your help and time,

Lucas Barnlund
Sitka, Alaska

[Pete Nolan]

Lucas,

It's easy to talk to kids. Just imagine that you are sitting down to tell a story. Imagine that you are telling a story to your 90-year-old grandmother. Or your four-year old daugther. Just relax and make it fun.

"My story today is about trains.
"I'm going to talk to you about model trains.
"Model trains are little models of the real world,
"This is a model." Hold up model

The rest should be intuitive and fun!

[Matthew Roberts]

I'd take Pete's advice.

Just be glad you have kids to talk to, not teenagers! :teeth:

[Wolfgang Dudler]

What about "let them run the train" ?

Wolfgang

[Lucas in Alaska]

Pete,
Yes I am thinking that is about the best way to do it make it simple. I will allow time at the end to allow for some questions.

John,
I would love for each of the kids to have a turn at running the trains. I am trying to figure that out I would only have about a one min. for each kid at the controls which will not let them do much (just to see how fast it will go :))

Thanks for the input

Lucas

[inch53]

Lucas,
Talking to little kids is easer than talkin to big'uns. I do it all the time with grandkids.
You might set up a small area were the kids could try their hand at doing some secnery or something like that. Along with showing all the different scale trains you can find in your area.

inch

[Bruce-in-MA]

I'd make it a bit more interactive by first asking them if they have seen any trains lately (and get them to tell what they saw). Then lead into what they think that train was doing, or what they thought it was hauling. This could then lead to why trains do what they do, why there are different kinds of cars, how much a train can carry, and so on.

Just keep the kids involved in the discussion and you will keep their interest.

[BikerDad]

One station can be some simple history on the "great" trains the kids are familiar with, on how each of the trains is actually based on real trains. Thomas the Tank Engine, the Polar Express and the Hogwarts Express.

Another station can be all the things that trains haul. Pay special attention to containers, because those are the most direct "train connections" up there in Sitka. Not only incoming, but also outgoing. (Lotta reefer containers come out of Alaska).

Another station could be on railroad songs. Songs are always a good one with kids, especially if you can get somebody who can sing and play a guitar to lead the kids in some of the simpler songs. There's a lot more than just "I've been working on the railroad" out there.

One thing to keep in mind, lit'l kids will ask the strangest questions. One part of your presentation can be on the basic whistle/horn signals that trains use. Just the basic ones, four or five, practice them with the kids, have fun with it, be willing to be a bit of a clown. Kids always react better to someone who's having fun with what they're doing.

[Glenn Woodle]

It's never too early to talk about safety. They may not have trains, but they may have plenty of cars & trucks to watch out for. Look Both ways, don't run, be careful where balls & toys go, etc.

Ask how many may have wood or other toy trains. since they have a make & take, see if you can build "the world's largest RR". They can have fun running their new engine & "break it in".