Freight Train Counting Games

This month’s Virtual Book Club for Kids is featuring Freight Train, Ten Black Dots, and Truck by Donald Crews. We pulled out our train set and had fun with some freight train counting games. The games practice skip counting, one to one correspondence, sequencing, and more. Be sure to check out all of the activities inspired by Donald Crews at the end of this post. Affiliate links are included in this post. Clicking on the book titles or covers will take you to Amazon. Thanks for supporting Inspiration Laboratories.

Freight Train by Donald Crews

Freight Train by Donald Crews is one of my family’s favorite books. My son has loved trains forever. We read this book for the first time when he was 2. He loved it so much I had to buy our own copy. We read the book so often that my son had it memorized and could “read” it to me. The text is very simple yet eloquent. The colorful illustrations are just lovely. Your child will delight at the train moving through tunnels, crossing trestles, going by cities, and more.

Aiden wanted to play some math games using his train set. Here’s what we created. In addition to a train set, you’ll need numbers (we used paper circles) and objects to count (we used glass gems and rocks).

Skip Counting

Build your train track. Place numbers around the track skip counting by 2’s (or 3’s, etc).

Have your child start the train at the first number (2 in our case). Drive the train around the track and pick up the numbers skip counting as you go along.

2, 4, 6, 8… what number comes next?

10. The number 10 is next. Continue driving the train around the track until you’ve finished counting. You can also take the numbers in your train and place them down around the track.

Fill in the Missing Numbers

After skip counting, Aiden wanted to fill in the missing numbers. Place numbers around the track in order. Then, remove some of the numbers. Have your child drive the train around the track and fill in the missing numbers.

Counting Freight

The freight train needs help moving freight around the track. Draw a number to see how much to deliver.

Fill the train car with the correct number of items and deliver the freight.

You could even set up delivery destinations around your track. The house needs 5 glass gems. The train depot needs 10 rocks. Have fun counting with your freight train!

More Ideas Inspired by Donald Crews

Check out our Freight Train Color Matching and Letter Practice.

Last year we had fun with these Art, Storytelling, and Math Activities for Ten Black Dots.

More Ideas from the Virtual Book Club for Kids

See more activities inspired by Freight Train

Color Freight Train from 3 Dinosaurs
Shape Train Matching Activity from Toddler Approved
Learning Your Name Freight Train from Growing Book by Book
Paper Train Craft for Kids from The Educators’ Spin On It
Color Block Puzzles from The Pleasantest Thing

Try one of these ideas after reading Ten Black Dots

Black Dot Printing from Rainy Day Mum
Dotted Pattern Play from Mama Miss

These activities go along with Truck

Three Truck Inspired Activities from Lalymom

What is your favorite book by Donald Crews?

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