As longtime Chuggington fans, we’re no strangers to Brewster, KoKo and Wilson’s adventures. In fact, we’ve hosted a few of our own trainee-themed play dates and parties. I’ve always loved Chuggington’s storylines and the trainees’ relevant lessons, which make for fun themes for the preschool set. Not surprisingly, the themes from Chuggington translate well into birthday parties. From the colors, characters, and training, there’s much fun to be had with Chuggington added to the mix.
Decor
With Brewster, KoKo, Wilson, and the gang’s many training adventures, it’s easy to tie in the main characters into a party theme. With the main characters colors mostly reflecting primary colors, the color scheme works for boys, girls, and practically any age that loves Chuggington or trains in general. As an added extra, the trainees also have complementary colors, which add an even more fun to a party palette. From balloons to party plates, these days, you can find Chuggington-themed party supplies at major retailers and online. To save money, zero in on the main colors and buy solid colored plates and accessories. There are tons of online resources to help add some Chuggington flair. As always, Etsy and Pinterest are my best friends when it comes to party planning, but in this case, DisneyJr.com and Chuggington.com were helpful for printables to use for decor and to create cupcake toppers. For cupcake toppers, locate your favorite trainee, and create a printable with PicMonkey or similar design software. I often use a 1-inch circular scalloped hole puncher to create toppers. Use double-sided tape for two characters and sandwich them in between a toothpick to make easy Chuggington cupcake toppers. Making a bigger cake? Use actual Chuggington trains to top the cake. I always love incorporating actual toys as centerpieces on kid-sized tables. The toys always double as decor and activities.
Games
Preschoolers love being active at parties. Chuggington’s trainees each have their own strengths, so organizing games that emphasize different strengths and abilities would engage a bunch of young trainees. A simple obstacle course with three to four obstacles to complete would best channel the trainees’ everyday fun. Celebrateeverydaywithme.com has a fantastic post that overviews an obstacle course that would work well with a Chuggington-themed party or play date. For a group with young kids or even a big mix of ages, creating a stationary scavenger hunt in a sandbox or a mobile scavenger hunt for train-related items would also make an ideal game for a party. For each participant, it would be fun to hand out a trainee badge upon completion.
Favors
Party favors, especially at the preschool age, are such a fun sendoff for friends. I often steer away from tiny plastic trinkets and focus on either practical or more sustainable favors. With Chuggington focusing on trains, simple conductor hats or train whistles would make ideal favors. You can’t go wrong with books, crayons and coloring pages paired with a small pack of crayons. Have a smaller crowd? Consider sending each trainee off with a Trainee toy of their own. No matter how you choose to celebrate, you can’t go wrong with a Trainee-inspired soiree!