Choo Choo Train Growth Chart

Colorful bulletin board includes a measuring tape to track your child's height through the years.

Materials:

• STYROFOAM Brand Products:
  • Sheet, 2" x 12" x 36"
• Felt: 1 yd. purple; 9"x 12" sheet each green, orange, blue, yellow and red
• Wooden shapes: 10, 1-1/2" octagons; 4, 1/2" x 1" rectangles; 2, 1-1/2" squares; 8, 3/4" circles
• Acrylic craft paint: black, gray, white
• Fabric paint: silver glitter, shiny black
• Paintbrush, 1/2" flat
• White measuring tape
• Straight pins with colored heads
• Serrated knife
• Sharp scissors
• Thick, white craft glue or low temperature glue gun and glue sticks

Steps:

1. Cut foam board so it measures 2" x 12" x 30". Use serrated knife to cut (HINT: For smoother cuts, wax the knife blade with an old candle).
    
2. Wrap foam board in the purple felt as if you were wrapping a package; glue felt to back and trim away excess.
    
3. Cut the following: One green engine (Pattern A), one red caboose (Pattern B), and three 3-1/2" x 5" rectangles, one each of orange, blue and yellow. Glue cars to left side of board, evenly spaced, with the engine at the top.
    
4. Paint wooden squares black, circles white, and rectangles and octagons gray. When dry, glue squares to engine and caboose for windows, two octagons to each car for wheels, and the rectangles between the cars for connectors. Glue circles above engine smokestack to create "smoke".
    
5. Write child's name in engine with black fabric paint; write "Grade School", "Preschool", "Toddler" and Baby" in descending order on remaining cars. Outline all cars in silver paint.
    
6. Cut the measuring tape at the 17-1/2" mark and the 47-1/2" mark. Glue to the right side of board. Mark child's height and age on tape.
    
7. Pin photos of child to cars. Pin additional photos to board, and embellish with sayings, if desired.

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