I know that in most houses, ours included, reading The Polar Express is a holiday tradition. This wonderful book is written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg. If you have not read this book, you definitely need to. Both you and your child will love it.

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My four-year-old son, Ben, is train crazy. Every year at Christmastime, we ride on a steam engine at the Wilmington and Western Railroad where Santa Claus visits each of the children. Last year, my son picked out a wooden Polar Express train set from the gift shop as his souvenir.

This year, my sister gave my son the little figurines from The Polar Express. This got my wheels turning…. So, I decided to make a Polar Express Small World Play with fake snow. First, we read the book and then he got to play with this set up.

Fake Snow Recipe

2 1/2 cups Pure Baking Soda

1/2 cup White Hair Conditioner

This instructions are very simple. All you need to do is mix the baking soda and hair conditioner together until combined. That’s it!

Safety Information About Fake Snow

WARNING: Children should be supervised by an adult while playing with the fake snow. Keep the pretend snow away from their mouths and eyes as it can irritate their eyes and is not safe for consumption.

Immediately wash your child’s hands after using this pretend snow to avoid getting any residue in their eyes should they touch their face or rub their eyes.

Storing Fake Snow

The pretend snow should be stored in an air tight container and stored in a cool area. Accordingly, it should last up to five days. Out of personal preference, I discard the snow after its been used.

SUPPLIES

Wooden Train Tracks

Polar Express Wooden Train

Silver Bells

The Polar Express Figurines

Fake Pine Trees

Fake Snow

Plastic Platter

How to Assemble the Polar Express Small World

First, I set up some wooden train tracks into a circle and added my son’s Polar Express wooden train set.

Next, I sat a shallow plastic serving dish into the middle of the tracks. I made the pretend snow in this container.

Then, I added a small building, trees, silver bells, and figurines on top of the snow. This created a little vignette for Ben.

Invitation to Play

Finally, I invited Ben to play. He took over from there.

The snow is moldable. It it cool to the touch and somewhat wet feeling. This makes pretend snow great for sensory play.

I let Ben have free rein with his play during this activity. At first, he started by playing with the train. Then, he played with the people by having them interact and making up conversations.

After awhile, Ben started to really dig in and explore with the pretend snow. He made mountains and buried things in the snow.

After that, he brought in more trains and cars to play with.

Next thing you know, monster trucks were running over everything, and snow was piled onto the train tracks.

And here’s the aftermath! Ben played with this small world set up for hours.

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All activities here are activities I feel are safe for my own children. As your child’s parents/guardians, you will need to decide what you feel is safe for your family. I always encourage contacting your child’s pediatrician for guidance if you are not sure about the safety/age appropriateness of an activity. All activities on this blog are intended to be performed with adult supervision. Appropriate and reasonable caution should be used when activities call for the use of materials that could potentially be harmful, such as scissors, or items that could present a choking risk (small items), or a drowning risk (water activities), and with introducing a new food/ingredient to a child (allergies). Observe caution and safety at all times. The author and blog disclaim liability for any damage, mishap, or injury that may occur from engaging in any of these activities on this blog.