Chugga Choo Puzzle

Chugga Choo! - A puzzle game about a train.

You don't see many jigsaw puzzles that are also a game like Chugga Choo!. Assemble four, 5-piece trains. Work by color, or make multi-color rainbow trains. Then decide what each boxcar is carrying. Will your train be carrying penguins eating popsicles, wrapped party gifts or colorful robots? Maybe all three! It's entirely up to you.

The puzzle pieces for each train in Chugga Choo include a locomotive, three boxcars that are exactly alike and a caboose. Pieces are printed on one side only and all trains face left. Each 5-piece train assembled measures 2' 3.5". The window opening on each boxcar measures 3 1/8" x 1 1/4".

The boxcars have a hallowed out space in them which is where you will place the cargo blocks. The image above has a cargo block with fruit already aboard. The cargo blocks are made of wood, painted white and have a colorful image painted on one side. Below are examples:

Object:
Complete four trains of matching colors. This is a cooperative game and will not result in a winner or loser.

Set up:
Place the four engine pieces face-up, in a column. Mix the boxcar pieces and place them in a face-down pile nearby. Place the cabooses face-up nearby. Place the cargo tiles face-up nearby.

Play:
Players take turns. Turn over one boxcar piece and place it on the train of the same color. Pick a cargo piece to put inside the boxcar. Players take turns until all four trains are assembled and ready to go.  

Try this: 

• Play on the floor. Decide where each train will go and push it around the floor. Then push them all back to the depot (original location).
• Stand the cargo blocks on their sides around the room on the floor. Assemble each puzzle and then drive it (push it) to the different locations of the cargo tiles and pick up your cargo that way. Crawl on all fours as you play. Push the full trains back to the train station, where ever you want to make that, to offload the cargo.
• Play over and over, making different color trains carrying different cargo each time. Make up a story about why they are carrying what they are and where they are going.
• Pick out one locomotive and one caboose. Then add lots of boxcars to make a really long train. Count them as you add them. 
• Push your train along after assembling, making train sounds. Sing kid train songs.
• Place the cargo blocks on the table face-down. Pick them up one at a time as you need them and turn them in-hand to flip them over.
• Only add cargo to each train that includes the same color as the train.
• Make the trains different lengths, like three piece, four piece and five piece. Reinforce by counting and naming colors as you go and when you are done.
• Say the color after placing each piece to reinforce color names, such as here is a green locomotive, I'll add a green boxcar, and a green caboose. I need something with green to put inside, etc.
• Place other small items or toys in the cut outs in the boxcars. Why did you choose that? Where are they going? What will they do when they get there? Can you find four related things to put in the four cars, so the whole train is carrying one category of items? Add all small toys or all small pieces of fruit. (If you are playing on the floor and have dogs, don't use grapes, which are harmful to dogs). Put a variety of things out to choose from and let the player pick the four that are in the same category.
• Work on visual discrimination, spatial relations, visual closure, manual dexterity, creative play, process skills, socialization skills, executive functioning skills, play and leisure exploration and participation skills.

In the box: 4 engine pieces, 12 boxcar pieces, 4 caboose pieces, 12 cargo tiles

If you are interested in purchasing this game or just want more information, click on the image below.