TIPS FOR PLANNING A TRAIN BIRTHDAY PARTY

Celebrating a birthday is a special part of childhood development. Aside from helping them feel valued and loved, birthday parties give kids the chance to socialize with friends or family outside the walls of a classroom. 

If you’re a parent of a train-loving child in need of inspiration for their next birthday party, you’re in the right place. We’re providing tips to help you plan and execute a train birthday party for your kid’s next special day!

Party Planning Checklist

When it comes to planning any party, there are 5 key items to consider:

1. The theme
2. The budget
3. The guest list
4. The time & location
5. The supplies

Since you’re here, you’ve already chosen your theme: a train birthday party! So let’s move on to the next list item.

The Budget

One item you should determine early on is your party’s budget. How much do you feel comfortable spending? Start with a ballpark range or the maximum amount you’re willing to splurge. This will serve as your foundation, helping guide your decisions for the remaining party details.

The Guest List

Next up is to determine the size of your party. Think through some basic details, such as:

• How many children are you prepared to host?
• Will you invite your child’s whole class or just their closest friends?
• Are adults and/or other parents invited?

Be mindful of your budget during this stage. The amount of guests you invite will impact purchasing decisions later on, such as food, party supplies, gift bags, etc. 

After narrowing the guest list, start thinking about invitations — are you sending physical or digital invitations? If paper invites are your style, there are so many unique train birthday party invitations online. You can customize your own or order the templates to fill in yourself. 

Either way, be sure to pay attention to the shipping dates. You don’t want to spend the money and order train-themed invitations that aren’t going to arrive on time!

The Location/Time

Next up on the planning list is choosing your location! Will you be hosting your party at home or are you searching for a unique train birthday party location? 

If you’re interested in the latter, consider booking your train birthday party at Strasburg Rail Road, where your birthday boy or girl and their friends can have the unique opportunity to hitch a ride on a real steam train!

A Strasburg Rail Road birthday party package has 2 levels: the conductor and the engineer. Both include discounted tickets for a 45-minute ride on one of our fully restored, historic coach cars, along with several other birthday benefits like:

• Boarding assistance from a uniformed team member
• Exclusive discount in our General Store or Toy Store
• A gift bag of fun with age-appropriate items for the birthday child
• An honorary certificate (labeled “Conductor” or “Engineer” based on party level)

At its base price, our conductor package can accommodate up to 15 guests. Any guests above that minimum will be charged the discounted group rate for an adult or child’s ticket. The engineer package accommodates groups of up to 40 guests. (Guest ad-ons aren’t available in this offering due to the size of our coach cars.) 

For a price estimate or to view the difference in offerings between both packages, please download our birthday party overview sheet. If you have any questions or would like to start the conversation with someone on our team, fill out the form below!

When choosing your party’s location, it’s also a good idea to start thinking about a date. While every venue is different, most places require a minimum of a two-week notice to reserve space for your group. The sooner you can nail down a date, the better because the more time you’ll have to send out invitations. 

If you’re hosting at home, you can be a bit more flexible about the date, but be sure to still allow ample time to send your invitations and gather RSVPs. These small details will make things easier for you down the road and help you get an accurate headcount before you buy your supplies.

Train Birthday Party Supplies

From decorations and gift bags to food and drink ideas, the final step in planning your train birthday party is to buy your supplies! 

An easy hack for train birthday party decorations is to use some of the toys you already have! Gather a few trains and train tracks to build a scene on the food table or any table as a centerpiece. (Just make sure to use the trains the birthday boy or girl doesn’t care about so they can play with their favorites during the party!)

Some other simple decoration ideas are:

• Train garlands  
• Railroad crossing signs 
• Conductor hats
• Train books

Don’t forget to get your train-themed tablecloths, plates, and napkins. If you’re hosting at home, paper products are your friend. 

Keep in mind, not all of these decorations need to be bought. If you’re crafty and have the time, you can DIY some of these decorations yourself! For instance, make your own railroad track tablecloths with a white disposable tablecloth from the dollar store and lay out your tracks using black electrical or masking tape. 

For food and drinks, you can keep it simple with pizza, burgers, and hotdogs, or get creative with some train-themed food ideas. Here are some creative food ideas to serve at your fueling station:

• Pinwheel sandwiches — circular to resemble a train wheel!
• Snack train — get some small aluminum drip pans (or any small rectangular containers) to fill with different snacks, fruits, or veggies to place in a line behind a large toy train!
• DIY rail mix — grab a bunch of different snacks and label them as parts of the railroad — coal, gravel, signals, tickets, etc — for kids to make their own trail mix. 

Last up on your list is to get any materials you might need for party favors (if you’re handing them out). Again, help yourself out and keep it simple: wooden train whistles, bandanas, conductor hats — all of which can be ordered in bulk or easily bought in person at Strasburg Rail Road’s toy or general merchandise store or on our online shop! 

Want to rent a train for an upcoming birthday party? Contact our team to start planning!