Carnival Activity – Train Ride!

DIY Railroad Crossing Sign - is a Great Idea!

Fantastic for preschool & young children!

TRAIN RIDE - SETUP & DIRECTIONS

Short Carnival Savers video/gif shows a small, brightly colored barrel car train ride with kids riding.

Supplies for Train Ride:

For this booth, you hire a company with a cute “kid train” to give the young children a ride around your school/church grounds for tickets.
Railroad Crossing Signs - quickly made by printing out "RAILROAD CROSSING" on white paper, gluing it on Black Poster Board, and attaching it to a wooden stake
Ticket Box (if taking tickets)

Questions to Ask When Calling A Company to Rent a Kids Train Ride:

Date(s) Available and Cost

Current Insurance Certification. You want to make sure the company has its insurance against accidents. It is also a good idea to call the insurance company and verify that the insurance is in good standing.

Inclement Weather Policy. Here are a few questions to ask in this section:

1. If the weather is expected to be too rainy or wet and you cancel before the event, is your deposit refunded, or will they offer to come out another day?

2. For "iffy weather" and company comes out and they do a few train rides, but must shut down, be sure your know their policy as far as refunds, partial refunds etc.

Location on your property they recommend for the Train Ride.
As mentioned above, find an open spot (like a baseball field, soccer field, etc.)

Check references
Of course, this is always a great idea!

Who will Take Tickets or Check for Wristbands?
Will the "Train Engineer" take the tickets or check for wristbands... or do they want you to have a volunteer or two to help with those duties?

Game Set Up:

Safety first - when setting up, it is best NOT to allow the kids train to ride in a parking lot with cars. Choose an area on the property just for the train – like a smooth walking trail or around the perimeter of fields. Also, our school puts out the RR Crossing signs for carnival-goers to watch out for the train - it is a great idea if you have a volunteer who can design some signs for years to come!

Just like the other carnival booths where you hire a company to handle the details, be sure to check references and double-check that the company you hire has their insurance to protect against injuries – also call and make sure their insurance is up-to-date!

How to Run the Train Ride Booth:

Children pay tickets for a ride on a kid's train. Mostly ridden by younger riders (preschool and young grade school children), the tickets to ride generally cost about $1.

Additional Hints & Tips:

This is one of the carnival booths that may not be a big money maker, but be sure you are not losing your shirt on this one! Find out how many “cars” the train has and do the math – how long each train ride will last and allow time for loading and unloading of young children. This will give you a reasonable estimate to see if hiring the company for your carnival is worth hiring.

Also, for more expensive carnival activities, you may talk with a local business or two and see if they would donate for this booth in exchange for a sign that would tell all carnival visitors who donated to support this booth - it is excellent publicity for your local businesses!