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There are just a few events that will cause me to drive the distance for my children. One of them is LEGOs and we drove to Nashville last year for LEGO KidsFest. The other is anything train related. Well, if you have a fan of the steam locomotive Thomas the Tank Engine, pack your bags and make plans to head to Chattanooga this spring for the Day Out with Thomas “The Ready, Set, Go Tour 2016“. It is going to be a day full of family fun and one your train lover will never forget.
Thomas the Tank Engine, a character in The Railway Series books written by Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher, have been delighting children for more than 70 years. The stories became part of a television series in 1979, attracting an even larger audience to the trains and their adventures on the Island of Sodor.
According to a 2007 survey conducted by the National Autistic Society, more than 50 percent of the parents they spoke to with autistic children under the age of 10 responded well to Thomas whose stories gave them a sense of security. About one-third of those parents shared their children were able to “learn basic facial expressions from the characters.” Although the Awdrys created the characters in the stories as an ensemble, Thomas has continued to be the most popular of the trains.
“The Ready, Set, Go Tour 2016” will be at the Tennessee Valley Railroad in Chattanooga Saturday and Sunday, April 23, 24 and May 1 and 7. Children will meet the Controller of the Railway Sir Topham Hatt, play with Thomas and Friends trains, listen to stories, do arts and crafts and get to meet and ride Thomas the Tank Engine. I don’t know about you, but I would say that is a great way to spend the day. Tickets are now on sale for Day Out with Thomas “The Ready, Set, Go Tour 2016”. Remember to bring your camera.
Day Out with Thomas “The Ready, Set, Go Tour 2016”: Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, 4119 Cromwell Road, Chattanooga, TN 37421. Tickets are $21 each for people two years and older and may be purchased online. Discount pricing is available for groups of 20 or more people.
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©2016 Kid Madison. Article by Jennifer Smeltser. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the publisher http://kidmadison.com/.
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