Ni Hao, Kai-lan Tissue Box Train

Roll into the wonderland of Kai-lan and her friends on a Ni Hao, Kai-lan train! Simply paint and glue the train design to tissue boxes, and let your kids' imagination rumble down the tracks!

Watch Kai-lan every day on Nick Jr.

Materials

• Empty rectangular and square tissue boxes
• Scissors
• Craft knife (optional)
• Toilet paper roll
• Paintbrushes
• Red (or your child's favorite color) craft paint
• Construction paper
• Craft glue
• Ni Hao, Kai-lan Train Templates
• Ni Hao, Kai-lan Colorable Train Templates
• Crayons (optional)
• Hole punch
• Pipe cleaners
• Ni Hao, Kai-lan Train Puppets

Directions

1. Make the locomotive

   With a square tissue box as your locomotive, cut out windows on four sides (parents only). Make sure the rectangular cutout is no more than a third of the way down the front side, allowing enough room for the headlight and the cow catcher.<br> Cut the toilet paper roll in half for the headlight. Have your child paint both the locomotive box and the headlight in red, or color of her choice. Let the paint dry completely. <br> To make the cow catcher, draw and cut out a flat-topped pyramid from construction paper (any color). Have your child draw a few vertical lines across the bottom. The top of the pyramid should be as wide as the front of the locomotive and the bottom a bit wider. Glue on the headlight and the cow catcher. Let dry.

2. Decorate the cars

   To make the train cars, cut off the tops of two rectangular tissue boxes. <br> Print and cut out the six-page Ni Hao, Kai-lan Train Templates. Have your child color in the pages should you choose the Ni Hao, Kai-lan Colorable Train Templates. Glue the corresponding templates to the four sides of the tissue boxes. Glue the small wheels onto the train cars and the big wheels onto the locomotive.<br> Fold the seat templates as indicated. Place two rows of seats in each car by gluing the tabs onto the side walls of the tissue boxes.

3. Connect them together

   Punch a hole at the front and back of the train cars and the back of the locomotive. Connect the cars and the locomotive with pipe cleaners, and curl up the ends to prevent them from sliding out of the holes.

4. Give a ride to Kai-lan and her friends!

   Print and cut out Ni Hao, Kai-lan Train Puppets as instructed. Help the passengers "aboard," and the train is ready to roll!