Matthew's 4th Birthday Party Theme : Trains - THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE  The invitations went out with our address listed as a station and our house number listed as the track number. We decorated the door with a railroad crossing sign and put a large paper track running up the hallway. I stuck balloons to the roof and attached string to them so they looked just like hellium balloons - more expensive balloons look best.  I decorated a train cake to look like Thomas the tank Engine.  The party was over two hours.  As the children arrived they played with the a wooden train set that we owned.  When all children had arrived we went outside for a treasure hunt. Each child was given a card with a different Thomas character.  In the garden was a treat attached to the same picture. Each child had to find the matching picture to find their treat. Next was pass-the-parcel, different paper was used so the children could differentiate each layer and only remove one sheet.  A small toy was placed in each layer.  I painted a piece of fabric with a large Thomas face and cut out a large circle for his mouth.  The children had turns at throwing tennins balls through the mouth to feed Thomas the coal.  Next we played a fishing game.  I made fishing rods from string, small bamboo poles and small magnets. The fish were shapes of trains cut from the shape of a cookie cutter.  On each trian I placed a small Thomas picture that I cut from wrapping paper.  Attached to each cut out was a paper clip.  These were non-competitive games and no prises were awarded.  Next we played Pin the bee on James's nose - variation on Pin the Tail on the Donkey.  Then an egg and spoon race, but instead of eggs we used jelly cut in the shape of a train using a cookie cutter. Afternoon tea came next and the train cake.  After the children had finished eating each child was given sever train shaped sugar cookies previously cooked.  Each child was also given a small amount of plain white frosting were able to choose a colour which was them added and the children could mix.  They then iced and decorated their cookies with small marshmallows, chocbits and sprinkles. The cookies were placed into a bag to take home. We played hot-train, hot-train, a variation on hot potato, hot potato. We had other games planned such as musical statues and a treasure hunt to find the lollie bags but we ran out of time.  Ten minutes before the parents arrived we put on a Thomas video so they were settled when their parents arrived.  Several parents stayed to help me during the party and everything was organised and set up before the guests arrived.  I was delighted with all the activites and the children's enjoyment.  Biggest advice is to test all games before children arrive so adjustments can be made and no effect to children's enjoyment or concentration.