Share your children's drawings of Thomas (or his friends) in places you'd like to visit after lockdown - £200 voucher to be won

[CeriMumsnet]

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Many of us will be dreaming of the places that we want to visit once lockdown is over, but for now our imaginations will have to do. The good news for parents is that fun indoor activities can be the perfect opportunity to teach our children the life skills they’ll need to enjoy our next family day out. Network Rail are encouraging families to continue conversations about rail safety this lockdown using their Stay Safe with Thomas e-resources. With this in mind, we would like you to ask your children to draw Thomas in the place they’d most like to visit after lockdown, and while you are thinking about train travel, to have a conversation with them about rail safety.

Here’s what Network Rail has to say: ^“Our research* tells us that only half of parents with young children talk to their children about rail safety, compared to road safety where almost all parents have discussed it. We know that it can be a difficult subject to bring up with young children, which is why we have produced the Stay Safe With Thomas book as it allows parents to have that conversation in a gentle way. Parents can download a free copy by visiting networkrail.co.uk/Thomas.”^

So, do your children have a favourite or dream holiday location they can’t wait to visit, or would it be a simple trip to a friend’s house? Whatever the location we want to see your children's drawings of Thomas (or his friends) there. While they're creating their masterpiece, we'd like you to talk to them about rail safety (you can download the ebook here for inspiration)!

To enter the prize draw, share a photo of your child's drawing on the thread below, and tell us how your conversation about rail safety went. Was it a useful discussion? How did you feel discussing rail safety with your children?

All who share a photo of their children’s drawing and let us know how their conversation about rail safety went on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one lucky MNer will win a £200 voucher for a store of their choice (from a list), plus one MNer will win a bundle of Thomas toys worth £100.

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!

MNHQ

Insight T&Cs apply

*Research conducted by Mumsnet in April 2020 amongst 611 parents with at least one child aged 3 to 6.

My Thomas obsessed two year old is still at the 'squiggle' stage of writing/drawing so we can't enter the competition but I just wanted to say how lovely these drawings are! They really made me smile :)

My 5 year old daughter, Ayana drew a picture of her, her brother and Thomas on a trip to the beach. It is her favourite place and we are really looking forward to a real trip soon (fingers crossed).

We talked about road safety and Ayana understands that we have to stay behind the yellow line and always hold an adult's hand. She said there is to be no running on the platform.

Thank you x

That should have read 'rail' safety!

x

My 6 year old son wants to visit Drayton Manor Thomas Land once lockdown is over, we have been three times in the past. He loves all the rides, his favourite ride is Troublesome Trucks rollercoaster! He has drawn a picture of Thomas at Thomas Land with Bertie the bus and the Troublesome trucks rollercoaster.

We have since talked about rail safety, having taken a walk to our local train station. We pointed out the platform and staying well back, including feeling the little bumps underfoot as you approach the edge of the platform. Having read the Thomas road safety book, my son and I discussed level crossings. He feels he knows how these work - looking at signs and barriers for passing trains. And never stepping into any train tracks. It was easy to discuss rail safety using the Thomas book and thinking about all the train stations we have been to and we have to remember not to get too excited as rail safety at train stations is just as important as road safety.

Our train conversation went really well, we have used the heritage railways a lot pre-lockdown, and even went from Settle to Carlisle on an old steamer and had bacon sandwiches in February 2020.
We talked about being not too close to the platform edge, not running, and how level crossings worked, when the gates open and it's ok to drive over, and when the lights flash - there's a train coming and not to go near the track or barriers until the train has passed and the barriers have lifted.
We love(d) travelling by steam train, and the noise smell of the coal, smoke heat and steam of the 'old kettle' in full steam

My son (8) is desperate to go to the zoo as soon as lockdown is over! I asked him to capture this as we discussed rail safety. Although we don’t live near an active railway line, he has always been very interested in trains since he was tiny (we are very familiar with Thomas & his friends!!) so railway safety has come into conversation - but this is a great way to initiate discussion without the terrifying & very formal safety videos I watched as a child.
We watched Joe Swash reading Stay Safe with Thomas & although my son raised his eyebrows at me at first - we enjoyed watching it together.
You can see the finished picture here - a smiling Thomas whizzing past a tiger, tree frogs, snakes & an aquarium :)

My son is a massive Thomas fan, and we love to see and ride on steam trains at our local heritage railway, who have Thomas days.
We have spoken about how cars should stop when the level crossing lights start to flash, and the dangers of tracks, overhead wires and being too close to the platform edge, and they really understood.
My sons favourite train is Duck - and here he is going past the level crossing and the cars waiting at each side.
I think he may overdone the road signs - but that's not a bad thing.

‘Thomas at the seaside’ by Freddy Morgan age 6
He really enjoyed doing this. Thank you!

Last year before lockdown we went to the sealife centre in Birmingham city centre from Bromsgrove via train. We discussed the lines painted on the floor of the platform and why you should never cross them. Freddy (then age5) relayed the message back to us on the train loudly and added “..because we don’t want a squashed Freddy do we?” There were a few giggles but joking aside, the message went in. We also discussed never playing on the rails and never crossing the line when the barriers are down- as this too would end in a ‘squashed Freddy’

i dessperatly want to go and see my dad,i havnt seen him since the start of all this covid ,he is in his 90s, and he doesnt have smart phone s so havnt seen him at all . we live 400 miles away from each other. so my one and only visit will be my dad, there are other relatives to see,but i think it best to just see one come straight back home then hopefully will not be accidently spreading any germs. i have an awful feeling that as soon as boris says lockdown is eased all will be rushing to loads of people to socialise and we will be back to square one again with more lockdown. if i can talk my dad into coming home with me and living here till it is all over i will do so.

Here is my daughters painting of James (she prefers him to Thomas as he is red when lockdown is over we are so looking forward to going to the seaside, either Blackpool of Scarborough on the train - as this is such a fun part of the day out - I have spoken previously to my children about not running on the platform, keeping away from the platform edge, and the dangers or overhead lines and tracks - also we have seen a level crossing in action, so we have spoken about how a level crossing works. We have watched the safety video too.

how your conversation about rail safety went.

I know Mumsnet has had a very valuable thread on rail safety previously and we have done some play with the brio around train tracks, level crossings, and discussed kites and overhead wires. I hope through roll-play it was remembered by DS1 and 2. They seemed to be interested in the car waiting for the barriers to be raised before it could continue on its journey.

Was it a useful discussion? How did you feel discussing rail safety with your children?

Yes, anything to do with safety is useful and I feel that this knowledge will stay with them.

There are so many places I would like to go with my children post lockdown - into the new 'living alongside covid world' It will be forever changed - We love the Heritage railways - Embsay and Keighley and Worth Valley - especially when they have Thomas themed days - we have missed those.

Here is my 9 year olds favourite - Thomas the really useful engine.

Here is my DS's (aged 7) entry. It's Thomas going to see Liverpool v Man City at Anfield.

We talked about rail safety. DS knows to stand back from the platform edge, never to go on rail tracks, never to put his head out of a train window and when to cross a level crossing. Although it will be a while before I let him out alone, it's a good opportunity to instill ideas now.

Thanks everyone for your great artwork entries and contributions to this thread. The winner of the £200 voucher is @mandes1 and the winner of the Thomas toy bundle is @sallieb.

Congratulations!

hello,sorry if being impatient but have not received the prize yet

Hi @sallieb sorry for the delay on the prize. We've checked with Network Rail and your prize is on it's way to you and should arrive with you within the next week!

lovely,thanks

I just got married so I don't have any children, looking at duck life the funny pictures of the day are really cute