My great nephew was a big Thomas the Tank Engine fan. His father, my nephew, loved trains too. Another nephew loved to play with the trains at the neighborhood hardware store around the corner from a restaurant my family dined at regularly.
When we were shopping for a potty training seat for Jessie, she wanted the one featuring Thomas. She pointed at it and said, “Choo choo.” We ended up with a pink Dora and a pink Abby Cadabby, though.
Trains are a staple at amusement parks and holiday displays. The small train around Griffith Park is always a big hit. At Travel Town near Griffith Park, park goers can climb in and out of real trains. The Museum of the Modern Railroad is in Fair Park.
When I was a teenager, I rode the train from Union Station to San Diego to visit my Granddad. I had the best time; I felt so adult. I’d love to do it again.
If someone says, “Chugga chugga,” Jessie answers with, “Choo choo.” One of her favorite Disney Channel shorts is Choo Choo Soul. Jessie dances and sings while the show is on. I will hear her at times singing, “Chugga chugga pssh. Chugga chugga ahh.” Genevieve, the train’s conductor, sings it on the show.
There’s a new cartoon on Disney called Chuggington. Chuggington takes place in a train station with anthropomorphized trains having adventures as they learn how to haul freight. The young trains, chuggers, are like toddlers or preschoolers. They’re sometimes naughty and disobedient, but always learn a lesson in the end. The lessons are usually taught through natural consequences where the chuggers learn from their own mistakes.
While I may not like all children’s programming, I’m happy that there’s a positive message and something to learn. I can tell which shows my toddler likes best because those are the ones she pays attention to.