How to Easily Customize Train Name Puzzles

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You can easily customize these train name puzzles and use them to work on name and literacy activities in a fun way.

Young kids love themselves. That’s why using name activities with preschool kids is a great way to introduce letters and sounds. Here is the latest version of my editable and printable name puzzle creations. These train name puzzles can be used at any time of year, but they will be a PERFECT addition to your transportation theme.

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE RESOURCE

The following are included in the editable train puzzle set.

2 styles of editable school bus puzzles for names with 2 or more letters
Class List Forms – Add names and letters to the form and they are automatically added to the puzzle pieces and labels.
Print Planner- Use this form to help determine which pages to print.
Printable labels- to attach to storage containers, bags, or envelopes

Two Different Puzzle Styles: Two styles of train puzzles are included in the resource. The first has solid black letters. This version looks amazing when printed on brightly colored paper. The second version has outlined letters. These letters can be easily traced or colored.

HOW TO CUSTOMIZE THE TRAIN NAME PUZZLES

Easy-to-Use Class List Form: You can make train puzzles for kids with more than letters in their name. The puzzle document is a PDF. You don’t have to worry about installing any new fonts, but you will need to use the most recent version Adobe Acrobat Reader for the editable document to work correctly.

There is no need to scroll through the whole document to add letters to the puzzles. I have added a Class List Form at the front of the resource. All you have to do is type the name of your children and then type each individual letter of their names into the form. When you do this, the puzzles throughout the document will be automatically customized.

Print Planner Page: Use the print planner page to help you quickly determine which pages in the document to print.

Preparing the Train Puzzles

The puzzles will print on individual sheets of paper.

You will find that some pages will print with blank pieces. When you cut out the puzzles, remove the blank pieces and add them to your scrap paper box.

Labels: I have also included custom labels to help you organize your puzzles. Attach a label to an envelope or bag and store the matching puzzle pieces inside.

LITERACY ACTIVITIES

Obviously, your kids can use the puzzles to work on learning to recognize and learn to spell their names (which are important steps as they learn to write their names). Here are some additional ways that you can use the puzzles for literacy activities.

Letter Recognition:

Encourage kids to look for duplicate letters in their name.
Do any of the letters share similar lines or shapes? How many are tall, have tails, have dots, have slants, etc?
Does anyone else in the class have a name that starts with the same letter?
Does a classmate’s name have any of the same letters as their own?

Beginning Sounds: Can you hear the b sound at the beginning of Benjamin?

Letter Formation: Encourage kids to practice letter formation by finger tracing each letter on the puzzle pieces.

Syllable Recognition: Clap out the syllables in a name to emphasize and count the syllables.

Create Rhymes: Create silly rhymes by changing the first letter of the name (Example…. Borge rhymes with George)

Complete a Friend’s Puzzle: In addition to working on spelling their own names, kids will enjoy putting their friends’ puzzles together.

Are some of the letters the same?
Is the sound at the beginning different?
How many letters are in this name?
Which name has more letters?

ADDITIONAL IDEAS

The printable puzzles are fun to use for practicing names, but they can be used for additional activities too. Here are a few ideas:

Fine motor/scissor skills practice– Let kids cut out the train puzzles on their own.
Glue them down– Kids can glue their puzzle pieces onto a sentence strip.
Bulletin boards – Add the sentence strip name trains to a bulletin board.