It wouldn't work for everyone everywhere, but for my son's 5th birthday in May, we (and 10 of his friends) are taking the local commuter train from a station near our home to a small neighborhood about 6 stops away. We're getting off, getting pizza and ice cream cake on the neighborhood's main street, then coming back on the train. On the ride home, the kids will each get a goody bag with a Thomas book, whistle pops, an oversized "ticket" with their name on it and stickers to decorate the ticket. My favorite part is the cake...will have a working (battery operated) toy train on top (it rides on puzzle-like tracks). The parents are also excited b/c the pizza place serves beer.