Thomas Trains?: How to label the magnets?

[MarisaSF]

I like how the Brio trains have the green/red labels for the positive/negative magnets. I.E. the green attaches to the red, but the red doesn't attach to the red.

Does anyone have a clever way to label the magnets on the Thomas Trains?

I'm thinking masking tape and a magic marker, but wanted to know if there's a more elegant solution.

I find the Brio labels make the play a bit less frustrating and teach kids about magnets.
TIA!

[schums]

Why not put little red and green stickers on the train itself? You can buy the colored circles that are meant for business use at Office Max, Walmart, etc. and just cut little pieces off them and stick them to the train or magnet. I'm not sure how Brio does it (colored dot vs. +/- sign) but another option would be to get some clear adhesive labels and run them through your color printer to get the same look as Brio. You'd probably have to play around with the font size to get it small enough to fit.

HTH,
Sarah
Mom to Alex (3/2002) and Catherine (8/2003)

[Joolsplus2]

Brio labels their magnets now??? Wow, what an idea :D.
How about pretty gold and silver paint pen marks on your Thomas trains? A little nicer than black ink or masking tape...Or maybe nail polish dots?

(just brainstorming..I like the little circle stickers, too...)


:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[MarisaSF]

Great ideas, but Nail Polish! That's perfect, Julie! I even think I have some green nail polish from when(?) that was en vogue. :)

Sorry to respond and thank you both so late. I had been away and forgot about this thread.

Maybe I'm dating myself; I have no new Brio trains. When I was a kid, the "base" of the magnets were different colors. On each car, one side was green and one was red. Jazz is using DH's childhood Brios with the color labels and some new Thomases without.

So, it doesn't bother anyone else that the backs and fronts aren't labeled? You just go back and forth until you find which works?

[geochick]

>So, it doesn't bother anyone else that the backs and fronts
>aren't labeled? You just go back and forth until you find
>which works?
>

It doesn't bother me at all. My ds (almost 2) is quickly learning how magnets work (without labels). It takes him no time at all to flip a train around if it doesn't stick at first. There's no frustration at all. I think an even better science lesson would be to not label the train magnets and then purchase some bar magnets WITH the labels. Your child would be able to experiment with the bar magnets and then, hopefully, transfer what s/he has learned about magnets to the train. S/he should then be able to understand a little better that the annoying little nubs at the end of the train are the same kind of item as the bar magnet with the same properties.
Bar magnets:
http://wardsci.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_130115_A_Steel+Bar+Magnet

[kensjen]

Hmmm...I don't think I would label them, but that is just me. My son figured it out pretty quickly that if it didn't work one way to turn it around. Until he did, I would just show him and explain.

I would think color coding it would just teach matching red to green, but wouldn't teach anything about magnets. It would take any learning opportunity away...plus be a PITA every time you add more trains.

Those little ones are pretty good at problem solving if we give them a chance. ;)

[MarisaSF]

Hmmm. These are interesting things to think about. I grew up with the labeled Brio trains and from my "Mom, why does the green connect to the red, but the red repels the red?" questions, came some very interesting educational opportunities and I don't think I missed out.

Honestly, my DD is too young to attach them regardless of color coding, but I was getting frustrated turning them around all the time. ;)

So, can someone confirm: The new Brio trains do NOT have color coded magnets, yes?

[ett]

We have new Brio trains and they do not have the color coded magnets.

[JBaxter]

SOme of my brio/thomas trains are 10+yrs old so non have coded ends. My 2 older sons never had a problem figuring out which ends stuck. I considered it part of their problem solving skills.