Roads for a 4.5 year old

[KrisM]

DS says he wants this: http://www.amazon.com/I-Play-G02265-iPlay-Build-A-Road/dp/B0014QDYIY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1225247250&sr=8-1.

I think he'll be board quickly. He's 4.5 years now and likes to build things - he doesn't play with the trains much anymore, but builds new layouts often.

He's more into cars than trains now and would like something for roads. Is there anything better for him? Hot Wheels or something even?

[o_mom]

SIL got this for the boys for Christmas with no input from us. It is still in the box so I can't give a review, though.

I have found that unit blocks make nice roads. Barclay Blocks has some road planks (http://www.barclaywoods.com/kits/accroad.htm) that I have been coveting for a while, but haven't pulled the trigger.

There is also a line of roads from Brio/Plan Toys.

The Hot Wheel/Matchbox sets are very limiting, IMO. They usually are fairly delicate and come apart easily. They also are not something that you can rebuild into something else.

[LD92599]

since my DS and a friend of his are on the box!

However....we played with it when we got it and it's been in a big 'ol XL Ziploc in the basement ever since. I should drag it out again soon but i'm in cleaning mode and just threw out a trash bag of broken/missing pieces toys, etc.

Laura

[LD92599]

The Hot Wheel/Matchbox sets are very limiting, IMO. They usually are fairly delicate and come apart easily. They also are not something that you can rebuild into something else.

I can't stand any of the hot wheel/matchbox sets. They are mostly (all?) plastic, always falling apart, etc.

I'm wondering if 5 1/2 is too old though (for my DS) for the PLAN Garage? We now have a fantastic local wooden toy store..maybe i can stop there this weekend to look around.

Didn't intend to hijack!

[KrisM]

How cool he's on the box!

Okay, how about the Darda Create a Course? http://www.amazon.com/Darda-Create-Course-Race-System/dp/B0006M6VV4. Gets good reviews. He might not be able to assemble it himself, but he can direct and help.

I don't mind plastic. I don't like the couple HW sets we have - they are too fixed in what they are and just make cars do things. Very little input from DS is required.

[willow33]

No advice, but we just bought this for ds#2 for Xmas. It was the one thing he asked for after seeing it in a catalog. It gets really good reviews online and was on a top 10 toy list (can't remember which one).

I agree about the matchbox/hotwheels toys...they fall apart so easily and only seem to frustrate my boys.

[o_mom]

That Darda one looks interesting!

[Ceepa]

What about a wooden one like this?

http://www.rosiehippo.com/productdetail.asp?groupnumber=T685

[Momof3Labs]

Hot Wheels sets are total junk. They seem really cool for the first few plays, and then things start falling apart, track gets bent slightly so the cars fly off, and the kids give up on them. We've had better luck with the matchbox sets - there are some that fold down into little boxes that you can get at Target, but they don't really have roads, just ramps and such. Too simple for a 5-6yo, but my 2.5yo loves them!!

Have you considered a road rug (Home Depot and Ikea have them cheap) with a set of accessories - road signs, buildings, blocks, etc? Our boys play allll the time with our road rugs (yes, we have more than one)!

[mytwoboys]

My son is the other little boy on the box, so of course I had to add my two cents! :wink2:

We have it here as well and it too is in a zip lock in a closet. We take it out about once a month. The tires on the cars have a little rubber piece on them and it came off, which worried me about DS#2 putting them into his mouth. But I took them off and they still work on the track. The boys do like it, but at 4.5 it's still hard for DS to form the track into the elaborate pictures on the box. So I help to set it up and they play with it. It stays out for about 2 days before I rotate it back into the closet.