Best inexpensive starter train set?

[firsttimemama]

I just bought a 70 pc wood track/figures set at Target - I think it was circo brand - for $25.
It's construction themed.
Is anyone familiar with this set? or know if Circo sets are usually compatible with thomas trains?

Is there a particular set, say less than $50, that you recommend?

I know about the Ikea $15 one - but I wanted something a little more detailed for DS

[SnuggleBuggles]

I don't know how old your little one is but if 3 or younger I would get Geotrax. They don't have the small parts/ choking hazard warning that wooden trains do. Plus, I just think they are way more fun than the wooden sets. :)

Beth

[firsttimemama]

hmm DS has never played with Geotrax, only the wooden sets (which I know he loves)

We let him play with choking hazards though. He's obsessed with hot wheels and honestly I don't know what he'd play with if he didn't have them (he has about a million other toys but he's car/train obsessed). He's always supervised. He also doesn't put toys in his mouth anymore.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Myboys love playing with wooden train sets when out and about but at home they (and all their friends) go right for the Geotrax. Cheaper than wooden sets, you can build super cool things with them and they're just a hit around here.

Beth

[kristac]

Circo is compatable with Thomas I believe. Don't know about the quality. We are also a Geotrax family.

[vonfirmath]

Interesting. I've never heard of Geotrax as good for the under-3 set. Is there a good basic set to get started with?

[sste]

We got this thomas set for our son and I think its a good online deal for thomas (it may even go on sale on amazon, we may have paid $36, I can't remember).
http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Friends-Wooden-Railway-Figure/dp/B00005BLMC/ref=sr_1_40?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1248817162&sr=8-40

Other people have had good luck with coupons for thomas at michaels? ac moore? but I don't know about that as I hardly ever go to physical stores.

Also, don't know about circo compatability, sorry!

[cottagemom]

We bought the exact same set for our son when he showed an interest in trains. I highly recommend it and the train table you can buy at Target. The track is compatible with Thomas. You will save lots of money buying the generic track and table and adding the name brand trains to the set.

[brittone2]

most wooden track is compatible with other wooden track. Sometimes the fit is a little tough, but overall, wooden tracks usually work with other wooden tracks (brio, Thomas, maxim, etc.)

[SnuggleBuggles]

Interesting. I've never heard of Geotrax as good for the under-3 set. Is there a good basic set to get started with?

My ds1 got them for his 2nd b-day and while he wasn't a great builder at first (prob. b/c he was more into destroying :)), he loved playing with them. Ds2 is 19m and really loves running the remote controlled train as well as pushing trains and cars along on there.

This set is a bit $$ at $60 but has a lot of fun elements:
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3515905

This is a nice starter track pack for $25. No train in the set though.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2948641

These are both good track packs for $18 each.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2910954



If your little one likes the movie "Cars", they have come out with a whole line of Cars' Geotrax stuff.


Beth

[pomegranate]

[QUOTE=sste;2433240]We got this thomas set for our son and I think its a good online deal for thomas (it may even go on sale on amazon, we may have paid $36, I can't remember).
http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Friends-Wooden-Railway-Figure/dp/B00005BLMC/ref=sr_1_40?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1248817162&sr=8-40
QUOTE]

I also got that same Thomas Figure 8 set. Got it at TRU B&M for $39.99 and used a $5 off coupon for a net of $34.99. Also got a 5 pack Sodor railway set from Amazon. Fyi, the Thomas Figure 8 set includes Thomas.

[hillview]

We love geotrax on and off since age 2. We got the Melissa and Doug set and have been very happy with it. It was more $ but a lot of bang for your buck.
HTH
/hillary

[vonfirmath]

If your little one likes the movie "Cars", they have come out with a whole line of Cars' Geotrax stuff.

Would he like it without knowing the movie?

We have not yet shown him any movies and I have not seen Cars so dunno if it is appropriate or not yet.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Would he like it without knowing the movie?

We have not yet shown him any movies and I have not seen Cars so dunno if it is appropriate or not yet.

Sure, the sets are cute even without knowing the movie. But, I think the appeal of them is for kids who love the characters. Without knowing or caring about the characters I'd just get one of the other Geotrax sets.

Beth

[1964pandora]

I second or third the Thomas Figure 8 set, but only because you KNOW your son likes wooden trains. Learning Curve also makes a simpler track that is just a circle, but that seems really boring to me. I have spent literally a mountain of money on Thomas trains and track because I was determined that my kids would play with wooden trains all. the. time. Unfortunately, I have learned a difficult lesson. My boys don't LOVE wooden trains. We don't have any flashy toys to compete with the wooden trains, but still they don't get played with much. They play with them once a week and that makes me ecstatic because of all the money I spent. If I had it to do all over I would buy Geotrax instead.

[hobie]

We have both geotrax and brio trains. My boys love the wooden trains the best. The pieces are easier to manipulate, and make the layout. The plastic pieces of the geotrax are harder to make into a layout, because there isn't much wiggle room. The geotrax layout usually ends up being a line, while the wooden trains make circuts. When my guys were littler, the geotrax was easier, because it was harder to brake up (I would build the set for them to play with). Now that they are building their own, the wooden trains are much easier for them to play with on their own (big boys are 6 now).

FYI, the Ikea tracks aren't compatable with the brio or thomas tracks, but brio and thomas work together. The ikea tracks have plastic parts that get stuck in the brio and thomas tracks.

[kijip]

Our son preferred the wooden trains to the Geotracks, but that may be because that is what he got into first. He was all about the wooden trains from age 2-5ish. We had a lot of different brands of track, they all are fine.

[MamaKath]

Ikea has a really basic wooden figure 8 set for under $20. Works with the other brands of wooden trains/track also.

Geotracks (and wooden train stuff) can sometimes be found really cheap on Craigslist. Worth a look see!