Questions for those with train tables

[khalloc]

We bought our 20 month old a train table set from Costco for Xmas. Its a kidkraft one. I havent opened it so I dont know exactly whats included but I believe it comes with a 100 piece train set.

I know relatives will be asking for gift ideas - are there any accessories that would be fun for him to get to go with his new train table? More trains? Fun track pieces?

Thanks so much!

[maydaymommy]

Well, even by that age ds1 wanted the Thomas trains mostly, even though he'd never seen them on tv. He really liked the faces on those trains.

Also, he LOVED Thomas books by then as well.

I would tell relatives to go for Thomas Wooden Railway trains, as well as books about trains - Thomas or regular trains.

You may consider gluing some of the elements of that track set you got together. Specifically, if there are raised portions of tracks that go up on risers, they are hard for little guys to keep together, but lots of fun to play with.

[carolinamama]

Well, even by that age ds1 wanted the Thomas trains mostly, even though he'd never seen them on tv. He really liked the faces on those trains.

Also, he LOVED Thomas books by then as well.

I would tell relatives to go for Thomas Wooden Railway trains, as well as books about trains - Thomas or regular trains.

You may consider gluing some of the elements of that track set you got together. Specifically, if there are raised portions of tracks that go up on risers, they are hard for little guys to keep together, but lots of fun to play with.

I agree about the Thomas trains. DS always chose those above our Brio trains. You can also buy SureTrack to hold the tracks together instead of gluing them. That way you won't have glued track when your DS is ready to build his own tracks. We never glued or used SureTrack and DS really wasn't that bad about the track since it was up on a table. We didn't do intricate layouts until he got older.

[bluestar2]

I would get a few of the Thomas trains but wouldn't buy too much beyond that until you see how much he likes it.

[mytwosons]

I would ask for some suretrak!

[hillview]

I would ask for some suretrak!

:yeahthat:
/hillary

[HIU8]

DS was into Thomas as well. We also have a 100 piece set with a train table. DS has a ton of Thomas stuff and other track and then he also has geotrax. DS is 5 and isn't really into trains anymore. However, DD at 2 is very into trains. I have not gotten anything new for her though.

[khalloc]

Does anyone know if the Kidkraft train sets are compatible with the Thomas the Train track pieces?

[hellokitty]

I would ask for some suretrak!


:yeahthat: I wish I would have known about suretrak when my boys were young. They would get so frustrated that the tracks would not stay together. Really, that is the main time when kids use their train tables. By the time they are old enough to build their own tracks, the train table is useless, b/c the tracks they build are too big for the train table. So, the suretrak would be a VERY good investment.

[KrisM]

Does anyone know if the Kidkraft train sets are compatible with the Thomas the Train track pieces?

As far as I've found, all wooden track works with all wooden track.

[firsttimemama]

Does anyone know if the Kidkraft train sets are compatible with the Thomas the Train track pieces?

I think they are. But I'm not certain. A lot of times I don't see the point of buying Thomas brand track though - I buy Target brand track (if I had an Ikea local, I'd try theirs) - I save my "thomas money" for the Thomas trains - but only wooden, I do not like the plastic or metal "takealong" types. If you ask friends & family for Thomas I'd specify WOODEN thomas .. I have told my mother this and she keeps sending us every kind except wooden..

Anyway.. And I third, fourth, fifth the "SureTrack"

Oh, and a motorized Thomas that will pull the other trains around the track might be fun

[khalloc]

all great suggestions! Thanks so much. I am definitely going to get the Suretrak. And its helpful to know that tracks should work together.

[khalloc]

I wouldn't waste my money on Thomas track, but if someone gets it as a gift I would like to know if its compatible. Also, no Target here so thats out. The motorized train sounds like fun!

[brittone2]

I wouldn't waste my money on Thomas track, but if someone gets it as a gift I would like to know if its compatible. Also, no Target here so thats out. The motorized train sounds like fun!


2nd or 3rding that most wooden track is all compatible. We had an Ikea starter set when DS is young, and that's wooden w/ plastic connectors, and that is a little finicky when connecting it w/ other brands of track, but only on the curves. Otherwise all of our wooden track (kidkraft, Thomas, brio) all works fine together.

[mariza]

FYI, I bought some M&D tracks pieces and although they do work together, some of the pieces tend to get stuck together. I had a really hard time seperating a piece of M&D track from a Thomas track and ended up breaking it in the process. Lucky for me it was the M&D part that broke and DH was able to seperate the broken part from the Thomas piece after the fact. Just make sure they join together smoothly and don't force them together if they don't easily fit.