Starting with Hot Wheels

[Ms B]

The Biscuit's 4th birthday is coming up and parents/ILs/DB/etc. want to know what to get him. One of his teachers got a screaming deal on a Hot Wheels set during the Target toy clearance over the winter (I think it is this one: http://smile.amazon.com/Hot-Wheels-Track-Builder-Takeover/dp/B00IQ8MVMI/ref=sr_1_11?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1435067223&sr=1-11&keywords=hot+wheels, but she only paid $15 for it because the box was damaged) and they pulled it out at school last week on a rainy day.

They have reported that The Biscuit luuuurrrved it and now asks to play with it daily. The Biscuit already has a few Hot Wheels/Matchbox cars in the house and I remember DBs playing with theirs heavily until they were 7 or 8, so I figure it's time.

Of course, I know nothing about Hot Wheels and DH would be happy buying each and every set they offer and taking over the house, so we could use some guidance.

Any suggestions on which set or sets to start with? How many cars is enough (or too many)? Bonus points for items that can be put on The Biscuit's Amazon wish list so that we can direct the out of town family that way.

TIA!

[keh602]

DS2 just received this (http://www.amazon.com/Hot-Wheels-Builder-Spiral-Stack-Up/dp/B00MYWGC36/ref=pd_sim_21_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=0PTKZ4ESSJPKAXJJXK1W) for his third birthday, and he plays with it every day. It needs to be rebuilt from time to time because it's meant to be taken apart and reconfigured, but it's a lot of fun and not super expensive. We have a TON of cars. It's fun to pick one up a new one at the store for 97 cents on occasion. My boys also love the Star Wars line of Hot Wheels and have been collecting those. Both boys will experiment to see which cars work best on each part of the track, and DS2 will spend quite a bit of time just lining up his cars. Hours of entertainment. :)

For Christmas last year, DS2 got a little Hot Wheels set that folds up. I thought he was too young, but he LOVED it. It just had one little spiral, but even now he'll pull that one out and play with it. We also have Blu Track (http://www.amazon.com/Blu-Track-7-Expandable-Set/dp/B008CQZUIG/ref=sr_1_21?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1435070139&sr=1-21&keywords=portable+hot+wheels+track) that we can set up. Ours is really long, but I don't remember exactly how long. It's nice that it can be rolled up and put away, but it involves a lot of parental involvement every time to set it up. You can set up a neat track that way though.

[carolinacool]

Not a track, by my 5.5 loves the activity mats with roads. He has this one from Ikea.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20101871/

He got this Hot Wheels bath toy (http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=19004926&camp=PLAPPCG-_-PID15088172:TRUS&cagpspn=plat_15088172&eESource=CAPLA_DF:19004926:TRUS)for his last birthday and likes it as well. And he got this (http://www.amazon.com/Matchbox-Cliff-Hangers-Station-Playset/dp/B005XTLPAC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435081899&sr=8-1&keywords=matchbox+fire+station) for his 4th birthday and played with it a lot initially.

Hot Wheels and Cars (from the movie) are seriously the only toys he plays with besides sports stuff. People have given him sets for three years now because they know how much he loves Hot Wheels and the like, and he tends to play with them a few times and he's done. He always goes back to the mat or just driving them on the edge of our console table (I gave up that fight a while ago). Several of them require some help to set up, which I think contributes to him not playing. If you have a place where you can leave them set up, that will probably help a lot.

[SnuggleBuggles]

When ds1 was little, Matchbox had these awesome fold up playsets. They were like this but smaller http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00CKH9URK/ref=mp_s_a_1_29?qid=1435091511&sr=8-29&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=matchbox
We have a set like that and it's pretty fun too.

Eta- like this http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000BN4FD4/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1435091663&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SY200_QL40&keywords=matchbox+folding+playset&dpPl=1&dpID=31Jd3xgOIaL&ref=plSrch plus some smaller ones