Can anyone recommend a good toy garage for a 2 year old?

[ilikeyoursleeves]

I'm looking for one for DS1, any recommendations very welcome!

[theslightlypeckishcaterpillar]

We have the Little People one, it's fab, by 15mo and 3 yo dds love it, hang on will try to find a link

[theslightlypeckishcaterpillar]

here it is

[jay11]

don't get one of these. They fall to pieces after about 5 minutes

[ilikeyoursleeves]

I saw this do you think it would fall apart too? The reviews of wooden ones all seem to say that!

Or there is the ELC one but it seems massive!

[Alarmbellsring]

I had that first one for my 2yr old dd. Was rubbish.

The lift was really stiff, which meant she couldn't do so everytime she played with it I had to keep winding the lift up and down else she would have a breakdown. I hid it as soon as I could.

Wooden one are rubbish IMHO. I am going to get dd a plastic one where the cars can fly down a curly ramp, much more fun for her

[MarioandLuigi]

The ELC is fab, and its not too expensive at £40

[chegirlwithbellson]

I just got one from WH Smiths for a tenner.

Its basic and wooden and only little so may not be what you are after. I only wanted a small one cos I cant be arsed with big toys anymore

I seemed to be trapped on mumsnet so cant check the link to see if its the rubbish one.

(help me, help me, I cant get on facebook or check my emails)

[midnightexpress]

We had a wooden one and I eventually chucked it in the bin because it fell apart every 5 mins and drove me nuts. We got the ELC one for ds1's birthday, and it's been great. It's monstruous, big, plastic and all those things that the ponces amongst us despise (myself included) but hey, I'm afraid I've long given up on my vision of a house full of nice wooden toys and not a scrap of plastic. Hey ho. The boys both love it.

[midnightexpress]

Oh and it came with a box of about 25 cars (which we need like a hole in the head, but again, was v popular with the chaps and gave ds2 something to open on ds1's birthday).

[magnolia74]

Elc big city garages is well worth the money. We had the fisher price one but you could only use certain cars on it. The elc one is by far the best and better for older ones as well as the younger so should last longer.

[simpson]

I got ELC one (but not the one Ilikeyoursleeves linked to) the other one.

DS was 2 at the time (he is now 4) and DD now nearly 2 plays with it.

Its nice and sturdy

Well worth the money.

And the chunky cars that link together with magnets are fab for small hands!!

[ilikeyoursleeves]

I've been looking online all night and thinking of going for the masseeeeeeeeeeve ELC big city garage. My only concern is the size since we are already awash with toys! But I know my DS will love it and that's the main thing

[Tikkabillajive]

I've just got one for my boy who is 2 just after Christmas - I spent AGES working out which one to buy - a friend's has the wooden one you linked to and my friend said she wouldn't recommend it (it's being replaced by a plastic one this Christmas!) But the Fisher Price one and the ELC whizzaround one seemed a bit babyish and the Big City one seemed too massive.

Anyway, I finally settled on a Wader one, as they have one at DS's nursery - I couldn't find them in the UK but got one from this German website - only paid 5 euros for delivery and it came within 10 days. He hasn't played with it yet obviously but it seems great - quite compact and light yet very sturdy, nice bright colours and most importantly two whizzy ramps! The cars that come with it look a bit rubbish though but I don't think that matters!

[mellifluouscauliflower]

My mother in law bought this one from ELC 3 years ago for my son.

It's great and all the kids that come round love it: it has a lift, whizzy ramps, a barrier and a car wash. All the cars link up with magnets so they can all go down together.

Actually may son and his mate were up there playing with it tonight - even though they are now 5 and really a bit big for it.

[mellifluouscauliflower]

Sory don't know why link doesn't work www.elc.co.uk/toy/whizz-around-garage/

[maxybrown]

WE have got the wooden elc one and seems very sturdy. It is also second hand so already been well tested and is still fab. We also managed to get a big box of the magnetic wooden cars and the road that attaches to it....although DS is car mad and already has a big toy box devoted to cars

[cloudydaze]

We have the Fisher Price Little People one. It's now almost 3 yrs old & is basically climbed on daily by both a 3 & 2 yr old boy & is still going strong! Would recommend it. Has the ramp/lift/car wash etc too though I'm pretty sure that they have slightly redesigned it since we got it. The Fisher Price toys do seem to be very durable as I bought a 2nd hand farm which must be about 10 yrs old & it also is going strong

[Tikkabillajive]

Did you decide which one to go for ilikeyoursleeves?

[ilikeyoursleeves]

Hiya Tikka, I bought the 'big city' one from ELC the other day YIPPEE! DS was with me at the time, he and his baby brnow!ther were in the front of the trolley in Mothercare while I sneaked it in the trolley so they wouldn't see it. Unfortunately I think DS clocked it when it was scanned but I swiftly shoved some leaflets in his lap to divert attention LOL.

I can't wait to set it all up on Christmas Eve now!

[Tikkabillajive]

Oh that's great - it's so exciting when you've got something you just know they are going to love isn't it! Hope he has lots of fun playing with it!

[frecklyspeckly]

just given away ds garage as he is 7 so has been in shed for 3 years.. hope whoever buys it from charity shop is as excited as you are and their dc's love it....

sob...

yearns for ds to be three again...

[frecklyspeckly]

just given away ds garage as he is 7 so the garage has been in shed for 3 years...(unplayed with) hope whoever buys it from charity shop is as excited as you are and their dc's love it....

sob...

yearns for ds to be three again...

[Vicky81]

So which should I get for my Son for xmas who will be 2 tomorrow ELC Big City or Little People Garage?