Hotwheels

[fasterthanthewind]

DS (6) has announced he really really wants hot wheels stuff for christmas.

It's crazily expensive! And how on earth do I work out what to get? Does it need special cars (we don't have millions - he's never been that into toy cars...)

advice from enthusiasts please please please!

We don't have any of the expensive sets thankfully but DS does have some hot wheels cars, they seem the same size as most of the others he has.

The cars are fine.
By and large the sets are shit. We've had several, including a useless wall track, none have worked. I refuse to buy anymore because our experience has been so bad. I can't understand how hot wheels are still in business.

I think there was a post earlier that recommended a couple of the better tracks, might be worth having a look for it?

DS2 is 10 and has been obsessed with hot wheels since he was your son's age. He has gathered several sets as presents but TBH doesn't really play with them as sets but uses them to create his own tracks.

They're not cheap but imo have been good value and well used. Very robust too unlike cheaper toy cars and few working parts so things don't tend to get broken/stop working.

I would recommend a set of 8/10? cars that are I think around £10 in Argos and the track bundle which is designed for him to be creative. I think it's about £25 but is very good value on Amazon ATM!

I was recommended this last year on Mumsnet for my little boy. It has been really good and played with a lot - you can build it in lots of various ways and there are no batteries!

Should have also said is £20 and comes with a car

oh that's v helpful, thank you.

the track pack - does it not have a battery powered bit to launch the cars though? i can't think how it works/what it does otherwise!

My DS (nearly 6) had this track for Christmas last year and it has been brilliant - it has 4 lanes, and as the first car passes certain points it triggers a spring which ejects the other cars - meaning only the fastest one makes it to the bottom. It doesn't need any batteries and can also be folded away easily which is a bonus. If you keep an eye out in supermarkets the cars are often reduced to around 80p each, I occasionally buy them as treats, bribes etc. But you could start him off with a pack of 5 or 10 as others have said.

No the track pack has a launcher thing, which is basically an elastic band type contraption so you pull back something and it fires the car off - it can then go round the track - over jumps, round the loop the loop. There is also a clamp which you can attach to a table then gravity moves the car round the track, round the loop the loops/ jumps etc depending on how you set it up.