Wooden train set - age and safety?

[cherubimandseraphim]

DD is just two and I'm trying to decide if we should get her a wooden train set for Christmas (faux-Brio style probably as Brio you expensive! ) However all the ones I can find are 3+ (choking hazards?) Is this something I should be worried about/leave until she's 3? She does still occasionally put things in her mouth, but I'm presuming the safety ratings are in case wheels were to come off, etc.) What have others done?

How old is she?
DS2 adored DS1's train track from about 18 months.
He didn't put the trains in his mouth, and we removed all the little barriers and signposts etc.

megablocks do a train set that is 2+, iirc

She's only just turned two so still a year under the age recommendation. I think she would like one but we'd probably have to supervise carefully in case of wheels coming off, etc. I'll take a look at the megablocks one!

Really? Ds2 is 3 and has playing with ds1 brio for ages. Since crawling age I would think. It never occurred to me it would be unsafe.

I guess it would be good to know if the age/safety recommendation is on the overly cautious side or if there is any real danger. It's hard to tell with some toys!

Never had a brio train come apart, and ds can be rough with his toys (they fall off a lot of mountains and need rescuing by his crane ). However we had a bigjigs set where the train wheels did come off after a few weeks of play. In fact the bigjigs set in general hasn't lasted as well as the brio so the brio is worth the extra imo. Ds got his first brio set at about 18 months I think.

Can't comment on how sturdy other brands are.

Both DCs here had wooden train set from around 18mo.

I would say it's over cautious for 3+ tbh. With both children they probably played with it most between 18months-3 years, and now at 3 ( almost 4), and 4 (almost 5), they still play with it but nowhere near as often as now like tiny pieces more.

Oh and ds (3) plays with regular little Lego now also.

IKEA do a set that is much cheaper but very study

They usually only say 3+ because manufacturers don't want the cost of testing it for under 3s. DS has been playing with his almost constantly since he was 18-20 months I think and we've never had an issue with any of it. Ours is a mix of ikea, brio, plan city and big jigs as they all fit together. Nothing has fallen apart yet. One bit was loose once so I removed it and re-glued. Just have to keep an eye out but honestly it's pretty harmless!

In terms of engines, we've only had the ikea or Thomas ones and all have been fine as well.

Go for it!

Yes many toys say 3+ as the testing for under 3 ratings cost far more. Hence most toys say 0+ or 3+, very little says from 1/2years

3+! Ds1 got his first set at a year old so obviously dd and ds2 were playing with it very early (though when a newly mobile baby trashes the track and hits siblings on the head with the nice long chunks of wood it gets messy). Ds2 is 2 and a half and a dab hand at building tracks.

We have a big mix of ikea/brio/ big jigs/thomas etc and it's been well played with by my 3 (ds2 since e could crawl to get hold of it !) plus lots of it was already second hand and we havnt had any problems with bits coming off.

We have the ikea one, DS got it for his third birthday but DD's also play with it sometimes and the youngest is two. I think the 3+ recommendation is generally over cautious tbh. The 'risk' I guess is chewing on the trains, a wheel coming off and choking. Especially if you're supervising that's highly unlikely to happen.

My ds got a train set from asda and he played with it when he was 18 months he loved it. He's getting an ikea one for Christmas from my Sister and her husband and they're really study and go with most other sets, it's only about £8 as well so pretty cheap

hth

My ds has had his since 2 and a half, dd is 10 months and has 'played' safely with it since she could sit up.

Make sure little wheels are secure, discourage mouthing and supervise, but not one to worry about too much. Baby dd likes running the trains along the ground and banging the tracks together. Tbh it's one of the toys I can let them both play with together and not be too stressed over. Except when the baby rampages all over ds's nice layout

Yy, as to brand get a cheap basic set up from a Tesco for about a tenner, them add tunnels, bridges, cranes and other fancy bits from Bigjigs, Brio etc. It all fits. Ikea is the only one with a slight issue as the connectors are a bit different, but they still kind of work.

Wilko also do individual peices (bridges, straights and curves) for pennies which can be added to any sets. The IKEA set is great too.

Thanks everyone - this is all very helpful! I have some JL vouchers my parents gave me and had seen a faux-brio set there that I was thinking about - does anyone have their version and have any comments about it (does that one match up with the tesco, brio ones too?)