Wooden train set for little boys

[Fresh01]

HI,

Looking for some advice on wooden train sets - obviously a bit depends on the kid but what age do little boys get most use out of train sets? DS is 2 in January so he has x-mas and birthday very close together then a long wait till the following year. Just trying to work out if he will be too young this year and better to wait another year? DC4 is due the week before x-mas and all of the other 3 kids (2 other girls so limited "boy toys" in the house) have birthdays between end of October and end of January hence me starting to think about it all ridiculously early : )

If we do get him one this year what sort is a good starter set? Can all sets be added to in the future? Can Brio, Thomas, Chuggington trains all use the same tracks?

Thanks for any help.

Our oldest little boy was around 2 when he got a train table and set and used it straight away and then our 2nd boy started using it as soon as he was old enough to play properly with toys, so your little boy should be fine at his age (if he likes trains). Thomas and brio are all interchangeable - anything works as long as they're wooden so the wooden ikea trains also fit. The only Chuggington trains we have are plastic so don't fit on the tracks but that doesn't stop our boys from playing with them on the tracks anyway! Enjoy as trains give our boys hours of fun!

Hi, I have a 2yr 11m son who is obsessed with his wooden toy train track. Bought him first bits for his 2nd birthday and have added since. He has played with it EVERY day! We bought Big Jigs track (Amazon) and level crossing/bridge/tunnel, good quality but much cheaper than Brio. Ikea do a starter set but the connections are a bit plasticky.
We have a combination of BigJigs trains and Thomas Learning Curve trains (Thomas ' take along ' trains don't fit wooden tracks). Trains are often cheaper on eBay.
If your DS loves trains, I think it would be a great investment!

I bought my niece a wooden train set for her second birthday and as far as I know she has enjoyed it since then :)

Should also add that our oldest little boy is almost 5 and still plays with them (although not as much as much as his younger brother who is now almost 3) so we've definitely got our money's worth!

My DS got one for his first birthday and has literally played with it every single day since. He adores it with a passion I find slightly worrying. We just started with a brilliant one from Tescos (think it's called something like 56 piece wooden railway set and is about £10) and we've added bits and pieces to it - it's compatible with Ikea, Brio, wooden Thomas (but not Take along Thomas) and other random wooden makes. It's my top recommendation for this age!

If there is a Tesco extra near you then their train sets are compatible with the ELC ones and are much cheaper. The Ikea set just about fits too if you give it a bit of a push. Not sure about the Brio, I have heard they are compatible but not tried it myself. DD1 got her train set for her 2nd birthday and loved it.

My DS loves his wooden train set. I bought it when he was 2.5 and I was about to have my DD as I figured that he would play with it while I was busy with a newborn. It worked like a charm. He is 3.5 now and plays with it every day.

Our DS was 20m when he got his, we got masses from eBay for not too much, and have added to it from tesco, Ikea etc

Thank you for the replies, it sounds like it may not be too young. Also I think DD2 would still be into playing with it as well. He has shown an interest in DD2's Chuggington trains and played with a train set at a friends house recently.

Do the die-cast Chuggington and Thomas trains work fine on wooden tracks?

We have some thomas engines & tenders etc (learning the jargon begrudgingly) but can't comment on chuggington.