Just saw an ad for this on tv - checking the website, they have tons of expansion and add-on stuff. Could be cool for somebody’s grandchild!
http://www.fisher-price.com/us/products/product.asp?id=22045
This has been a good system to transition from Brio style trains. The kids have a nice track system and trains that have some degree of remote operation. One thing I’ve noticed with younger kids is they like to change around the tracks to make “new” layouts. The next “logical” step would be basic Lego train sets which allows them to build there cars/locos as well as “scenery”. If they are still interested at this point, moving on to classic electric train sets is more likely to “stick”.
Heck, why these inbetween steps. [;)] Bring home a Lionel Thomas or let them ‘help’ or run something of theirs on your layout.
Doug, they like to re-arrange the track. This is what’s great about the Brio and Geotrax systems. FastTrack is easier to deal with than conventional toy train track, but the stuff still isn’t kid friendly, at least not for little kids. While running trains is fun, building a layout, no matter how temproary, can really get them hooked.
What an awesome trainset for the little ones. I agree whole heartily that the kids love to rearrange the layout constantly and also interact wiith the trains/accessories. The idea of crawling around on the floor with manual switches or accessoriesdoesn’t phase them at all. In fact they prefer it! My 7 and 10 year olds still will play for hours with the brio in one sitting and can only stand the O gauge layout for about 15 minutes before they are “bored”. There’s just not enough interaction for them. This may change as I get more opperating accessories, but my son still would prefer taking the tops off the boxcars filling it with stuff by hand, and driving to a new location only to take it out and start over again. Kids just have a different way of interacting with their toys than we do. I love the remote uncoupler, my son would rather crawl over/under the table and do it by hand. . .Go figure. . .
I agree with you - just look at how many times they rearranged their wooden track.
Never mind the kids, how many times have YOU rearranged you layout this year? It’s been three times for me up to now (of course, I don’t do much scenery).
I think one of the funniest things I saw with a couple of kids playing with a Brio style set was one kid pushing the train along (the younger one) and the other one picking up track behind the “train” and placing in front. They were actually moving from room to room, routing track around furniture. The “game” was to see how far/long they could go without hitting a wall or some other insurmountable obstacle. I think they made it trough three rooms in something like 15-20 minutes before they ran out of real estate! Not bad for a couple of toddlers.