Train Set

I'd wanted to get Aaron a train set for awhile. Kim or I will sometimes take him to toy stores with train sets just to pass the time. He has liked playing with train sets for months. I wanted to get him a wooden train set and had looked at several brands online. Plan Toys and Brio are two that I remember having high quality sets. I wanted something that will survive a couple of children and that can be passed down to grandchildren some day. But the good ones tend to be expensive.

But then several weeks ago, a local children's boutique toy store that carried the Play Toys line went out of business. I was sad, but I quickly discovered that the 40% off on all toys made the Plan Toys train set nearly affordable. Or at least much cheaper than the lowest price I've seen online. So we splurged and bought it for Aaron's birthday. I could hardly wait to get it out and set it up, but forced myself to wait until his birthday.

I followed the complex instructions to set up the multi-level train set on the coffee table while Aaron napped. When it was done, it was beautiful. The following pictures show his initial reaction to it.

Above, Thom attempts to show Aaron how it works.

The following pictures show that he was still unclear on the concept.

He parks the trains the same way he parks his menagerie of vehicles.

The elaborate track setup did not last long. I found myself following him around to fix the track as he moved the supports about. Within 2 days, I took it apart and fashioned a simpler track with just one small hill (that he still destroys nearly daily). He has also since learned how to put the trains on the track, although mostly he motors them around the entire table, through the mountains and over onto other furniture. As long as it engages him, I'm happy.