All Aboard the Playtime Train

Twenty three years ago I had my first born son Joe.  He was a typical little boy who loved trucks, planes, cars and trains.  Being my first baby, I enjoyed spoiling him by buying him all the latest toys.  Over the years dozens of plastic toys went by the wayside.  Fads and crazes came and went, but one type of toy endured.

A wooden train set that I purchased in the early nineties remained a favourite plaything across the years.  It was added to and expanded, then played with by each and every subsequent sibling that came after him, who has joined in chugging the little engines round the train tracks, stopping at stations, going under and over bridges and enjoying the odd derailment!

Wooden Train Sets are a perfect toy for little ones.  They are robust and sturdy and able to contend with the most boisterous of toddler activity.  Unlike a mechanical train set, there are no batteries or electronics to contend with.  The track fits together like a jigsaw puzzle which in itself is educational and fun.  Whether you go for a loop, a figure of eight or something even more elaborate, constructing the track helps improve motor skills and spatial awareness.  Once the track is in place, the scope for imaginative play is limitless. With accessories such as people, trees, buildings, bridges, tunnels, vehicles and stations, a whole wooden world can be created by your little ones.  A world ready to be enjoyed!

Our train set has grown over the years and is now loved by 3 year old Freddy.  The whole love of trains runs in our family.  My grandfather was a guardsman who told us stories about eating bacon and eggs cooked on a shovel over the fire in the engine's fire box.  My dad is a real steam train buff who remembers fondly waiting by the railway tracks hoping to catch a glimpse of The Mallard as a young child. It is no surprise that my children are train enthusiasts.   The love of trains is timeless!

One brand of wooden train set currently on the market is BigJigs which is available to buy from Wooden Toyshop.  They offer one of the most complete Wooden Railway Systems available.  It is compatible with other leading brands meaning that you can add their products to existing sets. Starter sets are a perfect introduction to wooden trains for young children.  Typically they include enough track for a simple loop or a figure of eight configuration and include a chunky train and carriages and include a few accessories to start a toddler's railway adventures!

The scope for imaginative role play increases with the more elaborate sets like the BigJigs Town and Country Train Set.  Introducing level crossings, switching track and elevated bridges, BigJigs give children plenty of opportunity to build their own setting, positioning the trees, buildings, vehicles and people around the track.  Whole stories can be invented and played out with the trains playing a central role in the town and country scenario.

My favourite wooden train set is the BigJigs Freight Train Set comprising of 130 pieces of railway landscaping.  It is intricate and will inspire hours of imaginative play.  The triple train shed, the crane, the freight and goods wagons allow the re-enactment of the comings and goings of a busy industrial area.

The BigJigs Wooden Train Sets and accessories are the perfect choice for introducing children to a traditional toy that will last for years to come.  Great quality, great value and great scope for imaginative play.

**This may be a featured post but the love of trains is all mine :)**

The Perfect Toy for Daddy's Little Helper

Wooden Toy Shop is an online site selling contemporary, traditional, classic and modern wooden toys for children of all ages.  The toys are are eco-friendly and built to last ensuring years of play value.  Stocking toys from well known brands such as Pintoy and John Crane, alongside less well known brands that produce beautifully crafted handmade wooden toys and furniture, their range is extensive.  With excellent customer service and free delivery to the UK mainland, Wooden Toy Shop is the perfect place to buy wooden toys.

We were delighted to be offered the chance to review a Pintoy Tool Box from woodentoybox.co.uk.  I am a big fan of Pintoy Toys.  I love the quality, craftsmanship and play value of their traditional wooden toys.

When it arrived I was pleased to see the packaging was not excessive and was mostly recyclable.  The set itself contained a sturdy wooden tool box, with a screwdriver, spanner and hammer along with a selection of nuts, bolts, screws and nails.  They were all perfect for little hands to hold!  All the bits fitted into the tool box for storage and could be carried from job to job by Freddy.

He immediately grabbed the hammer and banged the wooden nails into the holes.  With some encouragement he worked out how to put screws into the screw holes on the tool box and use the screwdriver to turn them.  I could see him using hand eye co-ordination and developing his fine motor skills as he used the tools.  He used problem solving strategies as he figured out how the nuts and bolts went together.

Freddy loved playing with his Daddy and the scope for role playing is great.  Freddy recognised the tools from watching Handy Manny on the Disney Junior channel...I can see a few games being based around his favourite handy man!!

Priced at £24.45 it is a good value toy that will last for years to come.  Freddy loves it and it will give him practice for when he's being Daddy's Little Helper!