We recently spent an afternoon at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. If you haven't been there, it is a fabulous hands-on museum and my children loved it. (I could go on and on, but that's not the point of this post.)In one of the interactive areas for the younger children they had a Thomas & Friends Train Table. All the kids were drawn to it and I think that every child, boy and girl, who came into the large room played with the trains for a bit. Including my son. I couldn't take him away from it.
He must have stood at that table for at least 45 minutes. And every time I got him away, he somehow worked his way back. Needless to say that Thomas is topping our Christmas list this year!
The line of Thomas & Friends toys by Learning Curve is extensive. You can start small and add and add to it. Great for relatives who want to get your child a little something for his or her birthday or special occasion. I can see where it can be addicting and the combinations and configurations seem endless.
Wooden trains really are great for imaginative play. You can also add some of the new Talking Railway components to really bring the train experience to life.
Here are a few of the Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway toys that might be a good place to start:
Wooden Railway Water Tower Figure 8 Set
"A great introduction to Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway, this set includes an exclusive stone bridge, water tower and cargo car along with Thomas, Sir Topham Hatt and more. Assembled set measures 42" x 22"."
Talking Railway Cranky the Crane
"Like all cranes, Cranky has a high and mighty attitude which often annoys the engines! A crank lifts any available magnetic cargo."
Talking Railway James
and Talking Railway Percy
From the company:The new Talking Railway Series brings the world of Thomas & Friends to life like never before. With its built-in engine recognition technology, each Talking Railway Series vehicle activates personalized greetings from Sir Topham Hatt himself at Talking Railway Series destinations such as Cranky the Crane. Hear Sir Tophamm Hatt recognize the engines by name..."Rosie, you are right on time!" and "Hello, Percy" or "Thomas, you must stop at the red signal." The more Talking Railway engines and Talking Railway destinations you add, the more interactive your world becomes! The engines and destinations can be added to existing sets. The engines without RFID technology (such as those that come with the Figure 8 set) can still be used with the talking railway destinations; however, instead of personalized by name comments, such as “Percy, slow down,” Sir Tophamm Hat will say generic phrases like “You are right on time. Good job.”
Thomas & Friends Wooden Railways Sets and individual trains are widely available at retailers and online at Amazon.
