“Choo, Choo, Here I Come”

Delightful Ride On Trains For 2- 4 Year Olds

Since my twin boys could walk and talk they have had a real fascination with trains. For Christmas, we decided to get them a ride on train each and they are still enjoying playing with them eight months on. They love the noises they make, the freedom of going where they want and at speed!!

Why being a train driver is good for you.

Ride on trains require balance and hand/eye co-ordination. These are the requirements for a toddler train engineer.

Ride on trains will improve a child’s large motor skills and manipulative skills.

They will also increase children’s speech and language by encouraging conversation regarding trains and introducing new vocabulary.

Ride on trains will also improve children’s self esteem and therefore make them more confident, independent and outgoing.

Children are set to gain a wealth of play opportunities and values from playing with ride on trains. Children’s cognitive skills will be improved, as they think about how things work and why!

Also, ride on trains will encourage color and number recognition, as children count the carriages and name the colours.

As well as the above co operative, solitary and make believe play will also be gained from the ride on train experience.

What to look for when choosing your train.

• When buying a ride on train, ensure that it is age related to your child and also take note of the age limit. I found that some ride on trains can tip over as a child starts to near their weight limit.

• The electric ride on trains are very safe with regards to where the electrics are but just double check that they cannot be reached by a child and that they are safely locked away.
• When choosing wooden ride on trains, make sure the materials are non toxic and made by a reputable manufacturer.
• When you pick a ride on train just look at how easy it is to work and what special features and noises it has to offer, as these will all have an impact as to what play opportunities are available to your toddler

 

Don’t forget!

Three important points

• Most ride on trains will need some assembly and this may take between 10 minutes to an hour depending on your selection.
• Just check that, if batteries are required, they are included – as with some ride on trains this isn’t the case.
• Some of the electric ride on trains do require a lot of floor space. Please ensure you keep this in mind when selecting your loco.

Here are the Ride on Train toys we have reviewed…

Santa Fe Train

All Aboard! The Santa Fe express train is quite a high value train, but well worth the money.

It consists of two cars, a battery and charger, plus 6X8” track. The express comes complete with real life whistle sounds.

Your child will gain lots of fun and enjoyment from this special ride on train as well as encouraging hand/eye coordination, color and number recognition and also providing a blank canvas for various play opportunities.

Well worth the price.

Check out these Ride on Train toys

Retro Train Rocker

A potential family heirloom!
This beautiful rocker is finely crafted from hard maple and birch ply and finished to a high gloss.

It has delightful handlebars and a wonderful seat for your little one – and also has room for Teddy!

This very special ride on train does require some assembly and comes complete with instructions.

This ride on train offers many play opportunities such as make believe and active play.

This toy also encourages hand/eye co ordination and improves balance. It is also easy to clean and will last for years.

This ride on train is absolutely adorable. I’m sure it will be passed down through the generations of its family owners.

 

Winnie The Pooh Choo Choo Ride On

This wonderful ride on train is brightly colored and comes with a bubble blowing Winnie the Pooh at the front.
Pooh bear can be heard talking while some of his friends keep popping up and down.

This ride on train comes complete with engine and whistle sounds and there’s also a colorful roller and a light that blinks.

It also includes a train helmet for your little train driver.

The benefits your child will gain from this toy are endless. These include, improving manipulative and gross motor skills, confidence building and self esteem, balance and hand /eye co ordination and also values from make believe and active play.

So much to see, learn and do.
See these Ride on Train toys

Thomas & Friends – Battery Operated Track Rider Train

Hurray, Thomas the Train is here! What could be better than to have a ride on train that is your favorite character too?

Your toddler will recognize Thomas in his bright blue livery and can sit comfortably in the seat on Thomas’ tender. A six feet diameter track is included.

This is a battery powered ride on train and can ride on the track provided; carpets or hard surfaces.

Thomas is designed for inside and outside use.

Thomas can speed along at up to two mph and has a push button on/off switch. This toy has electronic train sounds for added realism.

This Number One engine can be found here.

BRIO Track and Stack City Set

This wooden train set comes with a host of other bits and pieces including railroad bridges, an engine and engineer, carriages, train station, signs and trees.

It is very colorful and easy to set up and the best thing about it is you can buy extras for it and add them on.

The train set also comes complete with a ‘ding dong’ bell and a newspaper stand. It is very easy to clean and the pieces are very solid and will stand the test of time.

Train sets allow children to express themselves through play and allow them to vent any emotions they may have through their play.

They also encourage children’s speech and language to develop by increasing conversation and also vocabulary.

This is a wonderful starter train set.