My parents want to get DS a wooden train set for his 2nd bday. Is brio really worth the cost? It would be nice to have one that we can add to as he gets bigger and that is compatible with other sets.
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My mom got this for her house for my sons 1st Christmas and nephews 2nd Christmas. My son is now 3 and it's one of the highlights of going to granny's house. She has the Thomas wooden trains to go with it.
https://m.toysrus.com/product?productId=19375186
This summer we got LO a few sets of wooden tracks from IKEA. The wooden thomas trains are compatible.
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Brio brand, nope -- but the wood ones are nice to have because they're all interchangeable/intercompatible so you can add on almost endlessly if your kid is a fan. We have https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NR8MD2U plus a few specialty pieces (mostly Orbium brand) like y, k, and T junctions and a bridge. Over/underpasses and hills are the most exciting thing for my kid.
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@jhd: awesome thanks!!
@lilyofthewest: good point about the overpasses and underpasses! Kid loves tunnels right now!
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We bought a Brio figure 8 track, and then an Orbium expansion pack that included an overpass. I don't notice any difference in quality between the sets.
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We had brio growing up and it's still going strong 35 years later...so it is good quality, but we have some other pieces and they're fine.
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ikea! they are extremely affordable (so can get a few sets to make a huge train track) and they are standard size, so can mix and match with most brands of other wooden tracks. while you're at ikea pick up a clear plastic storage box for storage. to augment the sets we bought a few three pronged tracks from nicer toy stores to be able to make different configurations. they are usually 2-4$ each.
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@peaches1038: Following! We want to do this for DS eventually as well!
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@jhd: I was going to say IKEA because the wooden Thomas works with them.
My son and niece both have IKEA and love them. I live the price!
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@ALV91711: can't beat the price! And I see they just added some new pieces like a bridge and shed.
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Orbium!!!! We have them and fill in with a few Thomas branded engines and DS loves them! FWIW, we also got this playmat instead of a train table:
Thomas the Train Play Mat HD Digital Thomas and Friends Railway Road Rug Kids Bedding Area Rugs, 40" x 54" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F326E0O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_rk6iodI1I5CFz
Having the playmat was great for days DS didn't want to build the wooden tracks or for early on when he was still getting the hang of how to use the wooden tracks. -
This set was the first for both boys:
https://smile.amazon.com/Ikea-300-643-59-LILLABO-20-Piece-Multicolor/dp/9178889421
Since then, we've gotten a million expansion pieces and as many Thomas trains as we can get!
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We have a BRIO and a few Ikea add-ons. I recommend buying a BRIO electric locomotive - it's strong, good quality and can withstand endless abuse.
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I think you can do whatever for the actual tracks....you basically need a set that has a mix of curves and straight pieces. I got a set on Amazon for around $50 and it had a bunch of track pieces. We quickly found that in order to make an expansive track, you need a lot of straight pieces and some more complicated connectors.
The fun part for my son was the add on pieces, the stations, turntables, garages. This is where we spent a bit of money and it has been worth it.
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This was our first set. I have yet to find a wooden set that isn't compatible with others. We now have the above Kidkraft, Thomas pieces, Brio pieces, and some offbrand pieces and they all work together seamlessly. I will say that the Thomas ones seem slightly better quality (we were gifted these) but really any wooden set you start with should work well with other brands.
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We got this one for ds’s second bday. It’s $99 for the table and set. Can’t beat the price! It’s held up well and he plays with it every day (frequently tossing the pieces across the room 🤦♀️)
KidKraft Waterfall Mountain Train Set and Table https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000KEPCQI/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_QD60zbNWTCGDG -
@Portboston: Dying. That one is ADORABLE.
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