Great Gift Ideas for Children Who Like Trains
Present Suggestions for Kids Who Love Steam Engines and Trains
Dec 3, 2008
Trains hold a special fascination for children, particularly three to seven year old boys. There are a variety of gift possibilities suitable for children with a particular interest in engines, trains and railways.
Thomas the Tank Engine Books and Products
The obvious choice for young children who like trains, there is a range of story and activity books, games, toys and various household items related to Thomas that will appeal to young fans.
There is a variety of different tracks with Take-Along Thomas, wooden and larger scale track all available but not interchangeable. Duplo also make Thomas engines and track, with kits including Thomas, James, Percy, Toby, Spencer, Cranky the Crane and Harold the Helicopter.
Thomas board games, card games and puzzles can be a great way to entice young Thomas fans to try different activities. Games include variations of traditional favourites such as Snakes and Ladders (Tracks and Tunnels). There are several board games and activities that promote early letter and number recognition skills.
Thomas the Tank Engine colouring-in, activity and sticker books are sure to delight fans and are generally inexpensive. Some of the activity books are best suited to children with moderate drawing ability who are already able to recognise letters and numbers.
Thomas books include the original Railway Series stories by Rev. W. V. Awdry, My Thomas Story Library and a range of books suitable for helping to develop early reading skills and recognition of colours, shapes, time and other basic concepts suitable for preschoolers.
Trains and Train Tracks for Young Children
While hobby shop model railway kits may tempt parents, these are too expensive and fragile to be handled regularly by young children. In addition to the variety of Thomas the Tank Engine trains and tracks, there are several other brands suitable for young hands.
Imaginarium, Brio, Eichhorn and several other companies produce wooden track that is compatible with the wooden Thomas tracks. Imaginarium and other more generic products in particular can be significantly less expensive than the branded products and as such are ideal for expanding an existing collection.
A variety of plastic tracks and engines are also available. Check the locking mechanisms on tracks to make sure that they can be easily assembled by young children without risk of breaking off small connector pieces.
Simple wooden train kits are available at many toy retailers and are fun projects for young children to complete with a parent. Other construction ideas include Happy Mais kits, which are ecologically friendly and require no glue to connect coloured cornstarch-based pellets into a variety of shapes.
Books about Trains and Railways
Many children are just as interested in general books about trains and railways as they are in Thomas the Tank Engine. If buying general non-fiction books for young children, ensure that they have a large number of photographs and images. Books such as Jim Powe’s Trains and Railways of Australia [New Holland, 2008] are ideal.
There are several popular train picture books and series that will appeal to young readers. These include:
- Tootle by Gertrude Crampton [Golden Books, 1945]
- The Little Red Caboose by Marian Potter [Golden Books, 1953]
- Adventures of the Little Red Train series by Benedict Blathwayt
- The Polar Express by Chris van Allsburg [Houghton Miffler Company, 1985]
- A variety of different versions of The Little Engine that Could
There is a variety of image-heavy train enthusiast magazines that might also appeal to younger children. Check second-hand bookshops to pick up some bargains.
Train-Themed Gifts for Young Children
Whether looking for toys, books, games, puzzles, bath towels, bed lamps or craft activities, it is easy to find train and railway-themed items to suit all ages and tastes at either a local department store or a favourite online retailer.
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