My sister’s kids had out grown there Thomas the Tank Engine wooden train set and have passed it on to me for my kids. I never had a chance to play with these growing up, but my youngest son at the age of 2-3 at the time was immediately drawn to it. Initially he would build simple configurations, but as we began to add more pieces he would build more interesting formations.

It was great to see him develop, everyday I would come home from work and he would have a new layout with some creative solutions. I can clearly see his problem solving and even engineering skills develop. This was at an age when Lego pieces were too small for him as he did get a piece stuck up his nose once before. So one way to stimulate your young child’s mind can be with Thomas the Tank engine wooden train sets.

Tip: Definitely get the wooden sets for your kid. They cost more but the quality and compatibility will get more uses out of it. Many of the Thomas plastic set toys utilize smaller trains/tracks and are not always compatible with different sets.