Toy train sets have been part of childhood for a long time. They are the quintessential Christmas gift and boyhood hobby. What Christmas tree is complete without a toy train steaming around its base?
Constructing the tracks and playing with toy trains helps your child develop their minds, promote critical thinking skills, and, most important of all, it's an activity that parents and children can enjoy together. Building train sets is a time-consuming hobby, and it demands attention to detail and care from you and your child. It gives you and your a long-term goal that you can work on together periodically. Playing with toy trains will help your child to learn the importance of making continuous progress, of working hard, and watching their efforts come to fruition in a tangible way.
LEGO train set kits are an excellent choice for a child just getting into playing with toy trains. LEGO trains are big and clunky so they can be easily manipulated by clumsy child hands. The first LEGO trains didn't have power. They used kid power to get around the track. These days, there are electric LEGO trains which can be almost as complicated and interesting as conventional toy train sets. So may kids and adults have gotten into LEGO trains that there are clubs being formed around the country. One of the key features of LEGO train sets is the variety of set-ups you can create with just one set. Due to the nature of the LEGO system, an almost endless array of designs is possible. Another important feature is that LEGO train sets don't use electricity running through the tracks to power the trains. LEGO trains are battery-powered which makes them safer than conventional toy train sets. Another unique feature of LEGO trains is that they are controlled remotely with infrared controllers which work similarly to your television remote!
If you're more interested in the classic sort of toy train set, your options are almost limitless. As you may recall, toy trains are available in a number of scale sizes. The most popular sizes are labeled HO and N. HO is 1:87 scale. HO is known to be relatively trouble-free and easy to use. There are a huge number of products available for this size. N scale is another popular size. It's 1:160. N scale is popular because it's easier to build really long trains which are similar to the mile plus long trains you see in real life. These aren't the only sizes, of course. Scale runs the gamut from tiny trains to train big enough to ride around your yard! One scale growing in popularity is known as Garden Gauge. In addition to train scale you need to consider track gauge. While scale is the ratio of the size of the toy relative to the real thing, gauge tells you the distance between the rails on the train track.
Toy trains are a fun way for you to spend time with your child. They're also educational and encourage your child's curiousness as well as teaches them discipline and good work habits so they can see their efforts pay off.
Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as toys and games at http://www.toysplusgames.com.
