My Almost 7 Year Old Wants A Train Table

[summerrluvv]

My son will be 7 in January. He saw a train table set at Toys R Us and he really wants it for xmas. It looks nice, the price is good, and the reveiews are great. The reviews are all from parents of 2 and 3 year olds though. I'm perplexed, as I know he will grow out of this soon. I don't want to spend $129.00 for it to collect dust in six months KWIM? He is somewhat immature though and prefers the more "babyish" toys, so I just don't know. Does anyone have an "older" child that plays with theirs still?

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

My DS is seven and has a train table plus miles of track and Thomas cars engines etc. We even visited "Thomas" in Strasburg PA for 5 years in a row. This summer was the first time DS didn't want to go.

On to your question. DS rarely plays with his train table now. He'll pull the stuff out every once in a while , since the table is still in my living room, but its a rarity. He did ask for a couple Thomas things for Christmas, but then I point out that Santa get it all and the things he takes off his list are the Thomas things. When we would visit Strasburg, DS at 6 was just about the oldest child there, except for siblings. You are right, most children are 3-5 who are into this. Its totally up to you, you know your child, but my 7 year old still likes his trains, but is way more into other stuff now.

 

[CathrynRose]

My son will be 7 in January. He saw a train table set at Toys R Us and he really wants it for xmas. It looks nice, the price is good, and the reveiews are great. The reviews are all from parents of 2 and 3 year olds though. I'm perplexed, as I know he will grow out of this soon. I don't want to spend $129.00 for it to collect dust in six months KWIM? He is somewhat immature though and prefers the more "babyish" toys, so I just don't know. Does anyone have an "older" child that plays with theirs still?

I might be in the minority, but I really feel "get them what they want" with Christmas- even if it doesnt make much sense to you. HE will be thrilled Christmas morning, and prolly for a while, playing with exactly what he wants. (and you're his Mom, you can tell how *bad* he wants something, I'm sure) And if he wants it THAT bad, you can get him that and not spend money on a bunch of piddly junk.... KWIM?

AND after it's gathering dust, you can sell it and get some of your money back for it (newspaper, CraigList.org, etc)

My oldest played with his "figures" (wrestling, batman, etc) for YEARS after his friends had stopped. If the interest is there, they'll keep playing.

Shhhhhh - I played with Barbie's as an 8th grader - shhhhhhh!!!

 

[JESW]

Are the tracks glued down to the table? If not, then you can use the table for other things once he outgrows the trains. We have a brio one and once the kids no longer played with the trains they used it to build lego things on it. Just an idea...

Jill

 

[summerrluvv]

Thanks for the replies He still plays with and LOVES all his figures too, mostly castle and pirate stuff, he's not really into super heroes and TMNT, etc. I have bought him most of his gifts for this year but I think I could probably swing another. That's true about selling it when he's done, I've done that with tons of other stuff he has gotten bored with! I think I'll probably get it tonight since it's the last day of the sale. I know he will just love it and well, that's one of the great parts of being a parent, seeing your child's eyes light up

 

[summerrluvv]

Are the tracks glued down to the table? If not, then you can use the table for other things once he outgrows the trains. We have a brio one and once the kids no longer played with the trains they used it to build lego things on it. Just an idea...

Jill

Excellent idea! I wouldn't glue them down. He LOVES legos too and is always building on the carpet so that would work

 

[Jennifer S]

I just sold ours for $50 and it was in great shape. My boys are 5 and 9 and never touched it. The older one got it when he was 3 and the yoiunger one wasn't into trains. It just took up too much room .since no one was playing with it I sold it.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Sometimes it is a difficult call...

Kids see something that they think they just have to have, like especially in advertisements, and then it quickly gathers dust. One year, my DS wanted this whole pirate ship set. On Christmas morning, he actually ran and picked out that package first, recognizing the shape and size of the box. Well, let's just say that after that, he didn't play with it much at all???


In this case, if the kid already has all the pieces, then I do think that the train table would be a good thing to go ahead and add to it. There is really something neat to the kids about having everything set up on that table to play with!

Also, if the OP ever sells things, like on ebay, this is something that would bring some money back in return in a couple years. Or would be a great hand-me-down gift for a young nephew or friend.

 

[summerrluvv]

Sometimes it is a difficult call...

Kids see something that they think they just have to have, like especially in advertisements, and then it quickly gathers dust. One year, my DS wanted this whole pirate ship set. On Christmas morning, he actually ran and picked out that package first, recognizing the shape and size of the box. Well, let's just say that after that, he didn't play with it much at all???


In this case, if the kid already has all the pieces, then I do think that the train table would be a good thing to go ahead and add to it. There is really something neat to the kids about having everything set up on that table to play with!

Also, if the OP ever sells things, like on ebay, this is something that would bring some money back in return in a couple years. Or would be a great hand-me-down gift for a young nephew or friend.

Oh he doesn't have any pieces, the table comes with all the pieces, that was actually the appeal, the pieces LOL. He plays with the one at the library when we go.

Here is a link

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t..._2/103-6305359-4260623?v=glance&s=imaginarium

 

[TRUFFLES13]

My DS is 6 and he doesn't play with the train anymore. I got mine at Costco, I think I paid about $100, came with the tracks and everything. I love it because it has 2 big sliding drawers that I put toys in.

The table has become a place to collect junk, we are going to clean it off and set up a castle that he has. I would miss the drawers more than anything if I got rid of the table.

 

[golfgal]

I agree with the Lego use if he out grows trains. Another suggestion is to build one somewhere in your house. The people we bought our house from had one built into a room in the basement. They had the expensive trains that were electric. The table folds up into the wall and out of the way when not in use. My boys aren't into trains so it is now a Lego table. It is great. It keeps the Legos in one spot and I can fold it up if needed. If your son continues to like trains as he gets older, you could use it for the electric trains where the train table you are talking about wouldn't work for that. I will try to post a picture later when the boys are up (the table is in their bedroom).

 

[kristen821]

My son is 7 and has had the train table for at least 3 years probably 4. He barely used it for the trains. He seemed to out grow the trains as soon as we finally bought the table My dd3 is starting to use it for legos, coloring and anything else she can think of now. She doesn't use the train tracks but she loves to play at the table since it is just her size. My son still rarely even touches it. I wish we had bought it earlier then we did. My son also seems to think he is a lot older then he is and rarely touches toys anymore. It is kind of sad he seemed to grow up overnight and I'm just not ready for it yet. His best friends are 2 years older then him so that probably has a lot to do with it. If it doesn't have anything to do with sports or video games he isn't going to play with it now!

 

[tevagirl]

My DH wants one too.

 

[Michigan]

Maybe you son just likes trains and in that case I would buy him a Lionel train set. It will only go up in value and it is something he can continue to build on even into adulthood.

My Father is 70 years old and has a train layout taking up 2 ping pong tables in his basement. On Thanksgiving my dad went down in the basement for something and when he didn't come back right away my youngest daughter asked him why he was in the basement so long and he said he was playing with his trains.

 

[Sandcass]

My DD did this to me last year. She put the McDonald's toy cash register & food on her list. SHE WAS 10 ! My DH couldn't believe I bought it for her. I figured it was $15 bucks, and what she wanted so.......

And she really did play with it.

 

[yeartolate]

Realistically at 7, he won't get years of use.

You know your child. If you think for one year he will get daily use of it, it may be worth it.

If he ditches it after a year, you are not lost. You can recoop some of the costs at a garage sale. Or perhaps donate it to a hospital or a homeless shelter. Give it to a nephew....


I got one for my son at 18 months. I feel like I go more than my money's worth in the first year alone. (The next five years were icing on the cake). Personal decison.

Just as a side note, when the train obsession expanded, we took a table (garage sale cheap) and laid track for an electric train. There was plenty of room arounded to build with his Thomas/Brio stuff. Dad and son playing trains together - good times.

 

[kbkids]

DS3 got one last Christmas. My dad built the table, and then I purchased the Thomas table top and all the tracks and trains. Hindsight, shouldn't have spent $70 on the table top and just put a piece of plywood on it and painted it. But anyway, that's what draws all the kids when they came over - ages 3 - 9. They all seem to want to play with the trains.

I do plan on converting it to a Lego table when he outgrows the trains. And I second the comment on the drawers. Would totally miss those if we got rid of the table.

 

[castleview]

I think our's is a Brio. It's by Imaginarium. What I liked is it has six bins underneath for storage of other toys. My girls do their blocks on it. So it does get non-train use. I just have to keep reminding them that's it's not a dropoff site...like all the furniture in our house. They get that from Dad.

 

[Lil_Tink]

Maybe you son just likes trains and in that case I would buy him a Lionel train set. It will only go up in value and it is something he can continue to build on even into adulthood.

My Father is 70 years old and has a train layout taking up 2 ping pong tables in his basement. On Thanksgiving my dad went down in the basement for something and when he didn't come back right away my youngest daughter asked him why he was in the basement so long and he said he was playing with his trains.

Lol. My uncle does this all the time!!!!

My grandpa had one of these and recently sold it making alot of $$$

 

[kristen821]

Fyi-If you didn't get this yet. Targe has them on sale for $59.99 this week