Toy Trains

Toy trains and variations are some of the most popular toys available on the market today, and for good reason! At some point, most children are fascinated with trains -  they're big, they're loud, and they can haul practically anything! Toy trains are a wonderful gift idea this holiday season, not just because they're fun, but they can be educational tools as well. There are many toy trains whose "cars" are made up of numbers, letters, and shapes, helping children learn to identify them while having fun at the same time. In addition, putting together tracks and matching wheels to them encourages hand-eye coordination.

For some kids, the wonder of toy trains never quite wears off, and they grow up to be avid train collectors and enthusiasts. Model trains remain one of the world's most popular hobbies, and many adults derive hours of pleasure from reconstructing trains, building models, and creating sets.

Recommendations
Choosing the right toy or model trains and accessories can be a daunting task. There are whole stores dedicated to nothing but model trains. That's why we've compiled a list of some of our favorite toy and model trains and accessories for young and old train enthusiasts alike!

• Alphabet Floor Train by Melissa and Doug. ($10.79 on amazon.com). This colorful puzzle includes 27 thick pieces that make up a train of the alphabet, complete with a locomotive to pull them all along. A large wooden floor puzzle, this is the perfect gift for train lovers or children who are just learning to master the alphabet.

• Pooh-Choo Ride-On Toy ($24.99 on amazon.com). A ride-on toy designed for younger children, this adorable little train features Winnie the Pooh. When your little conductor presses on the horn, bubbles come out of the smoke stack. This toy is recommended for children over 2.
• Santa Fe Train Set by Perego ($179.99 on amazon.com). What kid wouldn't want his or her very own train to ride around on? This ride-on train comes equipped with a track and a caboose that can hold a toy passenger. It goes up to 2 mph and features an on/off switch and realistic train sounds.
• Polar Express Holiday Train Set by Brio ($34.99). Perfect for the holiday season, this train set from the classic holiday children's book The Polar Express features a wooden track and train, wooden structures, and a toy conductor and boy passenger. For children ages 3 and up.
• Ticket to Ride by Marklin ($33.95 on amazon.com). This popular award-winning game is part of a series of games that uses different models of trains and passengers to pick up various merchandise of differing value along the way. Perfect for the train enthusiast! This game is designed for people over 8 years of age.
• Thunder Jet Set by Model Power ($95.62 on amazon.com). This powered model train set set to scale is not a toy, but it's a perfect gift for the train collector or someone just beginning to collect trains. It features a locomotive and 5 additional cars set to the HO scale.

Toy trains have been around for years and show no sign of going out of style any time soon. Toy trains can be for educational purposes or just plain fun! In addition, there are many types of model trains and accessories for the train enthusiast on your Christmas shopping list.