Are you a Brio virgin? Brio is a trendy toy name but if you like to buy your children toys which are safe, well-made and durable, the Brio is an option for you. Brio offer many playsets of trains, vehicles, building sets and even characters such as Thomas the Tank Engine, Theodore Tugboat and Richard Scarry Busytown. These toys will outlast your kids and can keep a child occupied for hours.

The trains and cars in the sets are made of hardwoods with nontoxic finishes with metal and plastic parts that will not fall off easily or break quickly. The trains link magnetically and run on wooden tracks which easily fit together. This is a perfect set for little hands with no complicated or dangerous transformers, hard to link metal tracks and flimsy plastic cars with easily broken detail parts.

My mother-in-law is building up a solid collection of these as gifts for my son and he loves them, though he is a little young for them at 18-months. Three years and up are pretty much the age range for Brio although I don't see kids over 10 or 12 being much interested in them.

These are not toys you typically find at chain stores. They are not cheap and there are knockoff brands out there which aren't bad but not quite of the same quality, though a little cheaper. Brio can be expensive although the quality more than makes up for the added cost. A single train car can run $8-12 and a track set can run $20-$60. The best values are in buying sets of cars, tracks and accessories. There are even engines with holiday motifs and battery operated trains. You can find Brio at websites such as www.SmarterKids.com and www.etoys.com. Get on their email lists and buy the toys on sale to save money. I like the fast service and easy online shopping experiences at Smarterkids.com. Their customer service is excellent.

Brio character sets are fun for kids especially Thomas the Tank Engine and Richard Scarry's Busytown (more for the younger set). There is also a Brio Builder Set which stirs the imaginations of the little builder in the family. Brio sells a play table and play top...very pricey ($200-300)...which may be a good thing for handyman Granddad to build in the garage or try to find used.

These are toys that will serve a large family, passing them along, so take good care of them and they will hold up easily. They can be passed along to the next generation too, unlike the cheapie plastic China-made sets every store sells these days. Brio is very popular, meaning it is a trendy yuppie toy but don't let that fool you. These toys are made to last, made for fun and are simple for kids to set up, use and create with.

Kids can learn how to plan, fit objects together and be creative in playing with these toys, the tracks aren't even necessary for simple play. They roll easily and are colorful, made with simplicity but made very well. Your kids will love them and you'll love how long they'll last and how quickly they can be packed for a trip or cleaned up.

I don't mean to sound like a commercial but these are good toys for children. None of them morph into robots or kill each other. These are nonviolent toys made for quiet play. So you'll excuse me while my son sleeps so I can play with the firetruck and battery powered locomotive.



Recommended: Yes