It Made My Son's Christmas
Written: Dec 25 '02 (Updated Mar 28 '03)
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Pros: Great starter for the brand new engineer, easily expandable, grows with child.
Cons: The signs and figures are not very exciting, and don't add much value
The Bottom Line: A toy to grow with your child, that's well worth every penny.
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| dagny21's Full Review: Thomas the Tank Engine Circle Set |
When I decided to start my 2-year-old son on the Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway System this Christmas, the Circle Set was a natural first choice. I wanted something simple that would not frustrate him, and the set included Thomas, which was on my list of engines to buy anyway.
What You Get
8 pieces of high quality maple 6 1/2" curved track that forms a circle when put together.
1 Thomas the Tank Engine (retails for $10 separately)
1 Sir Topham Hatt
1 Workman
3 signs (stop sign, r/r crossing sign, and school sign)
Christmas Morning
My son loves this set. He'd already been playing with Henry and his coal tender from this same system, so he'd figured out the magnets. When we presented him with this circle set already assembled on Christmas morning with Thomas and Henry already on it, he was thrilled. But when he found James, Lady, and Percy in his other Christmas packages, we had a tough time dragging him away from this simple circle set for any reason.
Our Recommendations
1) Don't buy this for an older toddler. If my son was 3 years old or older, he would be bored with it and need a lot more track to excite him.
2)To get the most fun out of this set, buy a few extra engines to add to it. Keep in mind that this was intended as a starter set, and though it makes an okay toy in and of itself, the real fun comes in expanding it piece by piece.
3)Find it on sale. It retails for $24.95, but when we went looking, it was on sale for around $20 at about half of the places we looked.
That Sounds Like a Lot of Money!
In our brief experience with Learning Curve, the high price is justified. First off, every piece comes with an unconditional, lifetime guarantee that includes paint chipping and anything else that your toddler might do to the toy(Brio's guarantee only covers defects by the way). A few years from now, when my son is finished with these toys, I plan to return them all for brand new replacements.
Also, these toys may not make much noise (a few Thomas & Friends pieces have sound effects but most do not) or have flashing lights, but they're also made of high quality materials, are beautifully painted, and highly collectible. They also inspire pretend play better than any other toy we've bought for our son.
Finally, these toys REALLY grow with your child. Start with a very simple, flat set like this one, and you can eventually have a large, multi-level train set that will thrill even a much older child. When you figure you've just bought a toy that will keep your child busy for several years, the money seems well spent.
FIND RELATED REVIEWS BELOW
Wooden Railway System
Annie - Thomas' Beloved Coach
Barrel Car
Bertie the Bus
Clarabel- Thomas' Beloved Coach
Edward the Blue Engine
Gordon the Big Express Engine
Harold the Helicoptor
Henry the Green Engine
James the Red Engine
Lady
Percy the Small Engine
Rusty with Construction Cars
Thomas the Tank Engine
Tidmouth Milk Tanker
Toby the Tram Engine
Arched Stone Bridge
Single Stone Tunnel
6.5 inch Curved Switch Track
6.5 inch Curved Track
Books
Diesel's Devious Deed
Thomas: The Really Useful Engine
Buying Thomas
All Aboard Toys
Train Table
Nilo Train Table
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 19.99
Type of Toy: Trains
Age Range of Child: 3 to 5 Years
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Epinions.com ID:
dagny21
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 in Kids & Family |
 - Top 500 |
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Member: Christine D
Location: Alaska
Reviews written: 388
Trusted by: 66 members
About Me:
Happily married mother of one boy.
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