Choo-Choo! All board the Hape train!

Children have played happily with wooden trains for generations. It is like a rite of passage that every child must pass through. Trains belong in the timeless toys category, have you ever wondered why?

Fun! All you must do is give your child a little train and they can play for hours.

The fun begins when you start putting the pieces of the train track together, organizing spaces, and planning where each piece will go. Then it goes on incorporating bridges, tunnels, level crossings, trees, etc. They should connect all the parts of the train, put it on the rail, and let it go. Picture this! Your child sitting in the middle of the railway where they can point, control, and command everything: entry & exit of the train throughout the station, and boarding of passengers … In this moment they are the center of the world!

Everyone loves trains because it is a blast but playing is much more than just having fun: play is how children learn.

Did you know how many essential skills your child is developing while playing with trains? Too many to count!

While they play, they learn essential skills necessary regarding problem solving. A child needs to have patience, foresight, planning skills in order to succeed in the future.

Children can learn to build a track by with trials and errors. Figuring out how to make a circular track involves the ability to find relations through the different pieces, training lifelong skills as problem solving and improvisation if an unexpected event appears.

Kids learn when they put the pieces together: this action requires hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. Developing them at a young age is beneficial for future academic skills such as writing and drawing. This applies to life skills too, such as tying shoelaces, and using a knife and fork. Your kids can exercise their motor skills with the Railway Bucket Builder Set.

Playing with trains can be instrumental in developing vocabulary and communication skills. While playing, they will probably describe the actions they do, or they will pretend to be the operator of the train. You know that role play improves the lexicon by means of storytelling. Using descriptive commentary gives your children much more understanding of the world around them.

Train playtime is also perfect for creative storytelling. Children can set the railway, and all the pieces are arranged in a different way each time: this has a great effect on their imagination. This is also a perfect time to inspire children to find renewed fun with their old favorite toys. There are endless ways to assemble tracks and build cities around them.

Can you hear those loud noises? They are coming from the Grand City Station, the two-level station kit that lets your child experience all the thrills of a big city railway. Children can build the city around the station, make passengers buy a ticket, ride the lift, and much more. Do not forget to include their daily recordings for station announcements and set up the destination projectors & lights!

Children can improve their spatial awareness by figuring out how to move in the space to avoid breaking the track. You will notice quite a bit of crawling and walking over hurdles involved in their set-up. An added benefit is that the motor skills will continue to increase. For instance, children can move by driving the train from the surface of the mountain into the mine with their Mighty Mountain Mine. Let them play with this multi-level set that provides the ultimate wooden-railway experience. It includes a waterfall tunnel, an obstacle bridge, a crane, a conveyor belt, and a repair station!

There are plenty of concepts your children can learn with trains. Your kids can solve the bead maze and shape sorter as they drive the animal train around with our Rainbow Puzzle Railway. With the colors and music, you can add extra fun to the play! The xylophone and tambourine musical track allow the train to play music while it moves.

With trains, children are not only having fun, but they are practicing skills they will need later in life. They can learn how to solve problems and come up with multiple solutions to get their perfect railway.

Do you like these railways and trains? What is your favorite? Come aboard, the Hape train!