Best Train Sets for Making Your Kids Happy in 2022

Train sets have become more popular recently, especially for boys, and as there are different types of train sets in the market ranging from wooden to electronic and plastic ones, you can easily find one that will suit your child’s needs.

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Some of them require batteries and others have sound effects and lighting to make them more realistic. If you look around, you would see thousands of options out there and these may lead to some confusion when trying to select the best one for your child.

Best Train Sets for Kids of this Year

To help you with your selection, here are some of the best train sets which will thrill your little ones and give them many hours of play time fun. These have all been chosen carefully and many factors were considered, which are discussed at the end of my suggestions.

1. Deluxe Wooden Railway Set by Melissa & Doug

Age range: 3 years old and above

This Deluxe Wooden Railway set has over 130 wooden pieces that have each been handcrafted beautifully. The Melissa and Doug brand is best known for making wooden toys and true to form, they have outdone themselves with this set.

The pieces all fit together well, which ensures long term use. The whole set together weights just 15 pounds, so your child can take it with them if they want to play with it somewhere else. Included in this set are 100 wooden tracks, 30 accessories, a flatbed truck, a passenger train, and a cargo freight train, which are all safe and lead free.

What’s Great About It: Because of the perfect fit, your child’s little hands won’t need much help from you, and with its number of pieces, your child’s imagination can run wild when building the track. This set is compatible with Thomas and Friends and Brio wooden trains, so this set would be a good addition to your child’s train set collection.

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2. Go! Go! Smart Wheels Train Station Playset by Vtech

Age range: 1 to 5 years old

This Go! Go! Smart Wheels Train Station is entertaining to young children, not only because of its bright colors, but it has some lights and sounds which makes it more interesting. This set comes with 10 Smartpoint locations which makes interacting really easy.

Little ones will love this train and, because it has some language options, learning will be more fun. The box includes a train, a cargo car, a train station, a conveyor belt, a tunnel and a bridge system.

What’s Great About It: This is not only a train set, but also a learning center too. This is the perfect gift for hours of fun while developing simulation sense. Imagination and creativity will have a space of their own. This set goes perfectly well with other Go! Go! Smart Wheels Train sets.

3. Go! Go! Smart Wheels Carry-All Cargo Train by Vtech

Age range: 1 to 5 years old

This is not exactly a complete train set, but this is a great addition to a bigger system from the Go! Go! franchise. This is a 3-piece train which has an engine and 2 cargo cars. With Vtech as the manufacturer, they could never go wrong with their learning technology.

This train, aside from its vibrant colors, gives your child more entertainment as it has its music, learning phrases and other sounds to go with it.

What’s Great About It: While your little one can play with this toy alone, it would be best to play with it with another Go! Go! train set. Creativity and imagination are enhanced by this train set, as it is not part of a bigger set, so your child will have to use their imagination if you don’t get them the whole train collection.

​4. Triple Loop Wooden Train Set by Orbrium Toys

Age range: 1 to 5 years old

This beautiful set comes with 100 pieces which include the train, tracks and other accessories. This set is loads of fun as there are coaches, vehicles such as the police cruiser, an ambulance, cars, buses, road signs, trees and other figures.

This set is made from beautiful beech wood, making it very sturdy and durable. The whole set makes up a small community which could be positioned around the track area. Your child can create their own little village, perfect for encouraging creativity.

What’s Great About It: This set enhances your child’s cognitive skills and spatial development. The Triple Loop Wooden Tran Set is compatible with other major brands like Thomas Wooden Sets and Brio Railway System.

​5. Power Wheels Thomas the Train with Track by Fisher-Price

Age range: 1 to 3 years old

This is an 18 foot long circular track with a ride-on toy train which goes around it. Your busy bee will have the most exciting time driving his own train, and they will be able to amuse themselves for countless fun hours.

The ride-on train can accommodate children up to 40 pounds, and can glide around the track at a rate of 1 mph. If your little one fancies moving around more freely, they will love going around the house at a speed of 2 mph on this train.

What’s Great About It: Aside from the fact that most toddlers adore Thomas, this train is very easy to operate. With just the push of a button, the train starts chugging on its own. Kids can do a lot of pretend play by being a train driver or station master. This improves their balance and coordination as well as amusing your little one.

​6. Wooden Engine & Train Cars Collection by Orbrium Toys

Age range: 3 years old and above

Someone who loves trains will definitely adore this 12 piece set that is made up of beautiful wooden engines and train wagons. The set includes engines, a tender, coaches, a hopper car, magnetic cargo, a tanker car, and cabooses, all displayed in a wooden frame. This will be a wonderful addition to your child’s existing train collection.

What’s Great About It: Aside from the fact that it is designed to work with other major brands like Thomas, Chuggington and Brio, this train can also be used as a stand-alone toy. The variety of cars and cabooses creates significant excitement when your child plays with the set. An existing train system can make playing more fun and amusing too.

7. Legoville My First Train Set by Lego Duplo

Age range: 2 years old and above

This is a 52-piece set made up of vibrant colored bricks and accessories, which your child will have the best time playing with, especially if this is his first set of train. This set has a fuel station, a ticket window and 2 figures, all of which are built for their tiny hands.

The 22 inches of train track can be built and rebuilt over and over. This set provides motor sounds for a more realistic pretend play, which your kids are sure to enjoy.

What’s Great About It: This is one of the best train sets for young toddlers. Because it is Lego, it is toddler friendly and will allow for many countless hours using their imagination. This train also helps your little tots to develop their problem solving skills.

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​8. Metropolis Train Table and Set by KidKraft

Age range: 3 years old and above

The Metropolis Train Table and Set is one of the most beautiful and sought after train sets for younger children and adults alike. For one, the table is big enough for a few players. This set comes with several trains, cars, highways, cranes, an airport, a helipad and a lot more.

There are some road signs for more imaginative play. This set is basically like an entire city. It is fully loaded with a lot of bits and pieces which make the simulation even bigger. The table dimensions are 33” W x 27” H x 46” D, which is the perfect size for your child to play at.

What’s Great About It: The table can be used as a storage space for the accessories. This large railway system in a metropolis gives kids the idea of running their own city. It doesn’t only comprise of the train, which lets kids appreciate different modes of transport. This set helps to grow your child’s imagination and creativity as well as their problem solving skills.

​9. Starter Train Set by Maple Landmark

Age range: 3 years old and above

This set is made up of a 3-piece train on a wooden track. This is what you would call a classic train system which has been so popular in the past. The track is a 17 inch circle which enables double sided use by just flipping the track section and viola – the train changes direction.

The train and tracks are made from natural maple hardwood, ensuring that it will have a long and durable life. This just might just be the best starter train set for your eager little one.

What’s Great About It: Because it is easy enough for a 3 year old to change the track and push it, they feel more involved in the system, promoting their imagination and creativity. The attention span of your toddler may not be that high, but this set will create much excitement as they pretend play and maneuver their train on the tracks.

​10. Polar Express Train Set by Lionel

Age range: 8 years old and above

As the name suggests, the Polar Express is one of the most sought after trains during Christmas time. This beautiful train is inspired by the movie with the same title. This set has a wonderfully crafted locomotive, 2 coaches and a coal tender.

The tracks consist of 16 pieces and there are 3 figures which your child can play pretend with. This is a battery operated train which makes it more exciting for your children. If you plan to buy your child their first train, this one might is definitely a safe bet.

What’s Great About It: Steam locomotives are rare these days, but the Polar Express train will show your kids the beauty of this type of train. With this, they will be able to see and know how a steam locomotive would differ from electric and diesel engines. There are no electrical parts in this system, which makes the set safe for your child.

​11. 60 Piece Train Set by Kidkraft

Age range: 3 years old and above

This train set has 60 pieces, which includes trains, vehicles, a helicopter, a bridge, a mountain, a tunnel and some other structures. The crane is fully functional and can lifts up and lower the cargo. This beautiful play set is perfect for little ones who are yearning for a fun train set.

What’s Great About It: This set may not look much but once your child has built it, it will offer a lot of imaginative play for several hours. Pushing the train up and down the winding road and passing through the mountain makes this set different from the rest. It also helps stimulate your child’s motor skills and factual reasoning.

12. Deluxe Wooden Train Set by Orbrium Toys

Age range: 3 years old and above

This colorful 52 piece set includes 3 trains, various building structures, a bridge and other accessories. This Deluxe Wooden Train Set will make the ideal starter train for your little one.

It engages your little one to have a bigger imagination and improves their planning skills. They can also design their own scenic road. The sizes are perfectly suited to be handled by a 3 year old child, making for hours of fun.

What’s Great About It: This train set is versatile enough to build and rebuild. Your child will be able to expand their creativity while spending a lot of fun times playing with the train. This set is compatible with other big train systems like Thomas, Chuggington, Brio, Melissa & Doug and Imaginarium.

​13. Farm Train Set by KidKraft

Age range: 3 years old and above

This set offers a more peaceful surrounding with a different setting to the other sets on this list. This train set is perfect for the countryside environment and has waterfalls, a farm, a stable, a pond, a few animals and a wooden boat. Old McDonald Farm may become one of your child’s favorite songs after playing with this set for a while.

What’s Great About It: The Farm Train can be connected to an existing set. This provides different learning opportunities from the usual train sets. Usually, train systems are in a metropolis, small towns or mountains, but with this set, your child can enjoy another nature setting. The tracks can also be modified according to your child’s creativity.

​14. Disney Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Mouska Train Express Playset by Fisher-Price

Age range: 2 to 4 years old

This is a motorized train set that has a pop surprise for your little ones. The colorful train set has multicolored tracks and the mini tunnel is bound to encourage your toddler to speed towards more fun and creativity.

The train has two cargo drops and on the locomotive itself, you will see Mickey Mouse happily waving, which is bound to engage your child.

What’s Great About It: This colorful Disney Mouska Train Express is perfectly suited for your young toddler, because it places a lot of emphasis on the learning of colors. This set is bound to entertain your kids while developing their motor skills.

​15. Chuggington Wooden Railway 1-2-3 Track Wilson Rides the Rails by Tomy

Age range: 2 to 4 years old

In just a matter of seconds, this train set can be set up and could even be alternately laid out, flipped, flexed and rotated to your children’s liking. This beautiful wooden track is a good starter for your young train conductor. Because of its simplicity, your child can play independently for several hours and have heaps of fun.

What’s Great About It: As a starter set, the Chugginton Wooden Railway 1-2-3 Track is a great start to learn their systems. Independence, motor skills and spatial coordination are some of the developmental benefits that your child would get from playing pretend.

​16. Power Train Starter Set by Power City Trains

Age range: 4 to 7 years old

This Power Train Starter Set is built for children who like fast and sleek toys. This is a replica of one of the bullet trains that can be seen around the world.

The track is over 8 feet and a high speed train comes with the kit. Fascinatingly, the train stations have light effects which make playing with this toy so much more realistic. Batteries are needed for these lights, so remember to keep a few as spares.

What’s Great About It: This modern train will open new horizons for your kids. We often see colorful train sets or wooden ones. This one comes with a lot of effects with special switches and a motorized engine. Simulation play is really great for young minds, and once they take a hold of the Power Train Starter set, you won’t easily get them away.

​17. Wooden Animal Train Set by Maxim Enterprise, Inc.

Age Range: 3 years old and above

Maxim’s Wooden Animal Train Set will occupy your child for several hours because they won’t only be playing with the train, but with the animals included in the set. They can put these animals inside the cargo loads for creative play. The giraffe, zebra and elephant fit well into the train, and the whole rail set is beautifully built and is well-integrated.

What’s Great About It: This 4 unit train works well with other Thomas and Brio wooden tracks, which is why this would be a great addition to your little one’s train collection. Motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and animal recognition are enhanced with the Wooden Animal Train Set, creating stimulating play for countless hours.

​18. Caterpillar Construction Iron Diesel Train by Toysstate

Age range: 4 to 7 years old

Caterpillar Construction Iron Diesel Train is a mini version of the motorized CAT train set. The 7 foot track can be configured in any way that your child would like.

This set comes along with 2 removable trains with trailers, construction vehicles, a shipping container crane and a caboose. The dump track and pay loader adds more excitement to this set, which can be integrated with other expansions from CAT as well.

What’s Great About It: If your child is not only fascinated with trains, but with other construction equipment, this one would be the perfect set for them. It does not only stimulate great pretend play, but it helps improve their problem solving skills too.

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How This List Was Created

In creating this list, there were many factors that were considered. First of all, we considered the materials which these sets were made from.

Nowadays, there are many kinds of materials used by manufacturers, but some of them don’t adhere to the safety standards required for children’s toys. The toys on this list use the safest and are built from the highest quality materials.

Second, these train sets should be age appropriate. Third, the design must be good enough for your kids to play independently, but should be challenging enough to be able to tickle the imagination of their young minds.

Affordability is also important, especially in our current economic state. Lastly, these toys must be loved by children. They are the ones who will be playing with these toys and that is why it is important that it passes their “standards.”

Train Toy Sets Help Young Minds Develop

Playing is never a waste of time – not for kids anyway. In fact, it is an essential part of growing up. However, when choosing toys for our children, we should be aware of the development levels it can give them, like motor skills, spatial intelligence and mental awareness.

Toys make the world go round for kids, so why not find ones that will facilitate development as well as give them hours of fun?

Train sets are one of the best simulation toys, and they’ve been around for centuries. As a matter of fact, many of us parents may even have our old train sets in our basement or in a storage box somewhere.

Train sets aren’t just toys, as they are great in developing mental and motor skills of children while also being fun. Logical thinking, spatial intelligence and counterfactual reasoning can be developed by merely playing with these train sets.

Train toy sets make very good gifts for children. They are not just played with for a few days, and most of them will last for several years and some even for a lifetime with proper care.

With so many toys on the market today, you don’t want to bother with the ones with a lot of superficial sounds and lights. You need something that is just enough to encourage the imagination of your child.

As a matter of fact, many of the studies conducted introduce toys which are simple that can bring out the creativity in children.

Playing with a train toy set never fails to fascinate kids, and adults too. What could be more exciting for young boys and girls than to build their own train tracks and watch their train wizz around at top speed?

All aboard!