Thomas & Friends Wooden Train | Toy Review
In this article, I am going to give you an honest look at the Thomas & Friends Wooden Train Set. But before I get started, let me introduce myself. My name is Christina and I have had the opportunity to go hands-on with many toys while parenting five kids spanning 19 years. I always call it the good, the bad, and the ugly with the toys I have seen. I have made some “poor decisions” on toys and have learned a lot through these experiences. Owning an e-commerce toy store alongside my parenting of 5 children has given me more toy experience than I have ever thought I would have. I have also had the pleasure of speaking with the President and CEO of major Toy manufacturers asking for my advice on different toys and have been featured on several podcasts.
I will combine all my experience and knowledge to give you the most comprehensive toy review possible. A product description will be given and then my Sustainable Toy Review for Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway Set, Pros/Cons, and an FAQ featuring: Where does Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway Set fit into the sustainable toy category? What is Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway Set? What is it made of? Is it eco-friendly?
See my recent article on the Newest Thomas Train Line!
Christina’s Toy Review consists of 5 standardized criteria categories:
1. Sustainability:
A. Product: Made of sustainably sourced beech wood that is FSC certified with minimal plastic components being the wheels and face. Engines that include tender may have plastic coal on top of the wagon.
B. Packaging: Minimal packaging, as each engine, is backed by recyclable cardboard. The plastic window surrounding the engine could be improved if the engines came in plastic-free small cardboard boxes for instance.
C. Origin/Company: Fisher-Price is not a company very concerned with sustainability as most of its products are made of plastics. The parent company, Mattel, announced in January 2020 a goal of transitioning its toys and packaging to 100 percent recycled, recyclable or bio-based plastic by 2030. See my Why China Toys are bad articles HERE. Much of their packaging usually includes loads of plastic windows and inner plastic packaging. It seems they are cutting back on this more.
2. Playability:
A. Open-ended: I love that these are playable as is or combined with any track layout that your child can dream up. You don’t need track at all to have fun, as my kids take these as “to-go toys” in the car. The engines can become different characters than they portray. It is up to the child’s imagination and the sky is the limit. Thomas’s wooden trains promote open-ended thinking through story creation. My kids love making up Thomas stories and scenarios where engines help one another. Each time my kids play with these, the play changes and is open-ended because they create the scenarios.
B. Active Parent Engagement: Parents can actively engage by asking the child about what Thomas story he/she is creating. This will promote conversation between the parent/child. Promotes communication skills in the child.
C. Playtime: What I love about these engines is you can mix and match them with any standard wooden track and you have an instant wooden train set. No need to purchase those large all-inclusive sets that have way too many plastic components. There are many educational reasons to have wooden trains and tracks. For example, a train track allows kids to solve spatial reasoning through track configuration setup. Thomas trains give kids the tools to recreate stories and be creative thinkers through story play.
Thomas & Friends engines are one of the best independent play toys that we own in our house. My kids play very well on their own along with 2 other siblings at one time. This is very diverse for a toy in regards to single or multiple-child play. My kids play daily with train engines. My 3 yr old has some of his best independent and “deep thought” playtime with wooden trains.
3. Durability:
A. Craftmanship: Thomas & Friends wooden engines are beautifully crafted with a timeless look that feels nice in your hand. These trains are aesthetically beautiful to look at. Made of FSC-certified beech wood with metal axels and minimal plastic. It is the type of toy that looks nice on a playroom shelf or display as well.
B. Quality: Thomas wooden engines used to be made by various companies such as Learning Curve and Tomy in the UK where the quality was top-notch. The newer Fisher-Price Thomas wooden engines paint does not last as long as the predecessor. We have Tomy branded ones from the UK that have minimal paint wear and tear. Fisher-Price can definitely improve its paint performance.
C. Price/Value: These engines are of great price value as you can purchase Thomas for under 7 dollars. The 3-pack sets of various engines are $20 making them very economical for a toy that will be in use for quite some time.
4. Longevity:
A. Landfill or Heirloom: Heirloom quality since the paint wear and tear is not structural damage. However, if it really bothers you to look at the engines with some wood showing from paint wear, these will not be heirloom quality in your home.
B. Lifespan of Toy (Age Range): These are rated for ages 2+ years. However, keep an eye out on Thomas wooden sets including Tidmouth Train Station Shed are rated 3+ so technically the train engines cannot be combined with these sets until age 3. These engines are interesting to kids 2+ to 7 years so with that being said, you will get 4 years out of this toy. In my opinion, this is a very good amount of time that you will get out of a toy.
C. Multi-age Families: Good for multi-aged families if everyone is 2+ years old because you do not want a baby or toddler putting these engines in their mouths due to the magnets on the ends.
5. Versatility:
A. Combinable with other toys: Excellent item to purchase to combine with any universal wooden train track. In our home, we have Maple Landmark (link) and Brio (link) all wooden train tracks and the Thomas engines work beautifully with these. Trains without tracks could be combined with basic blocks to make a city scene for the train to meander through. So definitely combinable with other toys. For additional expansion possibilities, see my review of the Thomas & Friends Wood Train Station Here
B. Creativity Function: The creative function of this toy is its versatility. Use Trains by themselves so that the child is not confined by train tracks. Use Trains with blocks for creative scene building. They are also creative in regard to storytelling and scenario play.
C. Storage: These engines store perfectly because they are small and can be placed in a box or small sack or simply set on a shelf for a beautiful display.
Pros:
- Helps encourage imagination, motor skills, and thinking skills
- Magnet connectors allow trains to connect to other trains and cargo cars
- Made with sustainably-sourced, premium beech wood, Thomas & Friends Wood toys deliver classic train and figure play with an innovative, modern design. Kid-friendly, easy-to-build track connectors fit together simply, allowing children to build their layouts – and their stories – by themselves
Cons:
- Some people have reported missing parts but have been able to get replacement parts as needed.
- Could use a little less plastic.
- Made in China.
- A little on the pricier side but good value for what you get.
- They are a little on the smaller side
FAQ:
Who Are Thomas & Friends?
Thomas & Friends Wood toy trains deliver exceptional quality, imaginative play, and an emotional connection that only these iconic characters can provide. Every child’s imagination has stories to tell – and Thomas is the perfect helper. Children create the stories, and Thomas just delivers inspiration. For a seamless playtime experience, the redesigned Thomas & Friends Wood toy trains are also compatible with the classic Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway tracks.
Is Thomas Railway Set eco-friendly?
Most of the components are wood but there is quite a bit of plastic included in this set. The newer Thomas sets are made in Thailand and not China. See my recent article on the Newest Thomas Train Line!
Do I personally recommend this product?
I do recommend this product. There are better all-wooden trainsets out there such as the Maple Landmark Nametrains set which are amazing and 100% wooden. Thomas is a little expansive and adds the character we all love.
Who is this product best for?
Trains are for Ages 2+ all the way to teenagers. We have a range of kids and everyone loves to build a large-scale trainset.
Where can the product be purchased? At the best price?
It retails for $25 and can be found in many retailers and on the Amazon link below.
And what about Thomas’s Friends?
Fisher-Price Thomas & Friends Wood, Harvey
3 Alternative Train Sets to Consider:
1. Wooden Train Town Set – Made In The USA | NameTrains By Maple Landmark
- All NameTrain pieces and tracks are compatible with themselves and other wooden track systems.
- NameTrain vehicles are about 2″ high. Set made in the USA.
- Our largest wooden train town set contains 56 pieces. Includes: 31 pieces of track (8 curved, 4 small curved, 4-piece bridge set, adapter pair, 2 pairs of switches, 2 puddle jumpers, 3 eight-inch straight pieces, 4 four-inch straight pieces) creating a layout that measures 24″ X 38″. Vehicles included: school bus, bullet train engine, caboose, fire truck, tow truck, police car, taxi cab, rescue car, train engine, passenger cars (2), caboose, airplane, racer, tractor, tugboat. Buildings included: a store, house, train station, school, fire station, and 4 trees. Dimensions: 38 x 24 x 3 inches. Weight: 6.9 lbs
2. Brio World Deluxe Railway Set 33052 | Wooden Toy Train Set | Complete Review HERE: An Honest Look
- The Deluxe Railway Set is an action-packed train set that includes passenger trains, freight trains, harbor scenes, and metro fun. It’s complete with stations, cranes, bridges, and figures. A must-have for any train lover.
- Perfect for the creative toddler – Start your budding train engineer off on the right track with a Deluxe Railway wooden toy train set. It’s the perfect Easter gift for the creative toddler – designed for ages 3 and up, with batteries included.
- Compatibility – As your child develops, so can their railway play as the 33052 Deluxe Railway Set is compatible with all other BRIO railway toys.
- Develops important skills – Playing with train sets helps children to understand and learn about their environment in a fun way.
- Safe for your child as BRIO conducts more than 1,000 safety tests a year to ensure that our products conform to all safety standards, and we take pride in developing toys that are completely safe for children to play with.
- Recommended for Ages 3+
3. Wild Pines Train Set – Stunning Wooden Lumberjack Style Toy Train Set for Ages 3+
- Early Developments: Tender Leaf Toys’ wild pines train set for kids’ pretend play is crafted with precision and authentic detail. This creates a lifelike toy that teaches and inspires toddlers and kids of every age. This 30-piece track allows for creative layouts and endless storytelling for your kids and their friends.
- Craftmanship: Tender Leaf Toys creates gentle, beautifully designed toys that promote learning through play. Traditional in concept but contemporary in design. All products are made with a distinct focus on craftsmanship and quality. They meet the European and American standards of safety of toys.
- Safe and environment friendly: This realistic-looking wild pine train set for pretend play is durable. It will remain the same after decades. This beautiful wild pine train set is handcrafted in solid, sustainable rubberwood that stands the test of time. Tender leaf toys are safe, chemical-free & eco-friendly as well.
- Set Contains: The lumberjack-style wild pine train set is a log pile to hold the logs with a sleeping bear, a lake with 2 magnetized boulders, and a big bear. There is even a part that has 3 big fir trees that will block the track unless they are rotated out of the way! 4 cut timber logs and a tree nursery with 6 trees in various stages of growth make this set a wonderful timber trail environment.
Products to Avoid:
- Any off-brand train set or knock-off! Buy Legit Brands!
- I usually avoid Melissa & Doug because it’s cheaply made in China and seems to chip and break quite easily.
Final Review for Thomas & Friends Wooden Trains:
Overall, I highly recommend the Thomas & Friends Wooden Train. They instantly turn any wooden track into a magical storytelling environment that invites your child to think creatively and logically. The beautiful colors and designs of the engines, make them fun to collect with minimal environmental impact due to FSC wood and the size of the toy. You definitely get a lot of play value for the money and your child will cherish the little engines.
I love the fact that you can purchase these engines without buying the large Thomas wooden large train sets. All you need is a few engines like the Thomas & Friends Wooden Train and a basic wooden track pack such as Brio (link) or Maple Landmark track(link) to make a beautiful and simple set. These engines are a family favorite and I will be saving all of our engines to hand down one day. You cannot go wrong with the Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway.
