Is a Train Table Worth It??

Absolutely. I would trade every single other toy in my house for that one train table! And I am sure my son would too. He got it for his 2nd birthday and he is now 3 1/2. He plays with it just about every day and often for hours at a time. I have found that kids with the wooden Thomas set tend to like their tables better. Maybe it is because they love Thomas. Who knows, but of my friends with Thomas sets say their kids adore them, and parents with other sets don't typically seem as enthused. They are expensive but you can get some great deals. I almost always buy trains and accessories from Michaels because they have those 40% coupons in the flyers. That can save a bunch.

My advice is, if you buy one, buy a used one. You can always sell it again on craigslist. They can be a lot of fun, but I've noticed that every time we're at a place with a train table, invariably a parent will ask their kid, "why don't you play with the one you have at home?"

We have tons of trains and my son still plays with them. A table is nice, but we never got one and can't say we've missed having one. I've noticed that both he and his friends (even the ones with train tables) like to splay them out on the floor and make their own train track configurations that sometimes includes other toys and building sets. I think maybe a blank slate lends to more imagination.

I totally agree with Joanne. We bought one for our son when he was 2.5 and he is 4 now. He still plays with it daily. We also bought a used wooden set from Ebay that came with about 10 used trains. Best investment we've made so far for the kids. The new wooden trains can be pretty expensive though.

Highly suggest getting a gently used one on craigslist....well, worth it. I bought one for my son at 3 and he still uses it occassionally; and now my 8 month old is beginning to cruise around it too.