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The Play Trains! Guide to Wooden Train Sets: expert advice on the best wooden train set to buy for your little engineer.

The Play Trains! Guide to the Best Wooden Train Sets 2021

Searching for the best wooden train set for your child? I've turned my expert eye on the wooden train sets that currently on the market so that you can make an informed choice. A train set can sound good on paper, but there's nothing like hands-on play to tell you whether it's going to be the right ...

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The Play Trains Ultimate Wooden Train Guide: The Best Wooden Train Tables for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Best Train Tables — The Ultimate Wooden Train Guide

Along with wooden train sets, wooden train tables are a classic feature in the children's playroom at home and the preschool classroom. It can be hard, however, to get an idea of all the options that are out there -- after all, I consider myself a pretty expert train stuff finder at this point, and ...

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Coal-Black Chocolate Cupcakes for Christmas treats or train birthday parties from Play Trains!

Coal-Black Chocolate Cupcakes

These are the most chocolatey, moist, and delicious cupcakes I've ever made or tasted. But what makes them extra fun -- whether for a Christmas treat or a train-loving kid's birthday party -- is that thanks to the type of cocoa powder we used, they're as black as coal! ...

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Recycled Play Dough Molds from Play Trains! A great way to reuse toy packaging after Christmas or birthday presents are unwrapped.

Recycled Toy Packaging Play Dough Molds

Welcome to Christmas Play Days! Once again, I'm teaming up with some of my favorite creative women -- Shaunna from Fantastic Fun and Learning, Rachael from Nothing if Not Intentional, Chelsey from Buggy and Buddy, Mary Catherine from Fun-a-Day!, and Ann from My Nearest and Dearest  -- to share fun ...

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Day Out With Thomas 2013 @ Play Trains! http://play-trains.com/

Day Out With Thomas 2013

Another Day Out With Thomas at the Northwest Railway Museum has come and gone. In some ways, this year's outing had no hope of comparing to last year's. But as the day progressed -- and as we overcame a bump in the road -- new joys came to the forefront, showing us how our Little Engineer has grown ...

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wTrak Modular Train Tables at Seattle's Mini Maker Faire @ Play Trains! Check out these work-of-art train tables that you can build yourself!

wTrak Wooden Train Tables at Seattle’s Mini Maker Faire

The Little Engineer had the unexpected good fortune to meet up with his friend, Yardmaster Tom, and play trains this weekend at the Seattle Mini Maker Faire. Every year, Yardmaster Tom -- known to the rest of us as Tom Stephenson, the creator of the wTrak Modular Track Standard for Wood Train ...

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12 Tips for a Magical Day Out With Thomas

If you don't believe in magic, then perhaps you haven't taken a young, train-loving child to Day Out With Thomas.  I urge you to do whatever you can to get to one of these events if you have the opportunity to go.  If the day goes well -- and hopefully my list of tips below will help make that ...

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Train Video for Kids: A Kid's Day At the Train Show

Video: a Kid’s Day at a Model Railroad Show

Hey look, it's our first YouTube video! Follow the Little Engineer through a day at his favorite train show, the Pacific Science Center's Model Railroad Show. I edited this with kids who enjoy watching videos of other kids playing trains in mind...I know I don't have the only one! Check out ...

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Our Play Date at the Seattle Monorail

We had been inside the Seattle Monorail's Red Train for five or ten minutes already when it seemed to sink in for the Little Engineer.  He picked up his best buddy, Meekat, from where the he had been sitting next to Monorail Bunny on a seat and lifted the meerkat above his head, beaming upward in ...

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wTrak: the Coolest Train Tables Ever

If you live near Seattle, you can see and play with this train table at the United Northwest Model Railroad Club's annual model railroad show coming up this coming weekend, February 2nd and 3rd, 2013. There's nothing quite as exciting as seeing something you know will thrill someone you love ...

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United Northwest Model Railroad Club’s Annual Model Railroad Show

If you live in the Seattle area, you might want to make plans to visit the United Northwest Model Railroad Club's annual model railroad show this coming weekend.  The show runs February 2-3, 2013, at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe, WA. In addition to the cool model train layouts, the ...

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The Pacific Science Center’s 39th Annual Model Railroad Show

We spent two exciting days at the 39th Annual Model Railroad Show at Seattle's Pacific Science Center last weekend.  Exciting and exhausting for us adults, but completely worth it.  Given that we already have a membership to the Science Center, I wasn't going to let the Little Engineer miss out on ...

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The Pacific Science Center’s 39th Annual Model Railroad Show

The 39th Annual Model Railroad Show at the Pacific Science Center is almost here again! It runs from January 19th to 21st, 2013.   Read all about our fun time at the show last year. We can't wait to go again next weekend! Our son had an absolutely wonderful time last year, and so did all of us ...

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The TNW Model Railroad Show and Swap Meet

We attended the TNW Model Railroad Show and Swap Meet at Freighthouse Square in Tacoma, Washington, on May 19th.  And by "we," I mean the Little Engineer, his parents, his aunt, all four of his grandparents, and his great grandma.  Never let it be said that he isn't well-supported in his train ...

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The 2012 Pacific Science Center Model Railroad Show

We went to the 38th Annual Model Railroad Show on the last day it was at the Pacific Science Center this year, January 16th.  The day after this year's big snow storm.  Fortunately, we were able to ride a train there, and it was well worth braving the cold weather. This is a wonderful train show ...

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About Me

Hi, I'm Jessica! While playing trains for the last several years, my Little Engineer and I have had a lot of fun and learned so much together. I'm excited to share our discoveries with other people who have kids who love trains in their lives.

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Recent Posts

  • Best Train Sets for Toddlers
  • The Play Trains! Guide to the Best Wooden Train Sets 2021
  • The Best Battery-Powered Wooden Trains
  • Wooden Track Veggie Stack: a Wooden Train Activity
  • 55+ Creative Train Gift Ideas for Kids that Will Make You a Hero

Copyright © 2012 - 2018 by Jessica Petersen

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