TrainDad

With “grandparents” written all over it, the Thomas Track Rider set and accessories are about the best toys a Thomas fan could get. The ride-on battery-powered toy comes with a 6-foot circle of track. Of course, if you have $250 to spare for the train, you might as well spend a little extra to get things like the track expansion set, Annie and Clarabel add-on car, and the bridge and crossing expansion set. Oh, and another site sells a tunnel and track expansion set. Your little engineer drives the train by pushing a button — a problem for children that are too little, since it only drives as long as you hold it in. It also can’t hold up to very wiggly children, since they can tip it over or make it jump the tracks. I think it’s ideal for ages 3-5.

Not a big Thomas fan? That’s okay! The manufacturer, Peg Perego, has made a John Deere train — and it’s much cheaper, to boot — as well as a Santa Fe Express and another Santa Fe Express with caboose. These sets also have a figure-8 expansion track set available.

If that’s all too rich for your blood, you can always step back to the Thomas Pop-Up with Annie and Clarabel for $45 or, if that’s too pricey, just the Thomas Pop-Up by itself for $19.72.