Toy train sets are another great time enveloper for children. They are one of the best thinking toys and imagination toys rolled into one.  Like other construction sets, they require problem-solving skills -- seeing A and figuring out how it is related to B.  A more advanced problem is the inevitable moment a child gets to the end of the track without enough parts to connect everything and figuring out the work-around. The mind has to organize track, trains and movement so that the whole setup moves easily and smoothly. If your child can learn problem-solving at this level, it forms the basis of problem-solving as a life skill.

Creativity and imagination is required with all open ended toys. As your child puts tracks together in original ways, he or she usually will imagine different scenarios for the roles played -- creating stories about the train, the conductor, and the passengers. This kind of imaginative play supports the basis of imagination as adults.  These fine motor skills are key to many of life’s essential functions. Fine motor skills are those that will allow your child to manipulate objects, and they will need these skills to get dressed, to feed themselves, to draw and so on.