Melissa & Doug Stacking Train Reviews

• The Stacking Train is HEAPS of fun!

  
  By A1E7QLJVWNFOZY on 2003-11-18
  At first, I wondered if the Stacking Train was ever going to entertain my son. You see the cars slide off the linking dowels, if pushed down too hard. Well, at least when traveling on carpet, which is the main playing surface in our home. What's more, the order in which the blocks stack onto the cars is essential for movement. The blocks don't have to stack in perfect order, but certain blocks must be stacked in the appropriate places, otherwise the wheels cannot rotate. My husband and I noticed how aggravated Will became when he first started playing with the Stacking Train; thus, we intervened as the toy frustrated him so. Once he became familiar with the puzzle, (2 weeks later) he began to enjoy playing with it. The Stacking Train soon became a favorite, and now, 7-months later, it still amuses him for 30 minutes or more a day.

  I have found that sometimes the age recommendation on toys is not always accurate. This plaything is appropriately labeled for 2 and up, and will probably continue to entertain my son for another 6 months or more. As a side note, the stacking order is quite complex for little minds. Although this does not take away from the fun-factor, it can add to the level of frustration. This mommy had to go on-line to see the stacking sequence so she could teach her son.

  The Stacking Train is a well-built puzzle! It has been tossed around, stepped on, and even chewed upon, yet keeps on rolling. There are NO sharp edges on this toy, but we have had a few minor mishaps when my son, who plays rough, has pulled the dowels off the cars. We glued them back with wood glue, and the following day this choo choo is back to rolling around on the floor. Recently, my son lost one of the blue dowels, which links the cars together. I called the customer service number, found on the bottom of the toy, and the company replaced the entire train for nothing. Now that's excellent customer service! Overall, I recommend the Stacking Train as it's engaged my son for hours on end, plus the educational values are significant.

  Other Points of Interest:
  · No batteries required
  · There are NO safety concerns with this plaything, i.e. strangling, smothering, cutting, or swallowing
  · Gender neutral plaything
  · No assembly
  · Lifetime guarantee

  Happy Playing,
  Mary
  
  

• Great combination of a train and a puzzle.

  
  By A1FQ58BX6IJ3OE on 2004-01-23
  My almost 2 year old daughter received this for Christmas this year (1 month ago).

  She loves to play with it as a train - she lets her stuffed animals ride it and even tries to ride it herself.

  As a puzzle, she has mastered the 'take it apart' aspect, and is learning to put it back together. It is a well designed puzzle that will be challenging for younger toddlers - some of the reasons that you'd choose block X over block Y are subtle - but it is still a serviceable train most ways you can put it together, although it might look odd.

  It is very durable and safe. My daughter has sat upon it, stood on it, and dropped it on a wooden floor. So far it is still completely intact. Nothing has chipped or come loose.

  This is another great Melissa and Doug product that will be enjoyed for many years, provided we can avoid losing the pieces. Toddlers can play with it on a simple level - it is a train - or a more complex level as a puzzle.
  
  

• Great durable toy

  
  By on 2003-10-20
  My son ended up getting 2 sets of these trains. I can't tell you how much he loves them. The first set he got as a gift last year when he was 10 months old. He got a second set as a gift a month ago (at 20 mos) and we were going to return it, but he became so excited when he saw them, we let him keep it. I am so glad we did, he has combined the trains, can now sort the blocks by color, "parks" the trains and takes them everywhere. Our Parent Teacher Educator commented that he plays really well by himself, ESPECIALLY with the trains. They look simple, but they are great for children to develop imaginitive play.
  
  

• Save the picture!

  
  By A5QSKYN9T6WZR on 2004-11-02
  Well we just got rid of the first set I bought at Big Lots when my son got a second set for his birthday. He seems to more into now than last Christmas and I saved the picture that came with it so that *I* can remember how it goes together. I think it's a little frustrating because the pieces HAVE to go just *SO* to make it fit properly.
  
  

• A gift that keeps on giving...

  
  By AQJXE9J2K8GAJ on 2004-12-03
  We bought this for our youngest son last Christmas. He is now 2 1/2 years old and still plays with it almost every day. It is very well made, and very reasonably priced. In the beginning, we had to sit with our son to show him how to put the train back together, but now he's a pro. This is a toy we'll be pulling out for a grandchildren in the years to come, as long as he doesn't feed any of the blocks to our dog!! I highly recommend this toy; it gets more "play time" than our leappad, lego table or Vtech toys.
  
  
• Ours fell apart
  By A30K6K42LIO2J6 on 2004-11-05
  The entire stacking train fell apart within a month of arriving in our household. My children are not rough on toys, but the wheels came off the train with normal use. My mother threw out the packagaing before we ever saw it, so I have no idea how the train is supposed to fit together (we guestimated) but even so, once the wheels were off, my children were not interested. I have a three-year-old who loves puzzles and is very proficient at them, which would seem to make her the ideal recipient of this toy. She didn't enjoy it, however. The concept behind the toy is okay, however, and if the wheels had stayed on, maybe the kids might have warmed up to it eventually.
  
  
• Could Not Ask For More!!!
  By A2O2PEZQ5CVVSZ on 2005-11-29
  We have had this toy for nearly 6 months now. It is a timeless favorite that looks as though it will hold up beautifully to years of play. The pieces are brightly painted and smooth, so as not to scratch little hands. The train is sturdy and best of all, requires NO batteries! Our train's 23-month-old engineer gets in a lot of play/learning time with this fabulous toy! This puzzle train will undoubtedly grow with your child, as she or he discovers how to configure the blocks on the train cars and use the finished product for hours of imagination-powered play. HIGHLY recommended for ages 18 months to 4 years!
  
  Some of you might like to know that this train is now available in BRIGHT NEON colors! I have not been able to find it online yet, but we recieved this newer, neon version as a birthday present, and love it just as much as the original. Now we have one for Grandma's house and one for home!
  
  
• reaches for train again and again
  By ABFQ50LC9E5C4 on 2003-11-06
  My child loves this wooden train set.
  She started playing with this at 21 months
  and still loves it at 24 months.
  Great job guys!!!
  
  
• Great "choo-choo" train!!
  By A2TCI0C6PWWLW2 on 2005-09-15
  We gave this to our daughter as a Christmas gift when she was 12.5 months old. She was a bit young at that point to enjoy it very much, but she definitely has grown into it! I'd say at about 18 months she really started to take a lot of interest in the train. Now at 21 months she loves to sit on the family room floor and remove the blocks and replace them on different pegs.
  
  All of the blocks fit on all of the pegs--sometimes more neatly than others. There is no way a child can put the blocks on the pegs that will prevent the wheels from turning, so your little engineer won't experience that frustration!! We have berber carpet in our family room and this train scoots along easily on the carpet as well as on the wood floor in the kitchen.
  
  Although my child can replace all of the blocks (in a different order than originally intended!) she cannot reconnect the train cars yet, so she often uses them as three seperate choo-choo trains. The nice thing about the pegs used to connect the cars though, is that they are the same size as the pegs the blocks are "supposed to" go on--so she often sticks blocks on those pegs too.
  
  We are thrilled with this purchase and I have already given it as a birthday gift to two other one year olds! I love toys that children can grow into!
  
  
• good creative toy
  By AN02GLKQET1J on 2005-10-19
  When my Mom got my son this toy, it was a little over his head, because he just took it apart and didn't reassemble it. When he was somewhere between 1 and 2, though, he went through a phase where he played with it a lot. Every day he made a different train out of it, and he worked really hard to figure out how to fit the different blocks onto the pegs in different combinations. We never really tried to get it back together "right", and now I don't even remember how. One thing you need to watch out for, though, is that the pegs tend to fall out after a lot of use. I glued them back in a number of times.
  
  
• Love this toy
  By A2065HBMYDXJ1S on 2006-03-19
  My daughter just loves this train. She has taken it apart and put it back together many times, plus she just loves trains. Very durable and colorful. She is just now turning 2 and was about 20 months when I purchased this for her. Great stacking and learning toy. A lot of fun.
  
  
• not so much fun
  By A7RFRD90KZOFI on 2006-11-29
  we got this as a christmas present and my 2, 3 and 4 year never really even played with it. I tried I really did because I love anything trains but to no avail then the peices started to come off and in the end it just ended up in a heap with the rest of the blocks.
  
  
• Choo-ricfic!!!
  By A2HEBRXL5WM5K8 on 2008-11-17
  Love it, love it, love it. I bought this for my son's second birthday. His eyes lit and and he played with it 1/2 hour straight. I finally had to take it away for bedtime. First thing in the morning he was asking for his train. My 4.5 yr daughter loves playing with it too.
  
  He can't put the train back together perfectly yet, but much better than I expected. Great learning tool, great puzzle, great for hand eye coordination. I only wish it had a pull string - I might have my husband add that on.
  
  
  
  
• Choo-Choo Fun
  By AYREG2670AALV on 2003-03-27
  My son received this toy at 12 months and plays with it daily. It is durable & the colors are vibrant and beautiful. It is a great alternative to your standard stacking rings. He is 15 months now & loves his choo-choo!
  
  
• Classic and durable
  By A3R9VTQ83KQFTJ on 2005-08-12
  I originally got this for my son's nursery, to be used as a decorative item on a shelf. Needless to say, it doesn't get a lot of "shelf time", both of my kids, now 4 and 2, love it!!
  
  
• A toy with longevity!
  By A2U9LN8KNH7ZO4 on 2005-10-11
  We got this train for our son when he was 2 and now he's 4 1/2 and he stills plays with it on a regular basis. The only negative thing I can say about it is that after 2 1/2 years of hard playing, a wheel came off, but it can be easily glued back on.
  
  
• Lots of pieces. Can be personalized easily
  By A3VTXQPWIE036M on 2005-12-15
  Very great puzzle. Hard to go wrong with Melissa & Doug things in general, but this is especially fun since it is a toy and puzzle at the same time.
  
  As a parent, it is a pain to pick up all the pieces when my 18 month old pulls it apart. He hasn't figured out how to keep it all together, but my 3 1/2 year old has loved it for years. It is a good toy when you have multiple children of difference ages in the house.
  
  Also, my friend who gave it to me personalized it by painting my boys name on the engine pieces. It looks great!
  
  
  
  
• Worth every penny spent!!
  By A14EOF1LZ4KZ3W on 2005-12-27
  This is a fantastic toy. I have and 18 month old, 4year and 7year old. All have enjoyed playing with this toy. It is very well crafted. This toy is a must have, it has kept mine busy for hours.
  
  
• BUY EVERY MELISSA & DOUG TOY YOU CAN!!!
  By A1P01B23019DJ3 on 2006-03-24
  This was the first of a long line of Melissa & Doug products we've gotten. It is so wonderful, I'd give it a six-star rating if I could. These are SO well made and multifunctional, I'm planning on passing them down to my children's children. This company also makes great fridge letters (upper AND lower case) and other brightly colored sturdy wooden toys that are inexpensive and make great gifts.
  
  
• Excellent toy!
  By A2PXDVKKE8TFZV on 2006-12-08
  My son loves it. It's durable and lots of fun. It can be used for learning to stack the blocks or just used as a fun little train, and he loves to do both.
  
  
• Fun to stack but hard to keep together.
  By ARE7LBBGBHVSN on 2007-01-16
  The children enjoy putting the pieces together but get frustrated when they try to play with the train by pulling on it because it falls apart again.
  
  
• Great affordable toy
  By A1P0JSFW184ZXJ on 2007-06-26
  This train first caught my son's eye when we went to get him fitted for shoes at Stride Rite and they had this in the fitting area. He was just over 1 year old at the time and was mesmerized. Now, at 2 he still loves this train. He can sit and rearrange the blocks over and over. He also has a lot of other creative uses for them and they make great building blocks in their own right. This adorable train is very affordable, especially considering how long it will last. Our train has survived many rough rides and is still going strong. Highly recommended!
  
  
• Very educational and entertaining
  By A2NZ0X9GDA5G01 on 2008-05-07
  I would highly recommend this classic toy. I bought this for my son when he was age 1. At first, he would just chew on the pieces and throw them all over so I kept the train for a while and reintroduced it to him a few months later. This is one of his most favorite toys and he will be 3 years old in a few weeks. He plays with it everyday. We still have all the pieces as I have been very vigilant in looking for any misplaced pieces. Because of my son's very positive experience with this toy, I have bought another one recently to give as a gift to a 2-year-old boy. I've read that Melissa and Doug offer a lifetime warranty for this toy so that's another big plus.
  
  
• Great toy -- contains no lead
  By A3MMA73FAMJ3DH on 2008-10-29
  I was worried that this paint on this toy might contain lead since it's made in China. I bought a lead tester and confirmed that it's safe (I sampled several colors of paint, both were negative for lead. The tester used was an one of an eight-pack of Lead Check Swabs by HybriVet Systems, Inc.). The toy is sturdy and well constructed, and I think that it has good educational value since there are many ways that the blocks can be assembled, and a variety of shapes. My only minor concern is that the some of the unpainted blocks that form the base of each train car are slightly rough at the corners--which could lead to splinters. I'll probably need to sand these a bit before putting them to use, but that's a problem that's easily fixed.
  
  
• Stacking Train
  By A13M2OZU0IWFY8 on 2003-07-16
  My son LOVES this toy. From the moment I bought it- has been completely obsessed with it! The old fashion wooden blocks come in bright colors & leave many combinations for the toddler to play around with. This train occupies so much of my son's time & he adores it!
  
  
• Brandon loved this toy
  By A8ZYURCBIL7ZM on 2003-09-19
  I first saw in the store I didn't buy it because the 2 age was older than my 16 month old, but then he played with it at his cousin's house. I couldn't get him to let go!

  He loves this train at 17 months, he plays with it everyday, he takes the blocks off and puts them back on. He also is learning his colors.

  Great toy! We have quite a lot of Mellisa and Doug products in our house!
  
  

• Colorful and not confusing
  By AIR6M6BOXTG04 on 2005-05-25
  Our daughter received this at her first birthday -- way too soon to play with it unaided, but great family fun. We're train nuts, so it's been a great decoration in her room, on a tall shelf. She occasionally points to it (or asks now for "choo choo") and we play with the pieces. I always make sure it's put together properly before we're done, so she doesn't walk off with the pieces. In any case, they're bright and sturdy.
  
  Granted, it would be more fun if the spacing between the stacking dowels were the same on all three cars, so more pieces could be interchangable. But she's always loved taking off the blocks and putting them back on again, attaching and disconnecting the cars, and rolling it. I'm surprised that some need a diagram, it's not hard to put them in some semblance of order.
  
  
• I like it, but my son never plays with it.
  By A2GUG4MHZT2Y36 on 2005-12-17
  I guess he is spoiled by the ridiculous number of more flashy vehicles (thomas, hot wheels, etc). I, however, enjoy this toy. It is nicely made, has aged well, and looks great sitting uselessly on my sons dresser!
  
  
• for little train lovers
  By A2CYXQOAR1EJRQ on 2007-01-16
  i bought this a few months ago for my then 19 month old son who loves trains. although he did play a great deal with the box it was shipped in, he loves this stackable train even more! he's not one to sit still for long, but he will to play with this train. i love it because it is real wood & something that will not be easily broken, if at all, like plastic toys. it can be handed down to future siblings or even his own toddlers. the blocks have been tossed across the room & banged together & they are, so far, holding up well to toddler abuse. unlike plastic toys, there were absolutely no fumes of any kind when i opened the packaging. the only downside is at the end of play, there's more to pick up ;) but this helps in teaching my son to help put away his toys by making it fun to put all the blocks back on the train cars. it's also helping him learn colors & shapes. i have since bought other toys from this same company & will buy more in the future. good quality, good price & good fun make this a great buy.
  
  
• Wooden Stacking Train
  By A1WOKG5GI65CZE on 2007-03-08
  I didn't see the toddler play with the toy because they were from out of town and were taking it home all sealed up so no parts were lost.
  The parents thought it was a wonderful toy. They have not shared how their little one liked it.
  
  

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