Train Tables

check out freecycle.org and Craigslist, and send out your request for items wanted. you might be surprised responses you get.

My parents found a 6' table at Costco that adjusts to different heights, perfect for the Thomas Trains & tracks (at their house! haha). They've had it for a few years though...

Find a used coffee table the right size, sand and paint!!! I made my son one when he was 3. I painted it blue and then on the top I sponged painted an areal view like Sodor Island from Thomas. It's not perfect because I am definetly not the greatest painter in the world, but I kept it simple and he loved it! He is now almost 8 and doesn't play with trains anymore, but he still has the table in his room for other toys and stuff.

I saw the set up IKEA has in their showroom with the tables with the rug on it. I wish I had done that instead of the train table. They are kind of over it now and what do I do with it now? At least this way you can use the tables. IKEA has these cute tables called the LACK table and they are only 7.99! They are just over 21" square so the IKEA run (14.99) wouldn't fit unless you spread out the tables and put a piece of plywood on top. The rug is 4'7"x4'4". You might be able to find a different rug or just paint the plywood. Can't beat the price. My Mom bought these tables and uses them for art tables for the kids.

Otherwise the imaginarium table (toy r us brand) is reasonably priced, works with Thomas trains and tracks, comes with tracks, trains, buildings...the Thomas table is just the table and it's still cheaper to buy the imaginarium table. It even has 2 big drawers to store everything! It goes on sale just about every month for about a week. It's really a good deal for what you get. It's 33"x49". Good luck!

We got the CIRCO train table from Target and love it. Reasonably priced. It is big, but not HUGE. The tracks just set on it and my two year old "destroys" them and then we rebuild them. I just think it's part of the FUN! Good luck.

After looking at all the tables out there, we ended-up going with one of the activity tables from Pottery Barn Kids. It was a little more expensive, but we liked that it had drawers underneath for storage and could be more than just a train table. They spend more time doing other things on it and very little time playing with trains.

I'd honestly not recommend gluing the tracks down. I think part of the fun is the kids being able to be creative and design different tracks - or at least that's how we let them play with their tracks.

Our trains are down in the basement now. We keep different bins for different tracks, different towers, etc. Makes cleaning up much easier and allows us to have out only what we want them to play with for now (at 2 and almost 4 years old).

IKEA had a train set-up out the other day when a friend and I went. it was a few of their storage systems put together with a train rug on top. it worked perfectly and was holding up well with lots of kids playing around it.

Good luck.

Check out the Nilo brand tables. Kinda pricey, but definitely worth the investment. They are gorilla tough, and they are easily converted to just a really nice table that can be used for school, eating or whatever. They have all sorts of accessories too...such as legs to make them taller, and different road /railroad track scenes and lego compatible mats. The legs are removable, so if you want to store it under a bed or in a closet, no problem.

I have a full sized play table, but they also make a table that is half the size of regular sized play table. Check out this link:

http://www.creativebrainsonline.com/Medium-Nilo-LEGODuplo...

Why glue down the tracks? Let him be creative and learn to put the tracks together himself, maybe even on the floor. It's great for his dexterity, and also helps him better understand how things go together. It's probably why he is being so "destructive"! :) He just wants to create!
We found a great train table at a garage sale for $30- it was a steal, but pretty large. I agree that Ikea probably has some good choices. I think Target does also. I'd find one, then let his imagination take over with putting the pieces together! :)

Good luck,
T.