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 Frustrating and DisappointingJul 26, 2011
By Northbrook227
This "toy" looks really cute in the picture on the box (see below for why I put "toy" in quotes). However, my 5-year old son has nowhere the dexterity required to neatly paint and apply stickers to a wooden train, so I'm not sure where the "4 years and up" age recommendation comes from. He liked the idea, though, and asked me to do it, which I was happy to do, loving projects like this under normal circumstances. The first problem was that two of the paint colors were completely dried up. We were left with red and green, so I went with the Christmas palate because I had no other choice. Then it was time to apply the stickers. They couldn't be removed normally and had to be cut out with scissors (really fun for stickers that are in some cases 4" x 1/8"). The other issue was that the stickers weren't sized correctly and stuck out in places after being placed on the train. Then, if you read the instructions, they say something to the effect of "place your finished train on a dresser or shelf and enjoy!" Most children I know like to play with toys, not put them on shelves. I'm hoping my son will understand why when I tell him he can't play with his hideous Christmas train. I've generally been happy with Melissa and Doug toys so was really disappointed with this dud.
 Remember, it's how much the kid enjoys it that really counts.Mar 28, 2011
By Raymond J. Dodd
My 3 year old boy is totally train-obsessed. He also loves to do art projects of just about any variety--painting, play-doh, coloring, cutting, gluing, drawing, assembling--you name it. My wife and I are also big fans of Melissa and Doug products. There was no question that this was a must-buy. Overall, this was a good buy for the money.
Like most M&D products, the quality of the wood is excellent. Everything was solid and cut, fitted and sanded properly. When I opened the paint (which was actually quite difficult to do), I found it to be mostly dried out. Maybe that's why it was hard to open. No worries, I just added a few drops of water and mixed well (but it did take some extra unanticipated time). There weren't really any step-by-step instructions, but they're really not necessary. The kids just want to paint, put the stickers on, glue, assemble, and play (he couldn't wait to assemble the wheels). We painted the train in sections by color, letting each color dry before starting the next. After we painted, we applied the stickers. The stickers seemed to be just a hair to big for the surfaces, as the edges of the stickers would stick over the edges of the wood. I would recommend having a grown-up trim the stickers with a fine blade after application. Otherwise, the stickers may come loose around the edges.
Another recommendation: cut the train tracks off of the sides of the box, and tape them together end-to-end with clear packing tape. It's not a very long track, but my son doesn't care. He loves the movie, "The Polar Express," especially the part where the train goes over the frozen lake. So I also took the extra piece of blue cardboard from the inside of the packaging, and taped it to the end of the track so his train can go from the tracks to the "ice."
In the end, this was a good buy, so don't hesitate. The bottom line is, my kid loves it, and if yours is as train-obsessed, he/she will, too. It was fun to do the project (for both of us), and he loves to play with the train, which (aside from the stickers) is pretty durable.
 Mexican Train DominosMar 17, 2011
By Jancat1227
We just learned Mexican Train Dominos and was looking for a "train" for the game. This fit the bill perfectly. We will be purchasing more for gifts.
Kids loved it!Feb 14, 2010
By Sabine
Another great project for the kids. They had so much fun painting this train and putting stickers on. My 3 and 5 year olds both enjoyed it.
 So-SoFeb 06, 2010
By Miyoshi L. Everett
My was lost interest pretty quick. Once painted and stickers on, he didn't touch it again. The wheels also didn't stay on well, even with the glue enclosed.
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based on 5 reviews
