Do the Locomotion!

TRAINIACS
How does playing with trains help your child's development?
Babies Wheeled toys are to beginning crawlers what mechanical rabbits are to greyhounds; something captivating to chase after. Pull-toy versions continue to deliver well into the second year, when new walkers will be proud to drag one in their wake. Thus a passion is born!
Toddlers Guiding a train in and out of tunnels and over trestles appeals to toddlers' growing interest in spatial relations, though their preferred route might still be up and down their own legs or across the kitchen table. Unloading and refreighting flatbeds encourages hand-eye coordination.
Preschoolers A growing penchant for make-believe can be unleashed on a small scale in the train yard. Along tracks, kids can roll out the fire department if the train crashes, or ferry passengers from toy store to ice cream parlor. Choosing where to place stop signs, trees, and other landmarks gives them an introduction to the abstract concept of mapmaking.
Kindergartners and up Laying tracks is a challenge to be solved in innumerable ways. Physics lessons abound: What happens to the train's speed when it goes down the hill? What if there's a curve after the dip? Clicking cars together in endless combinations may also provide some hands-on practice in adding and subtracting.