Train gifts for kids who can't get enough of trains

The best train gifts for kids depend mostly on age. Toddlers want something to push along a track and crash into the sofa. By primary school, plenty of train-mad children are ready for a real train ride or a model they can run themselves, and older ones often get hooked on the real railway: live trains, platform numbers, the place names on the front of the train. Pick for the child you've got and you can't go far wrong.

What train gifts suit each age?

Ages are rough, and every child is different, but this is a reasonable starting point:

Wooden railways and first sets

A wooden railway is the classic first train present for a reason. It's sturdy, it can be rebuilt a different way every afternoon, and you can add to it at every birthday for years. Brio is the best-known name, and plenty of other makers produce track that connects to it, so hand-me-down pieces and new bits usually play nicely together.

Electric model railways come later. In Britain the most common scale is OO gauge, sold by Hornby and Bachmann among others, and a starter set with an oval of track, a locomotive and a couple of carriages is the usual way in. These carry an age guide on the box. If you're buying one for a child, it's worth having a grown-up who doesn't mind getting down on the floor to help set it up. Our guide to gifts for model railway enthusiasts covers the next steps once they're hooked.

Real trains: days out they'll remember

For lots of children, the best train present is a ride on a real one. Heritage railways are made for this: steam engines, old stations, a guard with a whistle and usually a tea room at the end. In December many run Santa specials, where Father Christmas usually visits the carriages or a grotto along the way. They're hugely popular and sell out early, so book as soon as this year's dates appear. Our Santa specials guide has more.

Railway museums make a good indoor alternative. The National Railway Museum in York, Locomotion in Shildon and STEAM in Swindon all have real locomotives you can stand right next to. See our railway museums in the UK for a wider list.

And it doesn't have to be anything grand. A trip on an ordinary train to somewhere new is an adventure at six. Children under five travel free on National Rail, and the Family & Friends Railcard takes 60% off child fares and a third off adult fares, so a day out by train can be surprisingly affordable.

A real departure board for a train-mad child

Some children like the timetables as much as the trains: platform numbers, delays, the names of every station on the line. For them, a real departure board is a bit of a dream.

TrainTicker Desktop is a small amber LED board, 320 x 80 mm, laid out like the one at the station. It shows live trains from whichever National Rail station you pick, usually the one nearest home: the time, the destination, the platform and whether it's on time. The calling points scroll along underneath, which is a sneaky way to learn the geography of your line, and there's a clock with seconds along the bottom. If you live near the railway, they can read the board and then dash to the window to watch the train go past.

A grown-up does the setup, which takes about 3 minutes from a phone with no app to install. It's £199.99 one-time with no subscription. Not sure the obsession will last? Open the free live demo on a tablet first. It's free, needs no signup and shows any station in Great Britain.

Books and stocking fillers

Smaller presents for train-loving children:

• The Railway Series by the Rev. W. Awdry, the original Thomas the Tank Engine books. Lovely for reading aloud.
• The Railway Children by E. Nesbit, for older readers, and the 1970 film for a cosy afternoon.
• A small notebook for writing down the trains they see, if they're showing trainspotter tendencies (our trainspotting for beginners guide covers platform safety).
• Extra pieces for the wooden railway: a bridge, a tunnel, a level crossing.
• A day out voucher you make yourself, for a train ride to the seaside next summer.

There are more small ideas in our stocking fillers for train lovers list.

Ordering in time for Christmas

TrainTicker ships within 3 to 4 weeks, tracked, so order in November if it needs to be under the tree on Christmas morning. Mark it as a gift at checkout and your note goes on a packing slip with no prices. If it's running late, write the demo link in their card and show them their station on the day. Every order has a 30-day money-back guarantee.