Review: Little Tykes Talking Train Ride-On with Tracks

We recently purchased the Little Tykes Ride-on Train with Tracks for our two young sons (ages 1 year old and 3 years old) having no idea how awesome it really was. It looked like something the kids would enjoy but we completely underestimated the hours of play that would result from this purchase.

To start, you will need to charge the trains battery for 18 hours before use, which admittedly seems like an extensive time period to charge a battery just for a toy, but it is so worth it as the battery holds it's charge for weeks at a time, even with every day use.

Next, you can assemble the tracks that come with the train. We initially put ours in a perfect circle but the boys have created many different track designs around the house, and they can easily complete this task by themselves as the pieces snap together in, well, a snap! It truly is user-friendly, especially considering that the user is a young child.

The train can be operated off the tracks on hardwood, tile, even carpeting, albeit chugging along is a bit slower on textured surfaces. We've even set the tracks up out in the backyard and it runs just as smoothly on the tracks indoors and out. It won't move on grass alone but it works on sidewalks so we've gotten quite a bit of use out of this toy in all seasons.

The train itself comes in two pieces: the engine and the caboose. The front part has a seat and six different sound options ranging from a train's whistle to the conductor announcing "all aboard!" which increases its fun factor. The back end as a lid over a compartment that is perfect for little ones to transport items from one place to another and back again.

The train itself is slightly heavy, so the likelihood of tipping or overturning it are minimal. Keeping it's weight in mind, it cannot be easily used as a ride on toy that is operated by foot, instead children accelerate the train by pressing their foot on the pedal. This is not difficult in the least; my youngest son has no trouble whatsoever. There is also a pus bar located on the front end of the train and my children truly enjoy pushing each other around on the train.

If your child is a train enthusiast, this toy is sure to be a huge hit. Even if trains aren't their thing, they will find plenty of imaginative ways to explore play with this toy. Little Tykes is a company I trust and they've exceeded themselves with this battery operated ride on train.