I remember clearly the first time I heard my two year old son making train noises. He was playing with his Thomas the Tank plush toy, crawling around the toy room and happily singing choo – choo. It was his first toy with wheels and over the years, his favorite toys always consisted of those that had wheels.

Soon enough his toy collection grew. As a toddler he enjoyed his big Tonka trucks and fire engines. He would be content for hours making bridges and garages with his Lego Duplo set for his trucks and fire engines to park in. I often wondered how he first discovered the noises and words he used when driving these vehicles around the room. I finally decided it must be an inbred gene in the male child.

He received his first set of Matchbox cars for a gift on his third birthday. Little did I know, this one gift would turn into 100’s of Matchbox and Hotwheel cars. These cars seemed to be the best gift to keep on giving. His birthday is around Thanksgiving and by Christmas morning that 3^rd year he had nearly 20 Matchbox cars and a carrier to store this wonderful little vehicles in. His truck collection was also growing strong. He had more toys on wheels than I knew existed. With Matchbox cars, tracks are a must. By the age of four, he had enough track to build a nice steep track down the steps and through the basement, with loops and turns.

The wheels kept on coming. He received his first Brio Train set at five. These great little wooden trains had something quite unique for him, magnets that connected the cars. More track and now a table made especially for the Brio system

As with age, the wheels got bigger.  First came the Big Wheel.  He’d climb behind the wheel of the toy and off he went, enough to scare any mother, gaining speed as he learned to pedal.  Oh, the joy to watch him drive around, free as any little boy could be.  Next up, the trike.  The big shiny red Roadmaster was a hand-me-down from his sister.  Geared up in his ever so cool looking Matchbox car helmet – he hit the pavement riding.  He loved it so much, he would ride it around the garage in the winter, bundled up in his snow suit.  As boys grow, so do their bikes.  The next was a cool looking 2-wheeler with training wheels.  Living on a quiet street in an area with many bike paths, he was again thrilled with the freedom of riding bike with us as we rode around the various bike paths.  As parents, we were quite surprise when only two weeks after receiving the bike, he wanted the training wheels of…he was four.  I thought he was far too young, but my husband agreed.  Now geared up in his bike helmet, wrist pads, gloves and knee pads, I felt comfortable letting him give the new wheels a try.  It took him exactly two tries and he was off without the aid of training wheels.

As the years passed the bikes got a bit bigger each year, but he was yearning for more.  He wanted rollerblades.  My heart sank.  Fortunately for him, the Easter Bunny was kind enough to drop a pair of rollerblades into an Easter basket.  Thankfully, the bunny also included more protective gear to wear.  He strapped on those blades, wobbled around for a bit and off he went down our steep drive way.  I was sure he’d crash – but he kept on going up the neighbor’s driveway.  This was now a very cool thing – free ramps!

The rollerblade fad lasted for about two summers.  The next set of wheels had to be a skateboard.  The skateboard arrived in time for his birthday.  Snow had already covered the streets, so he practiced his skate boarding skills on the concrete floor of our unfinished basement.  By the time spring rolled around, he was fearless on that board.  The board lasted a good four years.  Then the teen years hit us.  He needed a real board, one that could only be found at the skateboard store.  He had saved up some money to purchase this board.  We went to the skateboard store and I was amazed at the sheer quantity of the boards, but none had wheels.  He explained that first you pick your skateboard deck and from there you choose the type of wheels you want mounted on your deck.  We left the store with a new board and more headgear!  Skateboarding has been his main form of transportation, along with his bike for the last two years.  He spends a good deal of time at the skate park practicing his skills and tricks.  Its great exercise and he isn’t spending endless days playing video games.

The Razor scooter has also been a well coveted mode of transportation for the last 5 years.  The scooter is fine, but you simply can’t do real cool tricks with it (while mom is looking).  It is also great to keep the kids active & exercising.  We don’t own any motorized Scooters, but see many of the neighborhood kids using them.

For more toy ideas see my hub on Baby & Toddler Toys

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