Brio toy trains snaked their way around the entire second floor of our house for many years. It was mostly the boys who asked for the add-ons of wooden switches, track, a turntable, cars, and engines, but all four children participated in making and playing with the temporary layouts that snuck through three bedrooms into the bathroom around the hall. The cat was frequently blamed for consigning pieces to the “blackhole” beneath beds. She also liked playing with the little train cars that skittered and rolled around—and sometimes plunged down staircases to the lower floor.
It was evident that each and every piece was accounted for. None have ever turned up from wayward locations during clean-ups or reorganizations. They were too valuable to lose.
Of all the toys that went to donation, they were the ones most missed afterward. My wife and I loved to watch our children’s inventiveness. The cat loved the trains, and the children loved them most. Even the dog doted over the obstructions in his path, knowing his kids were having fun.
Toys that amuse an entire family are hard to find.
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