Have you see those charming photos or window displays with model trains chugging around the base of a Christmas tree? A few years ago, we wanted to create one of those scenes in our own home. There was one problem. We had a tree, but we did not have an electric model train like the ones in all of the photos and window displays.
What we did have was lots and lots of wooden railway tracks and trains: those classic Thomas and Tank Engine and Brio sets which have been a fixture in countless childhoods. So, we set-up our wooden railway all around our Christmas tree. With that, a spontaneous activity one December afternoon became the start of an annual family Christmas tradition.
While we still love the sight of those electric trains, we have actually come to love our tradition even more. We love that our kids will gather around the tree to play together with these wooden trains. The oldest has mostly outgrown the trains, but for one month of the year, all of the kids return to these sweet childhood toys. Crouched beside the twinkling tree, they imagine scenarios around where each train is going and what gifts it is carrying.
We have collected these trains, tracks and stations over the years. Some we bought new, but many we acquired second hand. They have been subject to many collisions and the unpredictable tyranny of toddlers, but they have survived it all. Thomas and his “very useful” buddies are still smiling, and so are we.
Bring Our Easy Family Christmas Tradition to Your Own Home
If you would like to start this tradition is your own home, we have a few suggestions for you. Here are our easy tips for bringing this Christmas tradition to your own home.
Keep It Free and Easy for this Christmas Tradition
Primarily: make this easy on yourself! Do not add more items to your Christmas shopping list. Instead, start with what you already have in your toy chest. You do not need to have a wooden railway to start this tradition in your own home.
You might have a teeming collection of Playmobil characters or a family of plush toys who enjoy tea parties. Maybe the My Little Pony crew wants to celebrate under your tree. We imagine that many Lego fans would jump at the chance to construct Santa’s village out their bricks.
Use Your Imagination to Add Some Whimsy
That said, you can also use other items around your home to construct fun props for your Christmas scene. We always have pipe cleaners on hand in our “craft cabinet,” so we twist them into miniature Christmas trees for our villagers.
You could also cut up Christmas cards to make backdrops. Two years ago, we picked-up some blank wood houses that had been discounted after the holidays. Each of our kids added some paint, and they have become a integral part of our tradition.
Love Those Well-Loved Trains
Perhaps you do not have any trains but have fallen in love with the idea of a train around the Christmas tree. You can still make a train layout on a budget.
The majority of our train collection has come to us second-hand. That is part of what we love about the wooden railway toys: they are so sturdy that they can be passed down over generations! If you check local garage sales, thrift shops or online posting, we are confident you can build your own collection for a low starting cost. (We should warn you though: it is hard to stop collecting them!)
Trains and Stations Seen Here
We did our best to collect links for the trains, stations and other pieces from this post. Some of our collection is old enough that it is no longer being manufactured. If the item is still available on Amazon, we linked it below.
As an Amazon Associate we earn a small commission from products you buy from using these links. The price you pay does not change, but your purchase helps support this blog.
Mickey & Pals Trains, Station & Figures
Here is a set with Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, Donald and their trains. The highlight for our kids is the train station and ticket window where you can make your own recording with a button push. This set also includes a battery powered train and is made by Brio. Find it here.
Here is a smaller version of the set with Mickey, Minnie, one locomotive and the “talking” train station.
Royal Railway Fun with Disney Princesses
If your Christmas crew would rather visit with princesses than mice, you might want to check out this sweet castle set also by Brio.
For a more budget friendly option, you can find individual princesses and their locomotives.
In this set, Aurora and Phillip have their own battery operated train and a horse they can ride!
Battery Operated Trains We Have
If you want to get a little closer to electric model trains while still integrating with your wooden railway. That’s exactly why we got these two trains, and our kids play with them all the time.
Our kids like this train by Hape, and we like that we can recharge it instead of needing to change out batteries! Kids can operate the train from the buttons on top, or use a free downloadable app to “drive” the train from a mobile device.
This one by Brio has a remote control. You need to be pretty close with a direct line of sight to make it work, but the nice thing is that the train will still run even when it loses connection to the remote. Plus, the buttons on top let you operate the train with no remote at all.
Other Favorites
Brio Lift and Load Station: This is one of our absolute favorite railway pieces: fun and interactive without needing any batteries. Ours still works just as well as the first day we got it, and it has sure loaded a lot of packages.
Brio Warehouse: If you have a crew of elves who love moving packages around, you can go with these even more elaborate set. Our kids like making this the centerpiece of their gift shipping operations.
All of our Thomas the Tank Engine pieces are from older lines no longer being manufactured, but if we were buying news pieces today, we would start with this Tidmouth Sheds Starter Set and Knapford Station.
Here is a package of track pieces. These should fit with Brio, Thomas the Tank Engine sets, and other trains like Bigjigs.
Thank you for reading this article on our holiday railway family tradition.
We hope you can bring this easy Christmas tradition into your own home.
For more ideas for family connection, we suggest Inside Out Disney Movie Night: Emotion Sharing Guide and Disney Movie Night: Reflection Guide for The Muppets as well as Fun Questions for Connection. And for some stocking stuffer ideas, check out: Disney Stocking Stuffers for Fans and Disneyland Visitors. Thanks again for reading, and please subscribe below to get future posts in your inbox.
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