must be for older kids
my nephew loved this thing with the movement and talking but at 18 months he hasn't gotten the hang of the educational side yet. here's hoping he grows into it.

Lost Interest too Soon
I purchased this for my two grandchildren. One age 13months and One age 2.
Neither one of them found this toy interesting or fun. The train has to be moved by hand and I guess mine are two young to find that fun. My youngest plays more with the animals alone than with the train set. The set is very sturdy which Iam glad and easy to take down and put away. They just don't seem interested in this toy too much.

Poorly designed
Like many other reviewers, I have a problem with the design of the track. My son has to sit on the track to play with the station part of the toy. So when he puts the peacock on the station, instead of saying "I'm a peacock," you hear 1,000 other noises because he's sitting on the track pressing buttons with his butt so that he can reach. Other than that major flaw, I don't like that it has a million pieces to keep track of and clean up. My son doesn't play with them he just throws them around the whole room. Also, he gets tired of this toy very quickly. You don't need this toy. Go with something else.

badly designed
I agree with many reviews that this toy is poorly designed. Both my kids 2.5 and 1 sit on the railroad track to push the buttons on top and cause a variety of letters and songs to go off w/o any purpose. My 2.5 year old loves to play with animals seperately but doesn't touch the toy otherwise. I would not buy this!

Excellent Playtime, Learning Experience
This was one of the first toys my grandson received. He began playing with it (with his mother) around 6 months old. He loved it and I can honestly say (since I have one at my house) he still plays with it and is now 2 and 1/2 years old. There are not many toys I can say that about and I have recommended it to many friends. This train and the animal figures, in addition to being bright, well made and really cute, has features and modes (discovery and learning)which teach children so much at the same time as playing. It has voice and sounds that children love and learn from. It has a piano and a clock. This is a toy that is stimulating as opposed to boring and has many different features. Children learn the alphabet, letter sounds, the names of animals and sounds and facts about the animals. Last Christmas I purchased it here to give to my baby niece and I will purchase it as gifts in the future. Five Stars Plus!!