To glue or not to glue?

[Memina]

Do you glue down your wooden train set or do you let the children build thier own?

This has caused much debate within my childminding group and I was just curious as to why you have chosen to glue or not to glue.

Mine isn't glued for many reasons.
1. When dismantled it fits neatly into a box so easier to store
2. Its fun to build different shaped tracks every time.
3. it helps children develop problem solving skills
4. I teach the younger children not to break it appart when we are playing (takes a while but this lesson is then reinforced with so many activities)

[Rick]

Do you glue down your wooden train set or do you let the children build thier own?

This has caused much debate within my childminding group and I was just curious as to why you have chosen to glue or not to glue.

Mine isn't glued for many reasons.
1. When dismantled it fits neatly into a box so easier to store
2. Its fun to build different shaped tracks every time.
3. it helps children develop problem solving skills
4. I teach the younger children not to break it appart when we are playing (takes a while but this lesson is then reinforced with so many activities)

My children like to build the track themselves....they concentrate very hard getting the pieces to fit together!
Plus as you say it does fit tidily away again

[The Juggler]

not to glue - have never come across a glued one tbh!

the learning children get from building the train set themselves is too good a learning opportunity to miss out on. I had 2 x 3 year old boys once who could both build a massive, train line with bridges and 3 or 4 different loops and all joining up - they would build and rebuild it every day or during the day. Also for babies 1-2 years just learning to put things together it's a huge motor skills and problem solving learning experience.

[Memina]

Some members of my group have thiers glued to a piece of wood or table top.

They seemed truly confused as to why I didn't agree. So much so that I started doubting myself

[lozzy23]

A CM friend of mine has a train track that comes with a table. It can only be put together one way on the table, it looks great, but I think a bit boring. Sadly she insists it has to stay on the table and she has now chosen to glue it on, as the 1yr olds kept removing bits of track, which frustrated the older mindees.

I notice that when I visit with my mindees they are excited by it when they see it, but once the train has been round a couple of times and they have tried to pick up a piece of track and told not to, they soon move away.

No gluing of tracks in my house.

[blue bear]

I bought a train table from Asda,the track was very cheap and broke easily to we glued it on a seperate board, it was really popular to be honest especially with the battery operated train. Eventually the children had enough and pulled it back off In fact the whole train table has gone as the children's interests have changed.

I still have and always did have a separate basket with loose track in as I feel the train set is more about problem solving, building making choices etc than just driving a train around a track. It's bit like have puzzle pieces already glued in place, makes a lovely picture but not much fun.

[Daisy De]

Not to glue.

I must admit I do get a bit irritated when we have made a great track only to have it broken up again within minutes but, as someone else said the same track would be very boring after a few minutes and also how could they learn about putting the track together or building it so it connects to itself etc.

[shortstuff]

i will never glue mine, they all have so much fun trying to build a complete circuit with the pieces available that its great fun to watch, plus as others have said it packs away too x

[clareelizabeth1]

Sometimes I wish I was glued down after the tenth time I've had to intervene when a child try's to break someone's track or rebuild one, but over all it helps with so many areas of development to build it themselves.

Communication (asking for a piece of track)
Problem solving (making a track join)
Social ( stopping others from breaking track)

I also think it helps them learn to cope with disappointment when it breaks or doesn't join up right.

[little chickee]

Both!
I have a large train track glued to a board. I find this useful as its quick and play can start straight away. My 4 yo doesn't get frustrated with the 1 and 2 yo's destroying the track ( just when they move the trains!!).

I also have a box of separate track that can be added to the glued track or made into a separate track.

Works well for us.

[singingcactus]

I have so much of the stuff that I have some glued down for the little ones and some loose for the big ones. No one plays with either tbh, they prefer other things.

[FizzWizz]

No way I could glue mine - my hubby despairs at anything childminding related that can not be packed away in a cupboard for the weekend!

My little ones are far mo interested in building the track themselves than playing with one I have built-gluing prob takes away a lot of the learning and play opportunities that these toys can provide.

[Bumble Beez]

Not to glue...my LO's always have so much fun making, breaking, remaking that they would lose interest in it too quickly if it was just pre made.
Although sometimes I spend so long making tracks with the LO's and then one of the babes crawl thru the middle and breaks it all...this is very upsetting lol!

Sarah x

[Petshrinklj]

Mine isn't glued. Im rubbish at building track that ends up joined together I run out of pieces and have huge gaps or they miss each other by a few centimetres on corner joins. I'm Looking forward to my daughter been able to suss it for me she's a bit little at the mo.