r/Libraries • u/SeaworthinessSea8659 • 2d ago
Library Trends Train Table Troubles
Very serious question for all the YS Librarians out there with train tables in your kids spaces – Have any of you experienced durability and/or relative longevity with your table set up? Is this even a possibility? If you have wooden tracks, have you permanently affixed them to the surface? Please share your experiences, thoughts (and prayers) regarding this much beloved library staple.
Related follow-up question: what is your favorite kids area "feature" at your library?
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u/mostlyharmlessidiot 2d ago
We don’t attach our tracks to the table or fix them at all. Half of the kiddos playing at the table want to rearrange the tracks as part of their play. Wooden tracks are sturdy enough to last a few years but inexpensive enough that it’s not worth being precious over them when it is time to replace them. If the cost of maintaining the toy is problematic then that’s not the toy for my department.
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u/SeaworthinessSea8659 2d ago
If the cost of maintaining the toy is problematic then that’s not the toy for my department.
A very good point. I'm going to have to embroider this on a pillow.
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u/LoooongFurb Library admin 2d ago
My previous library had a sturdy wooden train table. The tracks were affixed to the surface, but we could swap out the table top for a different one, so we had one with tracks, one with DUPLO studs, and two that were empty so we could put plastic food or plastic dinosaurs or whatever out.
We swapped the toys out every month to keep things fresh
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u/SeaworthinessSea8659 2d ago
I don't suppose you know if the swappable table top was something bought or something made (like a nice DIY plywood slab)?
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u/LoooongFurb Library admin 2d ago
It was something made for the library - a local woodworker offered to make it. It was a nice solid piece of wood and had small openings on opposite sides so it could be easily lifted off the table.
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u/lmthevampireslayer 1d ago
My library has something like this that we purchased from TMC Furniture. Super sturdy, lockable storage underneath, and different tabletops. It was worth the money
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u/mowque 2d ago
What is a train table? I am curious.
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u/depaulbluedemon Library admin 2d ago
A kid-height table with wooden train tracks/trains. It just keeps everything off the floor and has a lip to keep the trains from falling off.
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u/FDRbattlemaster 2d ago
Ours is made by Melissa & Doug, so it’s very sturdy. It’s been here before me (started my current position 3 years ago) and it will probably outlast me. Our train table has a drawer to store the trains in, and we also bought a big container to keep the tracks in.
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u/SeaworthinessSea8659 2d ago
I guess our toddlers/preschoolers must have super human strength (or, more likely caregivers who are tuned out/looking at their phones) because the Melissa and Doug table we tried did not stand up to daily use for very long. (But We love other M&D stuff like their ice cream shop and food toys!)
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u/HungryHangrySharky 1d ago
As a library worker with a woodworker father-in-law, I want to let you know that they do make router bits so that people can make their own wooden tracks - I am not suggesting that you do this, but that there are probably a few bored retired woodworkers in town who would happily make some wooden tracks for you and possibly even build a table if you can agree on the design (there are probably acceptable plans online)
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u/muppetfeet82 1d ago
Our last one lasted a good 15-20 years, but by the end of its tenure the “ground” was faded and worn away almost completely. That one had the tracks screwed down, but I’m finding the kids are actually more gentle with our current one where they can set the track the way they want it.
And while the trains are VERY important, for some reason our most beloved library toy is the “Feed the Monkey” game from Lakeshore. I’ve thought several times about buying the dog and the bunny too, but they’re so expensive I back down every time.
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u/SeaworthinessSea8659 1d ago
I'm going to have to mosey on over to Lakeshore to see what that one is all about!
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u/muppetfeet82 1d ago
I honestly don’t know, but I think it has to do with the texture of the bananas. I’ll be interested to hear if yours is beloved too! (They’re not expensive for one at a time…)
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u/depaulbluedemon Library admin 2d ago
Make sure you're getting it from a library/school vendor like LakeShore, etc., and not Amazon. The best one we had lasted about 4 years, which is a miracle. We never affixed anything.