Start your kids' imagination engines with remote control and play vehicles

It seems like it doesn't take long before your child goes from playing with toy cars to driving a car of his or her own. Before that time comes, you can capture your little one's imagination with a plethora of toy vehicles, from models that they can play with and move on their own to designs that they can control by remote control, electricity or inertia. We have all of these fun toys and more for you available at our Every Day Low Prices, so it's easy to give your child so many transportation toy options. Keep those days about worrying about them driving in your rearview mirror for now, and stock up on these fun items.

Play vehicles

Diecast metal toy vehicles look just like the real things, but sized perfectly for little hands to use. If your child has a favorite car, like a muscle car, chances are that very same one whether it's a new model or a classic car is available as a diecast vehicle. There are many sizes of diecast vehicles available, and they're notated by their size in relation to the real vehicle. For example, the smallest toy cars are 1:64 scale, meaning they're 1/64th the size of the actual vehicle. Other common sizes for diecast vehicles include 1:24, 1:18 and 1:6. These toys are available in almost every make and model imaginable, allowing your kid to create an entire freeway's worth of vehicles.

You can also find trains, boats, planes, helicopters and other vehicles available as diecast toys. Some of these toys have accessories like racetracks and garages to use with them. For example, slot cars the kind that have a motorized chassis and ride around on a track you and your child build are 1:32 scale and operate with battery-powered controls. Some come in sets with track designs to set up. Not all play vehicles are metal, either; some are plastic and ideal for smaller children. Many of these toys are character-themed and relate to favorite TV or movie characters.

Remote control toys

Remote control (RC) cars and trucks are among the most common RC toys available but are only the beginning of the list. Planes, trains, helicopters, boats and a modern entry in this category drones all have their fans. RC toys have rechargeable batteries you remove from the vehicle and recharge by connecting it to a charger. Buying an extra battery or two makes it possible to enjoy hours of RC fun, especially if you have access to a nearby electrical outlet. A typical battery charge will provide around 20 minutes of play, although this is contingent on many factors, including how powerful the battery is, how old it's, how big the vehicle is and what the vehicle is doing. RC vehicles that stay on the ground tend to run longer than ones that fly. RC vehicles come in types most people recognize, and some allow for customization, such as with paint or stickers.

Trains and train sets

Do you have a budding conductor in your house? To keep them busy, there are two basic kinds of train sets available. Smaller types, usually made from wood or plastic, are those that smaller children can easily operate by hand and have anywhere from a few pieces to more than 100. Some even come with their own tables so your child can set up the tracks and leave them up for future play. Then, there are electric train sets, which you might know as model trains, that are also highly popular with adults. The sizes of these trains are determined by ratio, which is then translated to gauge. The ratio for model trains runs from 1:5.5 scale to 1:220 scale. For example, one of the most common ratios is 1:87, which means the engines, caboose and rail cars are 1/87th the size of a real train. This ratio is also called H0 scale. A ratio of 1:45 is also quite common; you might recognize this as 0 scale.

Basic model train sets, or starter sets, come with a locomotive; caboose; one or more rail cars, which can be passenger, freight, stock (for transporting live animals), refrigerator cars or others; several feet of track; and a transformer or power pack. As your child's interest in the hobby grows, you can add additional tracks, buildings, people, trees and other models. If you and your child are enjoying the train set together, you can even make your own accessories for your set to make it uniquely your own.

Other toy vehicles

There are toy vehicles available to meet every child's interest, including the ability to race with their vehicles or to build them from scratch. If your child can't wait until Sunday comes along so he or she can watch the big auto races with you, it's an excellent idea to invest in a racetrack. There are race tracks, like slot cars, that race around in slots on small tracks and the cars operate via remote control. There are other tracks, some of which are quite elaborate, that feature banking, loops and jumps and your small-scale diecast cars for racing fun. Once your child gets these cars going, they can run on these tracks for a while before needing another push.

Model cars allow your child to put together their own vehicle piece by piece. Although not recommended for small children because of the small pieces and the type of adhesive you need to use, this is a terrific hobby for older children. From cars, trucks and planes to boats, motorcycles and construction vehicles, there's no limit to the types of models your child can build.