A digger with a domino train built in. Turn it on and it moves ahead on its tracks, placing a neat, evenly spaced trail of dominoes behind it. Once the route is ready, your child can topple the line and start over.
Why a domino train beats a box of dominoes
Give a four-year-old a hundred loose dominoes and the result is usually predictable. Eleven may be arranged, then the twelfth knocks into the eleventh, and the attempt ends in frustration before the intended chain reaction begins.
The difficult setup is handled automatically. Because the dominoes are laid at an even distance, a young child reaches the exciting part—the falling chain—again and again. They can focus on planning the route, which is the engaging part and something they can successfully control.
What makes the digger version different
Unlike most domino layers, which are designed as trains, this model takes the form of an excavator. Its arm moves up and down by hand, while four interchangeable fronts detach and attach: a digging bucket, a grabbing claw, a cutting wheel and a breaker. Children who might tire of simply watching dominoes topple can continue using it as a construction vehicle, helping it remain part of play for roughly twice as long.
Illuminated track wheels come on while it moves, and engine sounds play as it operates.
What's in the box
The set includes 120 coloured dominoes plus the pull-out magazine used to load them. It also contains four detachable front attachments, a cactus spinner that an approaching domino hits so it swings around and begins a second line, two roadblocks, two steering rods for directing the route, and two end stops.
Age guidance
3 to 8. At three and four, children can fill the magazine and observe the machine laying the dominoes. At five and six, they can begin planning routes with curves, branches and the cactus arranged as a relay. At seven and eight, they can create extended, multi-stage runs and incorporate the digger attachments into their own construction games.
Materials
ABS plastic. 29 × 17.5 × 10cm.
Frequently asked questions
Does it lay the dominoes evenly? Yes. That is its main purpose. As the tracks rotate, the magazine lets out one domino at a time, keeping the distance between them consistent on any route you drive.
Can it go round corners? Yes. Guide it manually while it moves, or position the two steering rods to create a curve that can be repeated.
Is it just for dominoes? No. That is the advantage it has over the train version. With four interchangeable fronts and an arm that swings, it functions as an excavator too, so children can play with it even when they do not feel like building a domino course.