Thomas Tank Engine Toddler childs Bed+storage+table

Thomas the Tank Toddler Bedframe

Thomas the Train: Why Use a Toddler Bed?

Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends was first introduced in 1945. Since then, The Railway Series written by Rev. W. Awdry has continued to delight children with over 100 published titles. Today, one of the most popular children's television shows appearing on PBS features Thomas and his friends as well, as the beloved little engine and many of his friends encounter one adventure after another on the Island of Sodor.

why use a toddler bed?

As with any well-known and well-liked TV character, the popularity of Thomas has found a home in many products, including the Thomas the Train toddler bed. Toddler beds have gained favor among many parents over the last decade, chiefly because they ease a toddler's transition from a crib to a full-size bed. Why should you purchase a toddler bed for your little one?

• Toddler beds are lower to ground, which makes them easier to get into and out of.
• If your child happens to topple out of the bed, the fall isn't very far or very traumatic.
• Toddler beds provide a sense of comfort. Switching into a big bed from the confines of a baby bed can be intimating, but toddler beds are often just the right size.
• Toddler beds come in a variety of colors, and there are many that feature popular children's characters. This is especially important as you attempt to coax your child out of his crib and into a bed each night.

As with any well-known and well-liked TV character, the popularity of Thomas has found a home in many products, including the Thomas the Train toddler bed. Toddler beds have gained favor among many parents over the last decade, chiefly because they ease a toddler's transition from a crib to a full-size bed. Why should you purchase a toddler bed for your little one?

• Toddler beds are lower to ground, which makes them easier to get into and out of.
• If your child happens to topple out of the bed, the fall isn't very far or very traumatic.
• Toddler beds provide a sense of comfort. Switching into a big bed from the confines of a baby bed can be intimating, but toddler beds are often just the right size.
• Toddler beds come in a variety of colors, and there are many that feature popular children's characters. This is especially important as you attempt to coax your child out of his crib and into a bed each night.

Thomas the Train Toddler Bed Features

Many toddlers love trains.

What makes the Thomas the Train toddler bed so special? This bed is one of many certified by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association or JPMA. JPMA is recognized as an "organization dedicated to enhancing children’s product safety." Its colorful appearance and sturdy structure make it a favorite among kids and parents. Features include the following:

• Construction-The bed is manufactured by Little Tykes, so you know it's sturdy and virtually indestructible. This not only means it will last through your child's toddlerhood, but it also means you can probably resell it if you choose to do so once your child has moved on to a full-size bed. Its construction is basically the familiar molded plastic that most of Little Tykes' other toys, playhouses, and beds are built from.
• Design-This isn't just a bed. It's a play place and storage unit, too. The bed features tracks that are molded into the side rail, providing a perfect place for children to run their cars or toy trains along. The headboard features a storage shelf, which is great for holding small toys. At the front of the bed is a lidded, storage area that can hold collectibles, books, toys, etc. Its bright blue coloring and happy "Thomas" face give the bed such an inviting look that children may beg to go to sleep even before bedtime!
• Age recommendation-As with most toddler beds, the Thomas bed is recommended for children ages two to four years old.
• Pricing-The price runs anywhere from around $270 to a little over $300. As you shop, however, take the shipping and handling price into account as well. Because Little Tykes products seem to last forever, you may be able to find a gently used bed at consignment shops, consignment sales or at an online auction site like eBay or in the classified section of your newspaper.

Accessories

If you plan on creating a "Thomas the Tank Engine" room, there are several accessories that complement the bed. For example, you can purchase a matching toy box, wall border, table and chairs, and more. Because the bed is decorated in primary colors, particularly red and blue, it's easy to design the rest of the room around the bed.

Can I make a Thomas the Tank Engine bed? Please help!

Hello crafty people. I am not one of you... I am in awe of you... but here is my dilemma. My son, at 3 years old, is still sleeping in my bed. It's been real, but I feel the time has come for us to part ways for at least a few hours every night. He strongly disagrees. We'll be moving soon, he'll have a room of his own for the first time, and my mission is to make his room is so unbelievably irresistable he'll want to spend every possible moment there. Especially in or around the bed.

I'm broke and crazy busy. But here's my idea...

I already got a great deal on a used IKEA mini-loft bed with a slide. (A slide! You'd think that would be cool enough! But I know it won't be.) I'm thinking I can turn the bottom part of the bed into Thomas. Drape blue fabric all around (with a few authentic accents, like the red piping and the yellow #1 and maybe a circle window on the side). The tricky part is the face, which will have to go at either the head or foot of the bed. I was thinking I could start with a big garbage can lid, and then.. papier mache? I googled around and found a couple alternatives - celluclay, paperclay. I dunno, I draw, but I have no experience in the 3D arts. I could hang the face from the bed frame, on top of the blue fabric. Oh, and there will have to be a circle of black fabric in between the face and the blue. With a smokestack on top, maybe just a tube sewn out of black felt, with stiff bias inside?

Am I making any sense?

Is this a crazy idea? Does anyone have any suggestions of how to do this cheaper/quicker/easier? Especially the face. Oh, and I think Thomas will have to live without wheels, cuz I couldn't think of any way to make them, but I'm open to suggestions on that too. Remember: broke and crazy busy. I can't stress this enough. Plus, I have to be able to do this very quickly, at my mom's house (no workspace at my apt) when he's not around. Plus, he's 3. He's been going strong on the Thomas obsession for well over a year, but who knows, he could abandon it next month. (Actually, I have been hearing alot about Lightning McQueen lately... any ideas about how to make a Lightning McQueen bed?)

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Can I make a Thomas the Tank Engine bed? Please help!

It's not a crazy idea at all. In fact a friend of mine BOUGHT a Thomas bed due to just such an issue. (Actually the Grandmother did, thus making money not BE the object, where I totally understand it IS a financial concern and, frankly, how long is the kid going to be bowled over by Thomas?-- Cost-effective is just smart.)

I'm wondering if you couldn't do much of this with just layered sheets of plyboard or MDF, sanded with safe, round corners and painted up. And wheels in the same way if you were so inclined. The kid is three. Realism here, while admirable, is probably not the big issue. Marketing it to your son, and safety (and not having to jigger two many disparate pieces together that could come apart with tiny curious fingers!) really is.

Just my two-bits, anyway.
--Jenn

Can I make a Thomas the Tank Engine bed? Please help!

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I have very little to add craftwise..but I do think you are correct in thinking that he may just grow out of Thomas at any minute...but then again. I have so very patiently waited for my daughter to grow out of Polly Pocket...for a loooooong time.

I also wanted to relay an experience similar to yours...or more the resolution.
That is, it resolved itself ...when we moved. My girls went to bed the first night in their new room...and every night after that.
Perhaps the move will be enough to jolt him out of what has become habit for him?

Can I make a Thomas the Tank Engine bed? Please help!

Thanks for the replies! Face problem is solved... I discovered I can order the replacement face from Little Tikes (for their $250 Thomas bed) for $31 including shipping. Not bad at all, I could have spent that much on supplies.

Now I'm thinking, to further save time, that the details (red piping and such) on the blue fabric could be done with fabric paint. But I've never done anything with fabric paint. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks for hopeful story, diosaperdida. I hope to be so lucky, but I can't count on it. I really feel like I have to go guns-blazing on this (probably the wrong metaphor) and if it ends up being overkill, oh well.