When the children have a few cars, the question comes quickly: where should they park? A garage, a car park and a petrol station give the cars somewhere to go home to, and give the play more places to drive. Here are four buildings from Crateit Town, and some ideas for playing with them.
Why buildings for cars?
A car that only drives around the floor soon finishes its trip. With a garage, a petrol station or a car park the trip gets a goal, and the play gets a story: the car needs fuel, parking and a way home. The buildings in Crateit Town click together without glue, arrive in unpainted wood and can be coloured over again and again.
The car park: City Park Zone
City Park Zone is a wooden car park with three zones, a ramp and a roof garage. It covers 67 × 67 cm assembled and has 40 pieces. Three wooden cars are included, so all the spaces can be filled. The children can race for the best spaces, and let the cars sleep overnight in one of the zones.
The petrol station: City Gas Station
City Gas Station is a wooden petrol station with a road in and out. It covers 65 × 95 cm assembled and has 32 pieces. A wooden car is included, so there is something to fill up. The petrol station is a good place to meet, and it can stand next to a car track. Read more in Crateit Town: complete guide to modular wooden toys.
Two garages: Crossroad Cottage and Vista Villa
The two garages both measure 20 × 18 cm assembled. Crossroad Cottage is a garage with a cottage feel and has 11 pieces. Vista Villa is a garage with large windows and has 10 pieces. They are small enough to stand next to each other, and the children can give each its own style, for example a cottage and a villa.
Colour the buildings
The buildings arrive unpainted, so the children decide the colours. Every surface can be painted over again and again, because the markers cover the old layer. The garage can be blue today and red tomorrow. See Crateit markers, and get tips in how to colour wooden toys with markers.
A small neighbourhood
Try placing the buildings as a small neighbourhood. The petrol station can stand by the road, the garages can stand in a row, and the car park can have the corner to itself. If you want room for all four, measure the floor first: City Park Zone takes up 67 × 67 cm and City Gas Station 65 × 95 cm, while the two garages take up 20 × 18 cm each. Let the children decide where each building goes, and draw a map together before you build.
Five games with garage and petrol station
- The parking test: who can park in reverse or parallel?
- The tank is empty: the car has to go to the petrol station before it can drive on.
- The town's cars: every car gets a name and its own regular space.
- Rainy weather: the cars take shelter in the garage while they wait for the sun.
- Rebuild: move the buildings around and find a new route between them.
Keep building the town
The buildings can be combined with the other sets in Crateit Town. Add roads, signs and more vehicles as the town grows. It can be a good idea to start with one building and see what the child spends time on before you buy more. To read more about playing traffic in the town, see road rules for children.
As a gift for grandchildren
A garage or a petrol station can be a gift that can be built on. If you are grandparents, you can find ideas in Christmas gift for grandchildren. For a five year old you can also see Christmas gift for a 5 year old, and for a six year old Christmas gift for a 6 year old. Crateit Town is recommended for ages 5 to 9 and may be used from age 3.
Frequently asked questions
Do cars come with it?
It depends on the set. City Park Zone has three cars, and City Gas Station has one car. The garages Crossroad Cottage and Vista Villa are buildings, and the cars are separate sets, for example Turbo Racer, Thunder Truck and Bus Adventures.
Do you need glue or tools?
No. The pieces click together without glue or tools.
Can the buildings be coloured over?
Yes. The colour can be applied again and again, because the markers cover the old layer.
What age are a garage and a car park suitable for?
Crateit Town is recommended for ages 5 to 9 and may be used from age 3.
See Crateit Town, where garage, petrol station and car park can be built together with roads and cars.
