Are you on a toy hunt for your child’s next birthday present? Do you want to make sure these toys also have educational value?
We’ve found the best race track toys to fill that role. These race tracks inspire roleplaying, encourage fine motor skills, and help children understand cause and effect. In fact, some of them are fantastic for helping your child with psychological and social development.
We’ve studied close to one hundred popular race track models to find the most durable, child-friendly, and affordable models for a wide range of scenarios. We have options for toddlers and big kids. Whether they love motorized vehicles or manual fun, solo play or group fun, emergency vehicles or smash-and-crash race cars, we’ll help you find the perfect set.
We’ll also take a look at why play is important, discuss what features to look for in race track toys, and review our top picks.
- Base included
- Encourages problem solving
- Easy cleanup & portability
- Passed tensile tests of ASTM
- High-quality wood
- Bright non-toxic water-based paint
- 2 battery-operated vehicles
- Flashing LED lights
- Endless combinations
- Spinning finish-line flag
- Launch 2 cars at once
- Compatible with other Roadster Racers toys
- Has car elevator
- 33 inches tall
- Hard-wearing plastic material
- Sets up in a flash
- Fits almost any toy car brand
- 45-inch durable plastic
- Sea-themed designs
- Motorized vehicles
- Encourage physical & cognitive development
Product Reviews
Here are 21 great race track toys to consider.
Ontel Magic Tracks Xtreme
Best Light-Up Race Track
Don’t you love it when your child’s face lights up with excitement? With this set, your child’s face won’t be the only thing lighting up.
These glow-in-the-dark tracks are easy to assemble. All you have to do is bend, twist, and snap them together to create your own race track with many possible configurations. This is an excellent feature if your child normally gets bored playing with the same toys.
The set includes one LED race car and 200 colorful glowing track pieces. You can purchase additional accessories separately to add to your set, including tunnels, extra cars, emergency vehicles, and more.
Hot Wheels Track Builder Stunt Box
Best for Storage
As parents, we all know that keeping the house clean and tidy can be difficult. But this race track toy might make life a little bit easier. It comes with its own stunt box, where you can store everything away after playtime.
The set includes 15 track pieces with connectors, a two-way diverter, and two Hot Wheels cars. Our kids love that you can combine this set with other Hot Wheels sets to make endless track combinations. It also works well with most Hot Wheels or similar die-cast cars.
The tracks are easy to take apart and pack up to bring with you whether you’re going to grandma’s or on a family vacation. Plus, it’s a lot of creative fun for your kids.
Hot Wheels Criss Cross Crash Motorized Track
Best for Speed
Looking for speed? This Hot Wheels criss-cross track won’t disappoint. This mega looper motorized car track requires 4 D batteries to operate the high-speed launcher, shooting cars into the track to race, smash, and crash with other vehicles.
It’s a thrilling game with lots of adventures within the track and loops. While a younger child might need a little help with product assembly, it could help develop an older child’s problem-solving skills.
Top Bright Wooden Race Track
Best Race Track for Toddlers
This cute ramp toy was an instant hit with our toddlers. It has been thoroughly tested for safety to ensure it’s suitable for toddlers aged 1–2, but our preschool-aged children enjoyed playing with it also.
It’s great for developing focus, fine motor skills, and more. Children can set the cars in motion and watch them roll and flip down the track, depending on how they’re moved. Then they can park them in the parking lot up top.
The rainbow track and bright colors are stimulating, and the set encourages your child to play independently.
Liberty Imports Magic Speedway
Best Race Track Toy for Police Chases
If your child likes to create stories, you can encourage their imagination with this police-based track. The track design allows for hours of imaginative play as your child creates multiple scenarios, high-speed chases, and entertaining crashes.
The set includes 142 colorful tracks that are easy for little hands to connect. It also comes with two motorized emergency vehicles and many accessories, including bridges, cross tracks, traffic signs, and more.
Mickey and the Roadster Racers
Best Disney Race Track
Is your child a Mickey Mouse fan? Hot dog! Bring some Disney magic to your home with this race track.
This unique set encourages socialization. Kids can race their cars to the finish line with the two competing tracks. Although only one Mickey Mouse car is included with the set, you can purchase additional character cars. Your child can also connect this raceway to other Mickey Mouse Roadster tracks for endless play ideas.
Theo Klein Bosch Car Park
Best for Creativity
We love the multiple levels on this tow that allow room for others to join in on the fun. It helps children of all ages think creatively and make decisions. Will they use the exit ramp, wash the car, or visit the gas station?
This toy is great for encouraging imagination and roleplay. It’s easy to use a wide range of car bands with the track so siblings or friends can enjoy this car park together.
Inspiration Play Tube Race Track
Easy to Set Up
This toy may not be the most advanced option, but kids love it and will spend hours finding unique ways to play with it. Your child will enjoy learning what angles to use to make the cars — or balls, marbles, and other small toys — run down the tube.
It only takes seconds to set up, without needing any tools or batteries, meaning your children can take pride in assembling it themselves. The simple design allows for pure, old-fashioned fun. It also comes in three pieces, which makes it simple to store away or pack and take with you.
Simplay3 Carry and Go Durable Track Table for Toy Cars
Best Award-Winning Race Track Toy
Hailed as the National Parenting Product Award Winner, this is not only a parent’s choice track but it will also be a winner in your child’s heart. Both sides of the track table act as a racing track for cars or trains.
No need to put the pieces together as it comes fully assembled. You only need to place the decals to your liking. The sturdy plastic makes it suitable for indoor and outdoor play. You don’t need any batteries to use this track, and it’s lightweight at only 6.5 pounds, which is a great bonus when you’re traveling.
Fisher-Price Thomas & Friends TrackMaster
Best Water Racing Track
Races don’t only take place on the road; they can happen at sea too. This unique toy allows Thomas the Tank Engine to roll into the docks and onto the ship for various creative play scenarios.
There are different colors, movements, and textures along the way. The motorized vehicles require batteries, but they last a long time. And the track is easy to assemble in order to set sail.
Construction Race Tracks Set
Best BPA-Free Race Track Toy
We all worry about our kids and what ends up in their mouths. But the best thing about this toy is that it’s made from non-toxic and BPA-free plastic.
With over 236 track pieces, you can encourage your child to think about creative ways to assemble colorful roads. They can also position a hanging bridge, a roadblock, multiple traffic signs, and other accessories.
Wesprex Dinosaur Track Toy Set
Best Race Track Toy for Older Children
You can step back into the Jurassic period for some fun with this one. The flexible tracks are great for creating endless routes to dodge dinosaurs. It lets your child’s imagination run wild.
Furthermore, the set is easy to take apart, which is fantastic if you’re on the go or trying to teach your little ones how to clean up after themselves.
BluTrack 15-Foot Starter Set
Best for Adaptability
With countless configurations, this race track toy may entertain your kid for hours. The track is flexible, which means your child can bend and twist it any way they want. They can use it to create loops, ramps, and jumps.
Plus, it’s designed to be durable for lots of excitement indoors and outdoors. The plastic track fits most toy cars and includes a suction cup so your child can attach it to various surfaces for endless creative play ideas.
Hot Wheels Versus Track Set
Best Track for Duos
For a classic take on racing, this track fits the bill. There are multiple ways your child can customize the tracks and jumps, which will test their creativity.
In addition, they can enjoy both side-by-side and head-to-head racing with a friend. This set even comes with a clamp to hold your tablet in place while you record all the action.
Hot Wheels 4-Lane Race Track
Best Track for Group Play
Friendly competition, anyone? There are four lanes for high-speed fun on this track, which can fold up easily when it’s time to stop playing.
It’s easy to assemble, and the launcher is simple to operate and have fun with. While four players can join at once, only one makes it to the finish line, as the lanes become narrower the closer it gets to the end.
ToyVelt Dinosaur Toys Race Track Toy
Best for Storytelling
Kids have big imaginations, but we say the bigger, the better. This set lets your child build their own roads and set up dinosaurs for their story. It even comes with a coloring book and crayons. So when your child isn’t building the tracks, they can be thinking about them while they work on their artistic skills.
Some moms may find the battery-operated vehicle annoying, but it can be fascinating for kids to watch and understand movement.
Dinosaur Race Track
Best Eco-Friendly
The best feature of this race track set is that the tracks and toys are made from eco-friendly materials. This makes it non-toxic and safe for your little tot.
The all-inclusive and highly affordable set includes 144 track pieces, dinosaur cars with glowing eyes, several positionable dino toys, and many track enhancers, such as bridges, gates, and more.
Fisher-Price Disney Mickey’s Wild Tire
Best for Young Daredevils
This toy is easy to assemble and a cinch to store away at the end of playtime. Could it be possible to have a tidy house after all?
If your child loves Mickey Mouse, they can hit the “Goofy gas launcher” and see how fast he goes around the loop-de-loop. Time to defy gravity — Disney style.
We love that this set doesn’t require batteries, allowing your child to power the play and preventing frustration.
Fisher-Price Sit 'n Stand Skyway
Best Convertible Race Track Toy
Let’s be honest; children like to push the boundaries. But now you can encourage it when it comes to this fun racing toy. Your toddler can have a blast watching the wheeled vehicle go down the ramps and loops of the skyway. Or they can configure it to become a roadway.
Kids love that the set is like two in one, and it fits with a wide range of Little People cars you can purchase to add to the fun.
VTech Go! Police Station Playset
Best Educational Option
Does your kid want to be a police officer when they grow up? This toy is more about tuning their fine motor skills than racing.
Your child can learn about the importance of emergency responders as they save the day with their police car. The battery-operated musical vehicle toy teaches letter recognition and includes fun songs about the role of a police officer.
Your child can set the track up in multiple ways and with various accessories to make for a fun traveling experience.
Fisher-Price Thomas & Percy’s Race Set
Best Train Race Track
Thomas and Percy race head-to-head, letting you bond with your child through play. The toy trains are motorized for excitement, with separate tracks to see who can win.
There are also bridges and curves along the way, adding excitement and extra setup opportunities.
Types of Race Track Toys
There are many different race track toys to fuel your child’s imagination. The most common types include manual, motorized, and “launcher” styles.
Manual
Manual race cars are the most commonly used type. Your child will enjoy pushing the car around and creating a scenario on the tracks in any shape or form they like. This can suit young and older children alike.
Motorized
These race track toys generally involve the cars being powered along the tracks by batteries. This can be a good option for inquisitive younger kids who love to watch the motion.
Launcher
Launching race track toys are all about high speed and daring moves. Often, this can include racing or performing stunts. It might be a good option if your child likes high-paced play and enjoys socializing with other children.
How to Choose a Race Track Toy
These are some of the criteria we looked for when choosing the best race track toys.