So you want to get a toy garage for your kid? Is it because they just can’t stop playing with their toy vehicles? It’s not uncommon at all. Our toddler can go weeks just playing with his 2 favorite vehicles non-stop. Nothing else. It’s amazing just how much imagination he can have only playing with a little police car and a Porsche 911. And finding the best toy garage for him was just a no-brainer.
His obsessions with all vehicles (taxis, trains, jeeps, etc.) can be brought into the fantasyland that a good toy garage can represent. This is where he takes all the visuals that he sees when we’re transporting around into his own world, enhancing his creative play. Sound familiar?
And while it is important to play outdoors as much as possible, it is also great to have toys inside to play with on a smaller scale. This is where they feel comfortable and can really flourish in improving on their gross motor skills by pushing the cars up the ramp and creating their own scenarios and stories. When my son plays with his toy garage, it allows me to work effectively at home so I’m not complaining.
Because of all the toy cars in our place, we have become quite an expert in finding the best toy garage to go with them. Here are our suggestions.
The Results
Best All Around
BRIO World Parking Garage
- Well designed
- Compact and durable
- Compatible with other BRIO products
Best For Babies
Battat Shape Sorting Toy Garage with Keys
- Teaches color and pattern recognition
- Well built and sturdy
- Easy to carry around
Best For Group Play
Majorette Super City Motorized Railway Parking Garage
- Multiple functions featured
- Easy to assemble
- Comes with 6 cars and a train
Best Wooden Toy Garage
PairPear Wooden Parking Garage Race Track
- Quality eco friendly material
- Encourages imaginative play
- Lots of accessories
Best Disney Themed Toy Garage
Disney Pixar ‘Cars’ Florida 500 Racing Garage
- Every kid loves Disney Pixar Cars
- Many additional accessories available
Best For Imaginative Play
Theo Klein Bosch Car Repair Station
- Lots of fun
- Very detailed
- Promotes creative play
Best LEGO Toy Garage
LEGO City Garage Center 60232
- Promotes creative play
- Provides many locations for the vehicles
How to Choose A Toy Garage For Your Child
There are various factors that you may want to consider before buying a toy garage. Have a look below before you purchase.
Age of Child
This is one of the main deciding factors in choosing a toy garage. Baby toy garages have simple functions and are not too overwhelming. Toy garages for toddlers are more advanced with more options to peak their curiosity. Their functions aim for the development of a child’s skills. Toy garages for older kids are often complicated, even for adults. But kids seem to figure out how they work without any issues. These are not so concerned with developing skills but focus more on entertainment with bells and whistles. The advanced toy garages will cater to multiple kids playing at once as well.
Type and Theme
Certain types of cars like Matchbox or Hot wheels will fit better with certain toy garages. Some will even adapt with train sets, where you can build the ultimate vehicle hub. And then there are certain themes, like Disney, that your child may want in their toy garage. An important thing is to make sure that the cars that they have already, fit in the toy garage you want to get them.
Material
Pay attention to what the toy garage is made of. There are really nice wooden or eco friendly ones available. But there are many plastic options that can be very durable and water resistant. Also check if it requires any batteries to operate.
Accessories
Most toy garages will come with at least one car to play with right away. But you will probably have to pick up additional vehicles if you don’t have them already. Also, see if there are any other parts that can be added later that are compatible. You may have to stick with a certain brand in order to get everything to work together. But at the end of the day, your child will most likely find a way to make anything work.
Safety
As with all toys, check for sharp edges and small parts that could become choking hazards. If you follow the age guidance from the manufacturer, that should be a good start.
The Best Toy Garage For Kids
BRIO World Parking Garage (Best All Around)
After extensive research, we decided on this sturdy toy garage from BRIO for our child and have subsequently purchased the same one for a number of his cousins as well.
There are multiple levels that feature a hand operated elevator, ramp, parking area, fueling station and a drop zone. But the best part is that it can also connect to other BRIO sets, including their train sets, as well as train sets from IKEA and Thomas the tank engine. So you can continue to expand this for years to come. This toy garage has plenty of functions, yet is open-ended for creative play.
It comes completely assembled along with 2 cars, 1 trailer, and 2 train-track ramps. And it can sit nicely on a shelf when idling. The recommended age is 3 and above.
You may also want to check out the PlanToys Pretend Play Parking Garage or KidKraft Mega Ramp Racing Set.
Battat Shape Sorting Toy Garage with Keys (Best For Babies)
This was the first toy garage we got our son when he was a baby. It comes with 3 cars along with a set of keys that open and close them. The keys are colored and shaped to fit their corresponding garages.
Once unlocked, each pod as a button which opens the garage door and launches the car down the ramp. This was hours of fun for our child and it could be for yours as well. There is also a handle on the side, which allows it to be carried easily with the cars locked away inside.
Similar toy garages include the Djeco minigarage, Melissa & Doug Keys & Cars Rescue Garage, and Fisher-Price Little People Helpful Neighbor’s Garage.
Matchbox Mission 4-Level Garage (Best for Toddlers)
Every toddler will love this 4-level garage from Matchbox because of all that it brings. It features an elevator, car wash and service station for endless possibilities.
You also get a tow truck and the plastic parts are easy and fun to assemble together. Once the cars make it to the top, the twisting slides can bring it back down in a hurry.
If you’re looking for something similar also check out the Le Toy Van Le Grand Garage, Top Bright Car Parking Garage Toy, and Wishtime Parking Lot Car Garage.
Majorette Super City Motorized Railway Parking Garage (Best For Group Play)
This 7-level railway-themed toy garage has enough features to keep multiples kids entertained.
It comes with 6 officially licensed die-cast cars to roam around areas such as the train station, the police station, the repair shop, and the helicopter landing pad. 2 motorized car lifts take the cars up to the top where they can come back down via the ramps. It also come with a battery-powered train, along with 6 lighting and sound effects systems. The garage has parking paces for up to 35 cars.
And if they’re tired of using it for cars, it can probably used as a doll house or baby house as well. Recommend for ages 5 and up.
Other similar toy garages include the Hot Wheels Mega Garage Playset, Hot Wheels Super Ultimate Garage Play Set, and Hot Wheels City Robo T-Rex Ultimate Garage.
Green Toys Ferry Boat (Best For Bath Time)
If your child is always asking to bring their cars into the bath like mine, then why not get them ones that are made for the bath specifically.
Green Toys has this adorable ferry boat that is perfect for the bath or the pool. Made in the USA from 100% recycled plastic, the set comes two vehicles that you can drive on and off load at the “ferry terminal.” This has brought lots of bath time fun for my toddler and it will for yours as well.
If you want an actual garage, then the Green Toys Parking Garage would be a similar choice or if you want to have a vehicle to splash around with then the Disney Bath Splashers Oversized Red is the way to go.
PairPear Wooden Parking Garage Race Track (Best Wooden Toy Garage)
Wooden toy garages are usually built with great quality and they have that nice look. PairPear’s garage takes it to a new level with it’s eco-friendly natural wood.
This toy garage has a car wash, gas station, elevator, helicopter pad, extended racing track, and plenty of signs and accessories to fully enjoy all 3 floors. It comes with 4 cars and a helicopter to start you out. Suitable for ages 3 and above.
Our great wooden toy garages include the Melissa & Doug Service Station Parking Garage, Top Bright Wooden Car Parking Garage, and Melissa & Doug Wooden Stack & Count Parking Garage.
Disney Pixar ‘Cars’ Florida 500 Racing Garage (Best Disney Themed Toy Garage)
This is the perfect garage for your Disney loving child as they are probably obsessed with Disney Pixar’s Cars. It comes with a 1:55 scale of the hero Lightning McQueen that you can race through the 2-level garage.
There is an elevator, a ramp, and it’s decorated with all your child’s favorite references to the popular animated movie. If you want to add to this, there are no shortage of Disney Pixar accessories you can get including a car storing Mack Truck or color changing versions of their favorite vehicles for example.
Other great Disney options would be the Disney Pixar Cars Florida Speedway Mega Garage, Disney Pixar Cars Rust-Eze Tune-Up Center, and Disney Pixar Cars Precision Series Luigi’s Casa Della Tires Playset.
Theo Klein Bosch Car Repair Station (Best For Imaginative Play)
Here’s where your kid can live out their dreams of changing tires and fixing cars. This Bosch repair station from Theo Klein has all the features that your little mechanic can imagine.
There is a lifting platform, a car wash with moving brushes, 4 spare wheels, screwdriver, and a car to perform the services on. This well-built garage definitely promotes creative play and they’ll even want to work on your real car after they’re done with this.
Similar garages that promote imaginative play would be the Theo Klein 2813 Bosch Car Service Multi-Storey Car Park, Imagination Generation Downtown Deluxe Wooden Parking Garage, and KidKraft Wash N Go Wooden Car Garage Playset.
LEGO City Garage Center 60232 (Best LEGO Toy Garage)
Lego is a favorite for all kids, so what’s better than this Lego City Garage Center for a car loving child.
This 234-piece set is easy and fun to build together. It comes with a tow truck, sports car, gas truck, gas station, mechanic shop, car wash, and a number of Lego people. Each component work on their own or can be combined to be part of a Lego city.
As with all other Legos, this compliments well with other Lego sets and promotes creative play. Recommended for ages 4 and older.
Other Lego toy garages to consider include LEGO 10264 Creator Expert Corner Garage, LEGO 4207 City Garage, and LEGO 60215 City Fire Station Garage.
Melissa & Doug Nesting and Sorting Blocks (Best For Traveling)
Most toy garages are too bulky to take with you when you travel. But this set from Melissa & Doug is more flexible and can be neatly stacked up into a compact format so that you can bring it along with you.
There are 7 stacking garages and 7 wooden cars that engage in developing hand-eye coordination, concepts of size, color and numbers, counting, and creative problem-solving abilities. You can also be confident in the quality from a well-respected company like Melissa & Doug. Recommended for ages 2 to 4.
Other recommended travel toy garages include the Melissa & Doug Take-Along Tabletop Town and Top Bright Wooden Race Track Car Ramp Racer.
Ready, Steady, Go!
These are our recommendations for toy garages. Our favorite is the BRIO World Parking Garage and our toddler agrees. But see which one works best with your child and their needs. There are many options for every situation. Start your engines and go.
