This Pared-Down Toy Racetrack Is the Great Compromise of Toys

Like many new parents, when my son was born, I had aspirational visions of a toy box filled with only handmade, beautiful toys. In our home, there would be no beeping books, flashing bulbs, or shiny plastic. And, of course, each toy would carry an educational purpose.

But kids like what they like. My 3-year-old son loved race cars, ever since a new friend handed him a shiny red race car during a playdate at the park. Suddenly, Lightning McQueen, the personified red sports car from the Pixar movie Cars, was an unavoidable fixture in our lives.

It wasn’t long before his grandparents eschewed all imposed toy rules, and we were living in the fluorescent and plasticky world of Hot Wheels. (Thanks for that, guys.)

Luckily, before I completely surrendered to the toy aisle, I discovered a compromise between the world of race cars and my fantasy of a playroom full of learning toys: the Blu Track Classic 15 Ft Starter Set.

The Classic 15 Ft Starter Set is a flexible, 15-foot toy racetrack made of PVC that fits most standard toy race cars. It has two lanes for racing cars on the front and suction cups on the back for attaching to hard surfaces. (In my home, it’s often stuck to either a ground-floor window or our kitchen table.)

Unlike other tracks, which are made of hard-plastic parts that easily snap, the Blu Track is made of one long, sturdy but flexible strip of PVC. That means this track can be manipulated to create loops and swirls, inspiring hours upon hours of creative play.

The first time I encountered the Blu Track was 12 years ago, when I was picking up my then-4-year-old son from a playdate. He and two friends had attached the long, flexible racetrack to a wall with suction cups.

I watched as they switched off racing different pairs of cars, delighting in each outcome. The track’s simplicity seemed to spark endless problem-solving-based play as they figured out different ways to twist the track to make loop de loops and lifted ramps. It wasn’t long before I was buying a Blu Track for our own home.

Thanks to the track’s simplicity, there are fewer parts to break. It’s easy to wipe down, and it neatly rolls up so you can easily store it in a toy box or on a shelf. You can also use it with many different types of toy cars; my kids tend to play with Hot Wheels, but they sometimes change it up with Fisher Price Wheelies, wooden Thomas & Friends trains, or MTA toy trains. Blu Track also makes its own cars, though they are sold separately.

And unlike many toys available for purchase today, the Blu Track is manufactured in the United States and made entirely from USA-sourced materials, even the PVC. (Yes, this also means that Blu Track has not been impacted by tariffs.)

At $45 for the starter 15-foot Blu Track, it’s certainly not cheap, but it’s a substantial gift for the price. During the pandemic, I gave the Blu Track to four children between the ages of 3 and 5 who all live in different households. Five years later, every child continues to play with their Blu Track.

Blu Track also sells extensions that you can purchase separately. These make nice follow-up gifts. Blu Track co-founder Amy Fuller is “adamant” that children start with the classic Blu Track. Once ramps are introduced, children will limit their creativity, as “often kids think they can’t play unless they use them,” she told me.

There aren’t many toys I’ve felt great about purchasing, but the Blu Track is an exception. When new parents ask me what I consider to be a must-have toy for imaginative play, the Blu Track is always at the top of my list.

Vicki Mendonca, a physician’s assistant and mother who loves fun and educational toys, agrees. “Most toys do all the imaginative work for kids, but this track is simple and allows kids to use their own imagination,” she told me when I asked her if her daughter, now 6, still plays with the track she originally bought for her in 2020.

I now have two in my home, and the one I purchased for my son in 2012 is in just as good shape as the one I purchased for my daughter in 2020.

Oh, and if you’re an aunt or uncle who cringes at the thought of such a perfectly educational gift, you can always do what my partner did: include a giant box of Hot Wheels for your niece or nephew in addition to their new Blu Track. What’s life without a little compromise?

This article was edited by Megan Beauchamp and Maxine Builder.