8 best toy cars for school kids that still captivate them

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Always something to do for the holidays or rainy day?

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school children are often too old for the “ordinary” toys cars. Sometimes they may still play with it, but most of the time they want something different.

Yet there is a lot to find for this age group. This Jada Toys kit for example, which allows you to create your own model auto can make. Not as difficult as real model cars but more of one for school children that you can also play with when it's finished.

But there are more options. In this guide I look at the 8 best toys cars for schoolchildren and what to pay attention to when purchasing.

Best toy cars for school kids

Let's take a quick look at the top options. Then I'll go into more detail about each of these choices.

Overall best toy car for school kids

Jada ToysFast & Furious Brian Toyota Supra, Build n' Collect

The quality is very good and just like the regular cars from Jada Toys completely die-cast. With this kit you can only build it yourself.

8.5
Toy score
Product image

Best toy car with opening doors

MaistoDodge Challenger SRT8

This car is 1:24 and therefore very big, about 7-1/2″ long (19 cm). It is a great diecast replica and very detailed.

8.6
Toy score
Product image

Best Lego car for XNUMXth grade

LEGOCreator Expert Ford Mustang 10265

It is a real Ford Mustang GT from the 60s and the doors of the car really open. The trunk and hood can also be opened.

8.9
Toy score
Product image

Best robot car

MakeblockmBot Ranger

This Ranger is actually 3 robots in one. That also makes building a bit more replayable than the other sets, always changing parts.

8.7
Toy score
Product image

Best toy car with elastic

Thames & KosmosRubber Band Racers

A nice educational set to learn how stored energy works and a good introduction to physics.

7.7
Toy score
Product image

Overall best RC car

ArmmaGranite 1:10 Scale Monster Truck

[Hobby Grade] A low and sleek body that reduces drag and allows you to reach top speed, with tires built to grip the pavement.

9.1
Toy score
Product image

Best electric riding toy for 8 year old

RazorQuad

Razor's 24V battery powered mini quad is capable of reaching an impressive top speed of up to 13 km/h.

8.5
Toy score
Product image

Best race track for 8+

AnkiOVERDRIVE starter kit

The gameplay goes way beyond just faster and overtaking, each supercar has special abilities and weapons that allow it to literally blow the opponent off the track.

8.4
Toy score
Product image

Best toy car with sound (6 years)

BruderMAN fire truck 02771

Many functions provide endless fun: from the high crane to a real working fire hose.

8.9
Toy score
Product image

From toddler to toddler activity book collection

Educational games and coloring pages for 3 to 6 years

Your toddler and preschooler will love this e-book, along with the accompanying printables. He or she can play with it at every stage of development, together with mom and dad.

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Toy cars for school kids buying guide

What should you pay attention to when buying toys cars for schoolchildren?

The first is of course age. You can no longer get away with a simple die-cast auto from Hot Wheels.

Die cast cars is still possible, but only if children are specifically interested in it cars and then one with more detail and whose doors can open, like Maisto.

Sustainability

There are quite a few differences in quality toys car brands. Just look at the difference between Maisto and Hot Wheels, you can clearly feel the quality.

With a complete diecast auto In any case, virtually nothing can break. That's what I paid extra attention to when assessing the durability of the cars.

Quality of driving

At toys You want cars to drive well. Some may be for display only, not for play. But you still want them to roll well.

A few things to watch out for are:

  1. the distance from the wheels to the chassis: some toy cars run into problems so they don't drive very well
  2. the rigidity of the shaft: some toy cars are very wobbly so the wheels can move far in and out, and still rub
  3. the quality of the wheels: is it plastic or are there really rubber wheels on the tires? Rubber rolls a lot better
  4. the weight of the car: you may not realize this right away, but the weight of the car plays a very large role in how well it rolls. A heavier car made of diecast or wood rolls a lot better and further than a plastic car

Replayability

A big part of the replayability of the auto It's in how well it drives, but there are other factors that determine how often they return to it.

Age also plays a role. Is it a auto that remains ignored after toddlerhood or can it last longer because it is also suitable for older children?

The number of extra functions also plays a role, such as programming with mBot or Arrma's RC. A race track is often not interesting anymore, but Anki's special one really keeps the kids busy.

I have each of the cars on this list on these components are assessed on a 5-point scale.

Top 8 toy cars for school kids reviewed

Overall best toy car for school kids

Jada Toys Fast & Furious Brian Toyota Supra, Build n' Collect

Product image
8.5
Toy score
Building
4.1
Replayability
4.3
Sustainability
4.3
Best for
  • Simple kit with enough parts
  • Fun for older schoolchildren to teenagers
Less good
  • Very small screws require some patience

This auto is just the right size at 1:24 scale and not too difficult. This way, 8-year-olds can get started with it and perhaps even a little earlier with your help.

It's the Toyota Supra from Fast & Furious and although it's quite detailed, it comes across more like toys then a model auto.

The quality is very good and just like the regular ones cars from Jada Toys completely die-cast. With this kit you can only build it yourself.

Everything you need is included. No glue is needed, just the small screwdriver that comes in the kit.

The screws are very small so screwing them together should definitely help if your child is not yet a teenager.

Best toy car with opening doors

Maisto Dodge Challenger SRT8

Product image
8.6
Toy score
To drive
4.6
Replayability
4.4
Sustainability
3.9
Best for
  • 1:24 is nice and big
  • All doors and hood can be opened
Less good
  • Trunk cannot open

This auto is 1:24 and therefore very large, about 7-1/2″ long (19 cm). It is a great diecast replica and very detailed.

All doors can open so there is plenty to discover or to display it beautifully. Only the trunk can not open so that is a pity.

Maisto has been making diecast for a while now cars and they are not always of the best quality. But with this model they have a very good one auto that is large and affordable and where a lot can be opened.

Best Lego car for XNUMXth grade

LEGO Creator Expert Ford Mustang 10265

Product image
8.9
Toy score
To drive
4.1
Replayability
4.5
Sustainability
4.8
Best for
  • Very very large building set
  • Huge amount of detail in the interior and engine
Less good
  • Very pricey
  • Harder to play with

Although these Lego Creator sets are aimed at adults, teenagers can of course also play with them. With 1471 pieces, it is quite a construction kit that will keep you busy for a while.

The nice thing about Lego is that you can combine it endlessly. This way you can pimp your Ford Mustang with different types of Lego pieces. The possibilities are endless.

Lego has also responded to this by making some adjustments such as the supercharger, ducktail rear spoiler, sturdy exhaust pipes, and nitrous oxide tank.

Make it a post-apocalyptic car with a laser turret, or just give it a wider bumper.

It is a real Ford Mustang GT from the 60s and the doors of the auto can really open. The trunk and hood can also be opened.

It is also quite large at 10 cm (3″) high, 34 cm (13″) long and 14 cm (5″) wide. He is very expensive though. Part of it is in the amount of Lego pieces, but also partly in the fact that it is an official Ford Mustang.

Playing with it is a bit more difficult than with others cars because you don't want any pieces to fall off, even though it is very solidly built. The pieces on the outside hold the whole thing together very well.

Best robot car

Makeblock mBot Ranger

Product image
8.7
Toy score
Building
3.7
Replayability
4.8
Sustainability
4.5
Best for
  • Very replayable with different sets
  • Fully expandable with other kits
Less good
  • Batteries are difficult to charge
  • Interface is sometimes difficult to follow

This one falls between the Jada Toys and Wood Trick in terms of age, a great building kit to set up together.

But in the end, this is what it's all about toys more about the robot you built. This Ranger is actually 3 robots in one.

That also makes building a bit more replayable than the other sets. You can always swap parts and make it back to another version.

  • Land Raider is a tracked robot that can run over just about anything
  • Nervous Bird is a balance robot that can balance itself
  • Dashing Raptor is a three-wheeled racing car

It is remotely controllable through the app and it is also suitable for outdoor use.

It also teaches coding basics in that you can use Scratch to program it, the Makeblock app can help with some suggestions.

This, of course, is STEM toys par excellence with robotics, engineering and coding in one toy and they can get started with it from the age of 8.

In addition, mBot is expandable with different kits so that you can build and experiment even more.

We've also written about mBot before in our article on the best robot toys.

The batteries are a bit of an issue. They are difficult to charge and when building the cars you can no longer reach it. To charge them, you first have to take the robot apart again.

Best toy car with elastic

Thames & Kosmos Rubber Band Racers

Product image
7.7
Toy score
Play value
4.1
Price/quality
3.6
Replayability
4.2
Best for
  • Educational set
  • Car and boats work well
Less good
  • Can only build one thing at a time
  • Airplanes don't work very well
  • From: 7 years
  • Best: 8 – 10 years
  • Up to: 12 years
  • Material: Plastic
  • Theme: Vehicles, Car
  • Play Mode: Solo
  • Price at time of writing: €26,37 – $21,99
  • Durability: None
  • Learning objective: VOICE/ STEAM, Science
  • Storage: Compact
  • Safety parts: None
  • Playtime: Short (<10 min)
  • Gender inclusivity: Gender neutral

A nice educational set to get to know the operation of stored energy and elastic potential energy and a good introduction to physics. The educational value is therefore excellent.

The play value suffers a bit due to the lack of ease of use. You can build a number of different vehicles with the sets, but each one must be taken apart to build the next. The boats and cars work well, but the flying constructions a little less so. You can see exactly how it works, so that's nice, but they don't really fly well in the air.

The replayability is slightly better, especially because you can also use the created vehicles in other types of games with, for example, other cars. It's also nice and small, lightweight and portable so you can play it anywhere. The materials are not too sturdy so it is not really suitable for smaller children and rough use.

Overall best RC car

Armma Granite 1:10 Scale Monster Truck

Product image
9.1
Toy score
Speed
4.8
Agility
4.1
Sustainability
4.8
Best for
  • cool look
  • Water resistant
  • 95+ km / h out of the box
Less good
  • Only one color available
  • Not for newbies
  • Pricey

Type: Hobby Grade

While Traxxas seems to dominate the RC market, I would recommend the Arrma RCcars Don't forget- they are top quality.

While I am deeply saddened by the discontinuation of the Nero 6S, their Granite is a great replacement that is a ton of fun.

This little car can go fast!

It can go up to 95+ mph straight out of the box, and with tweaks, we have no doubt you could get it even higher.

It has a low and slim body that reduces drag and allows you to hit top speed, with tires built to grip the pavement.

In addition, it works very well on dirt and snow.

It's one of the coolest little RCcars which is now for sale.

It's waterproof and it comes from RTR. It also has a great 2 year limited warranty.

Best electric riding toy for 8 year old

Razor Quad

Product image
8.5
Toy score
To drive
4.9
Battery
3.7
Sustainability
4.1
Best for
  • 13 km / h top speed
  • Can support 120lb (54kg).
  • Good suspension and tires for off road
Less good
  • Battery life of 40 minutes is a bit less

Razor's 24V battery powered mini quad is capable of reaching an impressive top speed of up to 13 km/h.

This will give your child a lot of speed to drive around and have fun.

This is almost already a real quad and suitable for children from 8 years. They can really enjoy themselves here.

We also liked how children can play with this quad, nice outside in the open air. It gives them more freedom to be outside to get some fresh air.

What makes this toys remarkable?

With a top speed of 13 km/h, children will have a lot of fun driving this quad.

Best race track for 8+

Anki OVERDRIVE starter kit

Product image
8.4
Toy score
Replayability
4.6
Competition
4.8
Sustainability
3.2
Best for
  • Time Magazine's 25 Best Inventions of the Year
  • Play together or with an AI opponent
Less good
  • More of a game than a race track

Seriously WOW!

The Anki OVERDRIVE has been named in Time Magazine's 25 Best Inventions of the Year and brings... toys race tracks to an incredible new level.

More computer game than racetrack. You can take out your friends with powerups and even play against an AI opponent.

Via smartphones, players operate their robotic supercars as they fly across the track.

The gameplay goes way beyond just faster and overtaking, each supercar has special abilities and weapons that allow it to literally blow the opponent off the track.

It looks more like a real-life computer game!

Players can even choose to play against an AI-controlled opponent.

And with more cars and track extensions available, this is a set that can continue to grow and you can continue to expand.

Remark: Each player must have compatible iOS or Android device to play, such as one of these children's tablets.

Best for: Advanced Gameplay, AI, Battle Racing, Mobile Device, Upgradeable

Ages: 8 years +

Best toy car with sound (6 years)

Bruder MAN fire truck 02771

Product image
8.9
Toy score
To drive
4.3
Replayability
4.6
Sustainability
4.4
Best for
  • Great sturdy construction
  • Good crane and real working fire hose
Less good
  • Very large and difficult to combine with other toys

Come to the rescue with this Bruder Fire Truck! With the fire brigade you can save people! Turn on the siren (which makes a real sound) and let everyone know that the heroes are on their way!

Of course it has a high crane so that is great fun and you can do up and down then and it can also stretch very far with the tray that can tilt.

Furthermore, the front can be detached and then you actually see under the hood in such a auto what's in it.

There is a cover that can be opened and underneath is a reservoir that you can fill with water. That is especially nice in the summer of course to take outside to spray, and he can spray quite far.

With the pump you can first pump it up a few times and you actually have to pump the water pressure on it. It's a bit of a classic fire engine as they might have done in the old days.

Bruder MAN real working fire hose

The auto is also quite large. Very big actually. That's very cool of course, but it makes it difficult to combine with others toys.

Luckily we have quite a few other Bruder toys where it fits exactly, but much else toys is in 1:24 scale or smaller.

Still, it is very nice to play with and although a child of 3 can already play with it, it is the best from 6 years old.

Conclusion

There are a lot toys cars that are also fun for schoolchildren. With this list there is something for every type of interest.

Also read: these are the best toy cars for all ages

Always something to do for the holidays or rainy day?

Play Choice now has the ultimate activity book collection, with over 60 pages of fun coloring pages and educational puzzles.

Joost Nusselder, the founder of Speelkeuze.nl is a content marketer, father and loves trying out new toys. As a child he came into contact with everything related to games when his mother started the Tinnen Soldaat in Ede. Now he and his team create helpful blog articles to help loyal readers with fun play ideas.