Free Chuggington episode download -- and a review

The Chuggington Play Date at Toys R Us today was fun! My kids played with the Chuggington toys set out for 20 minutes before I tore them away. My younger son liked the roundhouse play set (which had been sold out at the store we went to), and my older son just like coupling and uncoupling all the Chuggington trains and pushing them along the tracks.

My first impression of the toys was OK. I like that they aren't expensive, compared to other train sets. However, the roundhouse kept coming apart, and little plastic pieces that stuck to it also came off easily. I had a hard time reattaching the roundhouse, so a Toys R Us employee put it back together. I think the magnetic method of coupling trains is easier for young children -- my preschooler could do it, but my toddler couldn't. The tracks have almost tongue-and-groove prongs that I don't think either of them could put together -- but maybe that means once a track is laid out, the kids also couldn't take it apart!

At the play date, I was surprised to receive not only a free DVD with two Chuggington episodes on it, but also a free Chuggington wall poster and coupons.

You can get the same free Chuggington episodes from iTunes from now through next Saturday ... maybe. I tried the link and got an iTunes error message: "The item you've requested is not currently available in the US store."