"It's just for kids"

Most people probably know my views, blue track all the way, even for kids as it stimulates the imagination rather than providing a puzzle which once completed is boring after a few circuits. The other way to look at it is that blue tracks can potentially lead to a 'real' railway (aka Hornby/Bachman etc...) later in life because if the kid remembers it and enjoyed it rather than remembers frustration and boredom they are likely to carry on playing with trains

As it happens I have got a few hornby/bachman Thomas loco's now as well (I already have a large range of 'normal' OO/HO gauge trains )

Have fun