Garage toys are the next logical addition once your child’s car collection has grown. Kids can only get so much entertainment from rolling diecast cars across the floor before they are looking for the next thing.
Whether your child’s collection is full of Matchbox cars, Fisher-Price cars, or Hot Wheels cars, there’s a garage toy out there that will take their fun to the next level (or the next 3 levels)!
Read on to find the best garage toy for your child!
Best Garage Toys for Toddlers
The Melissa & Doug Rescue Vehicles and Garage and Battat Shape Sorting Garage are both Amazon Choice toys that are both fun and educational, teaching colors and shapes. The VTech Go! Go! Smart Wheels Park and Learn Deluxe Garage is also an Amazon Choice that teaches concepts and letters plus has music and sounds. The Fisher-Price Helpful Neighbor’s Garage is a best seller on Amazon, probably because it is nostalgic for parents and provides fun for your little one’s without being a fancy, electronic toy.
Fisher-Price Little People Helpful Neighbor’s Garage
The Fisher-Price Little People Helpful Neighbor’s Garage is an updated trip down memory lane.
Growing up, I had a version of this Fisher-Price parking garage. It looked more retro than this, but, even so, when my son cranked that dial and set off the loud ding, I was transported back to 5 years old.
Of course, this isn’t the same toy garage of my childhood in the 90s. This garage has been updated to reflect the world in 2022. For example, on the top level of the structure, you’ll notice an electric car battery charging station. They included Little People cars that have ports in the back where the charging cord plugs in.
Don’t worry if your child’s cars are still running on gasoline. Those vehicles can get a fill-up on the ground-level gas pump.
There’s also a small mechanic’s station on that ground floor. This is a great avenue for imaginative play, but the smaller toddlers will just want to raise and lower the miniature mechanic platform.
This toy is a bit of a twofer. Not only is it great for hands-on play, but it also encourages taking turns and sharing. Yay, social development!
PROS
- Battery-free
- Fun elevator bell
- Includes two Little People cars
CONS
- Not suitable for older children
Melissa & Doug Keys & Cars Rescue Garage
The Melissa & Doug Keys & Cars Rescue Garage is a rescue hero puzzle!
Sound the alarm! This three-car garage houses the top three rescue vehicles that kids love: a fire truck, an ambulance, and a police car. Each car is color-coded to its particular garage.
This Melissa & Doug toy isn’t just a place to park cars though. The set includes 3 colored keys that fit into the coordinating garage locks. Solving this mini-puzzle is a fun exercise in problem-solving and visual-spatial planning. Meanwhile, inserting the keys hones fine motor skills.
The garage was designed to be on-the-go. When play is done, lock the cars in their respective garages and lock the door. After, you can use the sturdy handle to carry the entire playset.
Without the garage, the cars are standalone toys on their own. These adorable little wooden cars can be used separately for imaginative play or just rolling some cars on the hardwood floor.
PROS
- High-quality wooden cars
- Encourages cognitive development
- Portable
CONS
- Not intended for older children
Battat Shape Sorting Toy Garage with Keys
The Battat Shape Sorting Toy Garage with Keys is a fun puzzle garage toy!
This five-piece playset is a great skill-building toy. In a lot of ways, it’s similar to the Melissa & Doug entry before this. Both garage toys include 3 cars and keys to corresponding garages.
Likewise, with both toys, your child can work on different skills. They can pair the colored keys to the matching garage toys for pattern practice. The keys and locks are unique, making it a fun shape-sorter toy.
The main differences between the two rest in the material and price. While the M&D garage is made of wood, the Battat garage is made from sturdy plastic (that meets all safety standards). Price-wise, Battat’s garage is more affordable than the other one.
As a special feature, this garage also has a useful handle on the side, making this garage easy to carry from room to room or from place to place! Don’t worry – the cars lock in securely and won’t slip out through transport.
PROS
- Encourages cognitive development
- Develops fine motor skills
- Has a handle for portability
CONS
- Customer complaints of doors jamming
VTech Go! Go! Smart Wheels Park and Learn Deluxe Garage
The VTech Go! Go! Smart Wheels Park and Learn Deluxe Garage is a toy with endless possibilities for fun!
VTech is known for its colorful educational toys and this garage is no different. Your kid will be drawn in by the flashing lights and fun sounds, but they’ll be learning as they play.
There are so many fun features in this toy. In this garage, your child will encounter 9 SmartPoint locations. These are interactive spots on the tracks that emit sound effects, phrases, or songs. The spots interact with VTech cars, just like the tow truck included with this set.
The sweet little VTech cars help children learn concepts and letters. Specifically, the included tow truck plays songs, and the phrase “T is for Tow Truck!” Additional VTech cars do the same as well.
It isn’t just cars though! You can expand this garage by adding other VTech Go! Go! Smart playsets. These include an airport, a train station, and a farm.
If you aren’t a fan of buying batteries, this toy might not work in your home. The garage itself needs 2 AA batteries to operate. Meanwhile, the included two truck needs 2 AA batteries as well, as do any additional VTech vehicles you purchase for this set.
PROS
- Fun lights and sounds
- Can be expanded with additional playsets and vehicles
CONS
- Garage and cars need AA batteries
Best Wooden Toy Garages
Cost and size are the differences between these two wooden garages. The Imagination Downtown Parking Garage & Service Station is more costly but includes 19 accessories in the 15.5″ x 12″ x 15.5″ playset. The less expensive Melissa & Doug Service Station Parking Garage is a 6 piece portable and space saving, 9.1″ x 9.1″ x 12.7″, garage.
Imagination Generation Downtown Wooden Parking Garage with Elevator
The Imagination Generation Downtown Deluxe Wooden Parking Garage with Elevator is a garage that is big on imagination!
This is the ideal garage if you’re interested in toys that encourage open-ended play. With no lights or sounds, everything is left to the imagination – which your kid has an abundance of!
Your little one can create an entire busy world in this little parking garage as they direct the bright colored wooden cars through the winding parking garage. Watch out for the traffic lights and stop sign – all set up by your child, who will love creating and changing the rules.
You’ll love that there’s no assembly required. Included right in the box is 19 accessories, including five cars, police officer figurines, and street signs. This toy is ready for playtime straight out of the box!
Every piece is made from high-quality wood, ensuring your family will be playing with this toy for years. Also, if you have other wooden playsets, they will pair perfectly with this garage! Wood isn’t necessary though because most toy cars will work just fine.
PROS
- Comes with 19 accessories
- Encourages open-ended play
CONS
- Pricey
Melissa & Doug Service Station Parking Garage
The Melissa & Doug Service Station Parking Garage is a handsome wooden parking garage and service station combo!
If your house is anything like mine, it’s a bit overrun with toys. Still, you want to get your child a garage toy even if you’re lacking the room. A lot of the garage toys on this list are pretty large and not ideal when space is at a premium.
This wooden parking garage includes the same fun features as the other garage toys at half of the size. It still has numbered parking spaces, ramps, an elevator, a gas pump, and even a car wash! Your child’s toy cars will get the same experience without you sacrificing your entire living room for a huge toy!
Oh, and a handle? Oh yes, my friend, this garage has a handle that makes it easy to move from room to room or just off the dining room floor. The handle is covertly disguised as the “service” sign on the top level.
The set includes two wooden cars. It is recommended for ages 3 to 5. While this garage is adorable, it may not be a good fit for older children.
PROS
- Made of quality wood
- Compact size
CONS
- Customer complaints of peeling stickers
Best Toy Car Garages with Elevator
While the Matchbox 4-level Garage has 4 levels of fun with a service station, elevator, car wash, and spiral track for this Amazon Choice, well rated toy garage, the Hot Wheels City Robo T-Rex Ultimate Garage is also an Amazon Choice toy that is wildly popular and very well rated for this 34.5″ multi-level garage that stores 100 cars, has dueling race tracks, and a dinosaur that could devour your toy car at any moment.
Matchbox 4-Level Garage
The Matchbox 4-level Garage is levels of diecast car fun!
Let’s start on the right foot with something from the mega-brand Matchbox. The British company has been manufacturing beloved diecast cars for almost 70 years. The cars are so beloved, there is a very strong chance your child has a small collection of Matchbox cars already.
Take your kid’s diecast car play to the next level – actually, four levels – with this Matchbox garage toy. This parking garage is so much more than that.
On these four levels, you’ll find a service station with an elevating platform and a car wash. Any Matchbox cars will be sparkling clean and in tip-top mechanical shape!
Once those diecast cars are good to go, the cars can zoom down the spiral track or ride the working elevator up to the top!
Customers particularly like how this large parking garage toy can easily entertain two siblings at once. While this toy only includes a single Matchbox tow truck, any Matchbox cars can fit in this playset.
PROS
- Poplar and trusted brand name
- 4 fun levels
- Includes service station and car wash
CONS
- Small pieces
- Adult assembly required
Hot Wheels City Ultimate Garage Track Set
The Hot Wheels City Ultimate Garage Track Set is the perfect place for your child to park their favorite toy car!
This toy garage can store (or park) more than 100 Hot Wheels toy cars! Not only does this garage store Hot Wheel cars, but it also features risky tracks for cars to zoom down — just watch out for the dino! Turn the elevator crank to take two cars at a time up the floors of the garage.
Previous buyers say this track set is quite large at 35.4″ tall, so it’s perfect for children to play with. You can connect it to other Hot Wheels City tracks to expand the town. With over 8,000 reviews and a 5-star rating, you can’t go wrong with this ultimate garage track set.
PROS
- Holds 100+ Hot Wheels cars
- Cars slide down the track to try and avoid the dino!
- Crankable elevator that holds 2 cars at a time
- 35.4″ tall
CONS
- May not fit larger cars
Comparing Toy Garages
The table below compares only the recommended products on this page. A low or high Price means it is low or high compared to the other products listed. The Popularity Score reflects how often readers click on and buy the product. The Quality Score is our assessment of the overall performance and satisfaction with the product compared to others in the table.
| Hot Wheels City Ultimate Garage Track Set | 9.8 | 9.8 | 123.99 |
| VTech Go! Go! Smart Wheels Park and Learn Deluxe Garage | 3.9 | 9.2 | 47.99 |
| Imagination Generation Downtown Wooden Parking Garage with Elevator | 9.1 | 7.8 | 39.99 |
| Matchbox 4-Level Garage | 9.7 | 9.2 | 36.99 |
| Melissa & Doug Service Station Parking Garage | 9.8 | 9.8 | 28.49 |
| Melissa & Doug Keys & Cars Rescue Garage | 9.9 | 9.6 | 20.99 |
| Battat Shape Sorting Toy Garage with Keys | 7.7 | 9.2 | 17.45 |
| Fisher-Price Little People Helpful Neighbor's Garage | 9.9 | 9.4 | 16.79 |
Buying Criteria for Garage Toys
Type
There are so many different types of toy garages out there. Some are made for a specific type of car, like Matchbox cars. Others are based on certain characters, like Mickey Mouse, or certain themes, like rescue vehicles.
If your child happens to have a collection of Matchbox cars already, or they aspire to be a firefighter, then your decision is easy! If not, you may need to delve a little deeper into the next criteria.
Child’s Age
Your child’s age is one of the main deciding factors in choosing a garage toy. The market almost seems to be split into two segments: toddlers and older children.
The toddler garages are easy to spot. Take the Fisher-Price Little People Helpful Neighbors garage found at the beginning of our list. All of the functions on that toy are simple, like the crank-operated elevator. It also teaches emotional development skills, like taking turns.
Meanwhile, garages for older children are visibly more complicated. The Hot Wheels Super Ultimate Garage playset (which, sadly, didn’t make our list) is huge and loaded with small choking hazards. The mechanisms are more sophisticated and the toy doesn’t need to focus on any milestone skills.
Price
The budget is everything. Toy garages can be as cheap or as expensive as you’d like. The Russian Toys garage is incredibly realistic, but pricey. Likewise, the Imagination Generation Downton Deluxe set is made of gorgeous wood and can last for years, but the price reflects that quality.
On the other hand, the Batatt garage can be bought at a very affordable price point. However, it won’t last years, because it is a closed skill type of toy. For example, it teaches patterns and shape matching. Once your child masters those skills, they will outgrow the toy.
In terms of your ideal price, consider what you’re looking for in a garage toy and go from there!
Accessories
More often than not, toy garages will come with at least one car so your child can play with the toy straight out of the box. Still, for some garages, your child may want a few more cars to add to their fun!
Need some ideas for great toy cars? Check out our list of the best toy cars!
FAQs About Garage Toys
What are the benefits of garage toys?
Garage toys, and by extension, car toys, are a way to bring the big world into the land of play. Children often delight in the sight of cars, trucks, and the like. While pushing cars around the living room is always fun, it’s a nice change of pace to have somewhere to take those cars.
With garage toys, your child can engage in pretend play. They fill up the tank or ride the elevator to the top of the parking garage. As they play, they create stories and scenarios in their minds, and this type of fun can develop language skills and encourage imagination and creativity.
On the physical end, kids hone gross and motor skills by pushing cars and turning cranks. Oh, and the fun twisting ramps? It’s an introduction to the basics of physics (what goes up what must come down)!
Do garage toys require extra accessories?
This depends on the garage you purchase and your child’s specific interests. Typically, toy garages will come with a toy car or two.
However, if your child wants more cars or different cars, you will have to make some additional purchases. Before buying any new cars, make sure you choose cars that work with the garage. Fisher-Price Little People cars, for example, are too large for Hot Wheel tracks.
