Ride-on toys for toddlers?

[gertdog]

DS's 1st birthday is coming up and I'd like to find a good ride-on toy for him. We have limited indoor space for him to ride, so the toy would need to be sturdy enough to ride on our (covered) wood deck and/or on the grass in the yard.

Does anyone's child have one they love? Any suggestions?

Here are some I've looked at- if anyone has these I'd love comments!

Fisher Price Ready Steady Rider- Cute, low to the ground, looks sturdy and the storage compartment is a fun idea.
http://ec3.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000C24YIU.01-AJQTG9J4M7YF8._AA250_SCLZZZZZZZ_V64234075_.jpg

Little Tikes Cozy Coupe- Wheels don't look as sturdy...
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B00000IRTS.01-A23NLORBGXOLEO._AA280_SCLZZZZZZZ_V62094584_.jpg

Radio Flyer Tiny Trike- this one is so cute but might not work well on grass?
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B00005BRNH.01._AA280_SCLZZZZZZZ_V55501070_.jpg

Little Tikes Push and Ride Racer- like that this one can be a walk-behind toy as well as a ride-on
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B00005850H.01-A27OK403WRHSGI._AA280_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

[mrswaz]

The Cozy Coupe just isn't as fun as it looks. It is really hard to get it to move while sitting in it. My kids both just sit in it. If they want to move, we need topush them around while they pick up their feet.

DS liked the Push N Ride Racer, and last year I bought him a Step 2 Motorcycle (http://www.amazon.com/Step2-736200-Motorcycle/dp/B00009XO8U/sr=8-1/qid=1159198102/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-9613985-4219306?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games). He's loved it ever since. He has always fit on it nicely to ride around on it, and it's on the smaller side, so he has been able to use it indoors as well as out.

[newtricks]

Hi Stephanie and Happy Birthday!

Those all look good but for a one year old I would start with the last one. Because I think he'll be most interested in pushing it around for a while -the whole "riding" thing takes a while to come together. But you do have a cozy coupe in your future ;) and yes, the wheels will get bent and then it's quite challenging.

Mrswaz - I was typing while you were so my CC comments are not a response to you. My kids really liked the coupe and it was always fought over at playdates but it is hard to ride. They seemed to like pushing around something that large too.

[LA98]

DS has the Little Tikes Push and Ride Racer, although his version is 2 years old by now and had decals to look like the Wiggles big red car. He absolutely loved it, and still rides it around the house although his knees are practically up to the handlebars now! :D It seemed very secure too, he never tipped it over.

Lori

[mgs]

I agree with MrsWaz the CozyCoupe was a huge miss here and with a lot of the kids the same age (1 year olds) who have them. I think they get into them more at about 2. We ended up returning ours and got a wagon to pull DS around the neighborhood in. They have seat belts in them now!

I like the little tricycles with the push bar for the parents. Don't know how to post a picture but maybe I can get a link to show up?

http://store.platinumgalleria.com/berchet-baby-driver-iii.html


Ok this isn't exactly the one I have seen around the neighborhood, but it is the only one I can find because I can't think of a good word for the google search!! grr :mad:

But I am sure fisher price or little tykes makes one. they run about the same price as the coupe ($50.00)

Good luck!

[RunnerKim]

I agree with everyone else - go for the last one (Little Tikes push and pull racer) - for a 1 year old it will be the most used. They'll push it around a lot at first. It's the style used at our daycare for the wobblers (have trikes for the todd/preschoolers) and is stable.

The coupe is really for older kids - I couldn't imagine a 1 or even 2 year old pushing themselves around in it. My DD just had her 4th birthday party at a community center gym that had a ton of those type of cars/trucks and the 3.5-5 years were having a blast in them (on a smooth gym floor). The wobbs and todds (younger siblings) were all being pushed. They're big too and I wouldn't want one for home use (at least not our home!).

Kim

[DanaSD]

I was actually planning on starting a similar post! Brendan doesn't turn one until Dec 29th but I'm trying to do my shopping early for xmas and his bday.

I'm also considering a trike that has a push attachment and you can buy peddle covers. There's the pricey ketler brand but its so expensive. We are looking for something that we can use for walks around the park.

http://www.onestepahead.com/images/product/detail_views_jpgs/10982-dv-1.jpg

For indoors right now we have one of those ride on toys that converts to a walker - Playskool Step Start Walk N Ride. Since Brendan is just learning to cruise, it goes too fast on the carpet for walking but I think in a month or so it will be good. For now he likes to push it around on the room 'walking' around on his knees. It could be used indoors or out. It is very small though so I think they'll outgrow it soon (buts its relatively cheap so not too big of a deal). We bought ours used on Craigs List.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00004T2WP.01._SS400_SCLZZZZZZZ_V1056670201_.jpg

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00004T2WP.01.PT02._SS400_SCLZZZZZZZ_V1056670201_. jpg

[mgs]

Dana - that top picture is what I was talking about! I know I saw one at babies r us when we went to exchange the Coupe - it was only $50 must have been Fisher Price or some common brand. Very popular around here with the little toddlers.

I want decided on the wagon so that he could have a friend ride a long with him, but that hasn't happened yet so I wish I had gotten the push trike. Ah well, live and learn.

And the bottom one was kind of not great once they become really good at walking. IMHO - they kind of drop the push thing once they walk independently and move on to other things. Just what I have seen.

i think you will all love that.

(We used to live in Peroia - it will be a GREAT thing for the 'winter' season there)


Meg

[hrk]

Stephanie-
My sons daycare has a ton of the Push and Ride racers on the wobbler/toddler playgrounds (there are two playgrounds at his daycare- one for 2 and under and one for 3 and up). I can say that Logan loved that car and pushed it/ rode on it from the day he learned to walk until the day he moved to the older classroom. They hold up really well outside and can easily be used in the grass/ on wood decks. They don't tip that easily even when the kids would run tino each other and they move fairly fast so the kids don't get bored with them. I say that one would certainly be your best bet.
Heather

[zippy478]

DS has one of these in the backyard:

http://www.step2.com/imgdetails.cfm?stp2ssid=E5EC6991-1143-E489-2DF90D467DF529F7&imgnme=/images/products/711400_popup.jpg&category_id=1000

He just got it this summer and was about 16 mths when he started using it. I don't know if this would be an option for you but he has used the car in the yard and up/down the street, too. Very sturdy car but no steering mechanism :eek:

We also have the ride-on car by Kid Connection. We got it at Wal-Mart and I can't find a pic of it online for you but it is smaller and very sturdy. He uses it primarily indoors but it is definitely sturdy enough to go outside. Do you know the Muffin Man and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star are the two songs it plays. I wish I could disconnect the song sometimes :p but he has been using that one since just before 1 and still uses it. He loves that one.

Maura :)

[gertdog]

Thanks for all the comments and ideas! Sounds like the Little Tikes Push and Ride is pretty universally liked, so I think I may give that one a try, but I'll check out some of the other toys mentioned too.

I think one of those trikes with a parent steering handle is in our future, maybe next year after winter's over. Our neighborhood does not have sidewalks so something like that would make me feel a little more safe taking Ryan out.

[MrsReber]

Stephanie, we got something similar to the push n' ride. I can't remember the brand, but it's all plastic and the ride part looks like a big wheel. I believe it worked 3 different ways. I'll have to go check to see what it is ( :o ) Could be a fisher-price toy.

We got it for Brenden when, I think, he was around 1 or 1 1/2. It was a Christmas gift. I didn't push it around much. I think it had a rocker attachment for the bottom, then a handle to push it and then it could be used as a regular big wheel. It wasn't all that expensive, but I can honestly say we got tons of use out of it. At 4, he still rides the big wheel part. He won't let us get rid of it and insists he's not too big for it!

[leannebw]

Hi Stephanie,
My twins are turning one next month, and we just got the Fisher Price Stride to Ride Learning Walker that they love:
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B0007WWZKE.01._AA280_
It has some neat sound features that they really enjoy, and it's easy for them to operate. So far it's a hit.
Happy birthday to DS!
Leanne

[sdcook]

Stephanie, we got something similar to the push n' ride. I can't remember the brand, but it's all plastic and the ride part looks like a big wheel. I believe it worked 3 different ways. I'll have to go check to see what it is ( :o ) Could be a fisher-price toy.

We got it for Brenden when, I think, he was around 1 or 1 1/2. It was a Christmas gift. I didn't push it around much. I think it had a rocker attachment for the bottom, then a handle to push it and then it could be used as a regular big wheel. It wasn't all that expensive, but I can honestly say we got tons of use out of it. At 4, he still rides the big wheel part. He won't let us get rid of it and insists he's not too big for it!


Maybe this is what you're talking about?
http://www.amazon.com/Rock-Roll-Ride-XL-Trike/dp/B00005UOSC/ref=sr_11_1/104-0960944-4093568?ie=UTF8

We got this for my youngest son when he was one. My oldest was 5 at the time and both of them have ridden this thing to death and it's been great. They are 5 and 9 now and are too tall for it. The bike has held up really well and has been passed on to the next door neighbor whose son loves it.

[beejayw1]

http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/horses/shetland/shetland1.jpg