Ride On Cars/Toys

My boys will be turning one in two weeks and I'm debating about getting them some of those ride on cars/vehicles. I'm just wondering if they are a good purchase and thought before I bought any I would come here to ask some questions. Thanks for any advice/tips you might have.

Do your kids like them?

What age did they really start to use them?

If you are a fan - which was your favorite?


Thanks!

 

We have two of the Little People ones from Toys R Us (the fire engine and the school bus) -- and my two LOVE them. Just in the past couple weeks, they have more or less figured out how to get on by themselves (they're not walking yet), and propel themselves with their feet. Or, one will push the other, which is really cute! They can't steer yet, so they run into the walls and furniture all day, LOL.

These were on sale for $19.99, and they work perfectly.

 

My SIL & BIL bought our DS a Power Wheels Kawasaki 4-wheeler for his 1st birthday. It took him a little while to get the hang of how to steer it, but after a month or so he was a pro! He very quickly figured out that if he pushed the red button he'd go. I think at first he almost enjoyed pushing it around as much as riding it, because he spent so much time getting stuck or running into things because of his lack of steering. :lol: I definitely think that the steering is easier to learn on a 4-wheeler than on a car/tractor/etc. My DS also had a Power Wheels tractor that was handed down from my nephew and it took him much longer to learn to steer the tractor with a steering wheel. HTH.

 

We gave the boys the battery operated four wheelers (fisher price) for their first birthday. They loved them. They could push the button to make them go but at a year old they still didn't know how to steer them well so we had to follow them around because they would run into fences, walls, etc. but as far as riding on them - they LOVED THEM. They have just turned 17 months old and now they can steer them like pros, but surprisingly within the last month, both of them have really started playing with their non-motorized ride on toys. They have a choo choo train and they can get that thing going in the house and if M says beep beep, you better be moving out of the way because he will run you over. When they were younger, they would get on and ride, but wanted someone to push them. In the last month they fight over getting on them and scooting around on their own. Sixteen months was really the turning part as far as ability to drive and steer, but they loved riding them at a year.

 

OH, did you mean the battery-operated ones? Sorry, I thought you just meant the simple ones you sit on and push....

We didn't get my older DD one of those until she was almost 4 -- we got the Peg Perego John Deere Gator. It's great for that age, but I haven't researched the ones for younger kids....

 

My 2 girls have these little cheap one from wal-mart that have buttons and sirens on them and they love them. They can walk behind and hold to the handle or they can ride on them. My brother got them the fisher price tiger push or ride on and they don't like that one so much.

 

I'm also not sure if you're talking about battery-powered or not -- I had assumed you just meant the push-it-yourself kind (my sister calls it "Flintstone style") until I read the other responses.

Anyway, we don't have the battery powered ones, but we have some Flintstone ones. They are some of the best toys we have! My DDs starting using them before they could even walk (they'd push them around by the handle), and at almost age 3 (yikes!) they're still using them! Now they have soap-box derbies around the house with them.

You don't need anything big or fancy -- one of our favorites is basically a box on wheels, with a handle. The seat does lift up and they can stash little toys in there, which is part of the appeal. But mostly they like it because it rolls smoothly.

Personally I wouldn't bother with battery-powered unless you have lots of space. IMO the whole point is for them to get some exercise and work on their motor skills!

 

Not sure if your talking about battery operated or "leg" operated but we have the Winnie the Pooh ride on/push cars. We got the same one for both of them for their first birthday. They love them.

 

Thanks for all the responses! I probably should have been more specific in my initial post. I did mean the ones that are NOT battery operated.
Thanks again!

 

We have two ride on toys - no motors. One is the Little People Fire Engine and the other is the Fisher Price car (that one the seat splits open so it can be a push toy or a ride-on toy). Both kids have been riding them since before their fist birthday. We also have a rocking giraffe and a rocking cow. My DS has just learned how to get on and off himself and he loves them. I think they teach a lot of skills and are very useful and worth the money!

Jessica

 

Radio Flyer Scoot About from BRU. Our kids love these. They have tought them how to steer and back up and to slow down. They have been great!

 

We just got the Barbie four wheelers. The girls love them and ride them daily. They are probably a bit big for them and will not ride them long, but for us it was well worth the money. We paid about $80/ea, but saw in ABC Distributing catalog (they also have a website) little tykes four wheelers for $60. Wish I had seen those before I bought mine.

 

The only ride on toys we got were at garage sales and I am glad it never held my kids attention past the first copule of days.

 

Chicco ride-on

We got these Chicco ones for the boys' first Christmas, and they were a very good buy. They can start out as just a fun place to strap them in if you want to keep them contained. Then they can walk behind them and push the cars out front to help steady their walking. And finally they can ride on them. Our boys have gotten use out of all the stages. They're finally now getting the idea of how to push themselves forward when they're riding, but they still don't know how to steer. I think we have a lot of use still to come from these.

Even when they're not in a riding mood, sometimes they'll just sit on them and take a rest from playing - or just play with the steering wheel controls. They love them!

 

QUOTE(happyfor2 @ Jul 28 2008, 02:57 PM) [snapback]900075[/snapback]
My boys will be turning one in two weeks and I'm debating about getting them some of those ride on cars/vehicles. I'm just wondering if they are a good purchase and thought before I bought any I would come here to ask some questions. Thanks for any advice/tips you might have.

Do your kids like them?

What age did they really start to use them?

If you are a fan - which was your favorite?
Thanks!


My kids love 'em. They started using them when they started pulling up and cruising. Our favorites are the Fisher Price fire engine and the Cozy Coupe, but we have others. Basically anything with wheels they can sit on works fine. I never purchased any either. People give them away on freecycle all the time and we got a few from neighbors.

 

We bought 2 of the Little People Musical Parade ride ons for their first birthday. They love them! They are pretty small. Althought they can't get on them by themselves, they are learning to get off of them. They rock back and forth too. Their grandpa got them 2 bulldozers too for their birthday. Our house is full--but the boys seems to love them. They crawl beside them and make car noises.

 

My girls share the Care Bear ride on car (not battery operated) and LOVE it!! They get on them themselves and we push them around. We have thick carpet and they still can't do it themsleves. I would definitely recommend this as a first birthday gift.

ETA: I just realized when I posted this that the picture in our avitar is of them on the CB car!! It just reiterates that it's a good toy

 

QUOTE(DATJMom @ Jul 28 2008, 01:27 PM) [snapback]900412[/snapback]
we have the Winnie the Pooh ride on/push cars. We got the same one for both of them for their first birthday. They love them.

We have this one too and a Radio Flyer Retro Rocket one. They got these for their first b-day and ride them more now at 2.5 years old. They are still a BIG hit.