The 5 Best Push-Along Toys for Toddlers

Whether you’re looking for small, lightweight toys that can be pushed around or larger walkers and activity toys that will help your child learn to walk, we have picked something for every child.

Push along toys are good early development and learning toys for babies and tots. These toys are great developmental toys that provide great physical activity and help to develop muscle growth and strength. They also help coordination, which fosters cognitive and motor skills.

These traditional wooden toys for toddlers are a great way to teach children about their developing surroundings. As soon as your child starts learning how to move, you can give them their very own wooden push toy. There is a wide variety of these toys available for toddlers and infants to get acquainted with their environment.

Push along toys are great for encouraging movement which is vital for developing babies muscles. Wooden push and pull toys help children develop balance and coordination, they teach children about avoiding obstacles, and they offer a little extra stability as they learn to navigate their way around. These brightly coloured toys in various shapes and forms also help with your child’s colour and shape recognition.

Choosing the Best Push Along Toys

Children love to play with push toys. These toys are so simple to play but they’re so fun to play that your child will be occupied for hours. Aside from being engaging and entertaining, they are also great first toys that facilitate learning and early development. Which is the reason why they are really popular among children and parents. With so many options out there, choosing the best push toys for your kids can be a bit daunting. Don’t worry because we have written a guide for you to make choosing the best push toys simple and easy.

Here are a few things you need to consider before buying a push toy:

Age & Safety

Choosing age appropriate toys for your child is important to her safety and to maximise any benefits she gets from playing them. Some push toys have small detachable parts that are potential choking hazards so make sure to check out the label before making your purchase. If your child is prone to putting things in her mouth, it’s better to stay away from these toys.

Another thing to check is the suitable age range. Most toy makers indicate the age the toy is most suitable. For instance, large push toys like activity walkers are suitable for ages 12 months and older so if your child is only 8 months, you’re better off buying small push toys like toy cars.

Make sure to know the exact measurements or dimensions of the push toy, especially if you’re planning to use it as a baby walker. The handle of the push along toy should not be high that your child is tiptoeing and not low that she’s stooping. The build of the push toy should be sturdy as well. You do not want your child pushing a flimsy toy.

Material

While there are certain benefits and drawbacks of buying plastic toys, wooden toys are better for your children and the environment. Many people will point out that wooden toys are hard to clean and they are easily damaged by water and the elements.

While there’s some truth about this statement, there are simple ways to prevent your wooden toys from being deformed or damaged.

In fact they’re easy to clean and you can even use household items like vinegar and baking soda as cleaning agents. Moreover, wood has natural antibacterial properties.

One thing to always remember when cleaning wooden toys is to never soak or submerge them in water or other liquid solutions.

Wooden push toys are also tactile and their wooden texture brings your children closer to nature. Most wooden toys last long if you look after them and they are timeless toys that most families pass them down from one generation to the next.

Budget

There are push along toys for every budget so look for something that you can afford. To get the most out of your purchase, check the features of the toys and if they come with accessories and other toys.

For instance, if you are looking for an activity walker choose something that comes with other toys that are built right in.

For Babies

A push along toy can be incorporated into tummy time for babies, encouraging them to use their muscles to reach out and push themselves up.

This could be either a small toy on wheels that they push away from themselves or reach out to grab like the Plan Toy Wheelies, or an activity walker pushed up against something that babies can reach up to fiddle with.

Once they get to the sitting stage a little car or animal on wheels is great fun for pushing around the floor in front of them. And crawling babies will love to have something to chase around the room.

The Plan Toys dino cars are a popular choice with little ones and the perfect size for small hands. Made from eco-friendly PlanWood and rubberwood they are safe to chew, lightweight and easy to clean. Making them the perfect gift for little ones.

For Toddlers

And once babies find their feet, having a push toy to pull themselves up on and walk around the room will provide endless entertainment.

Of course, the activity walkers are great at this stage as they have the added bonus of plenty of interactive features for the baby to play with. But we also love the Plan Toys Walk N Roll and Indigo Jamm Bernie’s Ride on Bus.

If you are buying for a child that is already walking or close to it then Bernie’s Ride on Bus is a great choice as it can be used as a walker, thanks to the sturdy wooden handle and a ride on toy.

This makes it a great choice for a first birthday present as it will still be loved and enjoyed when they are two. We love the fact that there’s space inside to take passengers.

From Push Alongs to Pull Toys

Once your child is confident to play with a push along toy while they walk they start to be ready for pull along toys.

Pulling a toy requires a whole different set of skills to pushing one. Instead of providing additional stability a pull toy requires additional balancing skills. Children have to learn to walk with one hand behind them and will often want to turn back to look at the toy they are pulling.

This could result in a few tumbles as they get the hang of it but they soon will and will love being able to take their favourite friend for a walk or pull along a cart full of toys.

Do Push Toys Help Babies Walk?

Push toys definitely help babies walk. When talking about push toys that help babies walk, we’re talking about the larger push toys like activity walkers and not the small push along toys like toy cars and trains.

Your child needs to hit a certain developmental milestone before she can start learning how to walk. You can help prepare your child by doing some simple routine exercises with your child. You can hold them upright and let them bounce on your thighs.

Many people will tell you that push toys are far better and safer than sit-in baby walkers. The benefits of using sit-in walkers outweigh its benefits. Babies in sit-in walkers are at risk of falling down the stairs or getting their fingers trapped. Sit-in walkers let children become more mobile than they should.

Push toys are beneficial for your child’s development especially if they are still learning how to walk. These toys provide support while teaching your child to walk naturally. They also help children to look ahead while walking and avoid obstacles on the way.

Providing a safe environment for your child when she’s learning how to walk is important. One of the things you can do is move furniture around and line them up to make way for your child. You will have a peace of mind seeing your child wheel her push toy around the house.

When she’s still starting out, she will fall a lot. If you are worried about this, you can put a soft carpet or play mat to act as a cushion.

When your child is learning how to walk and wheel her push toys around the house, it’s highly recommended to move furniture and line them up to make way for your child.

You can get your baby started on push toys early. Most push toys like activity walkers have other toys built right in. Sorting toys and building blocks are the most common toys included in activity walkers.

Even if your baby can’t walk yet, you can let them sit and play with these toys because they’re great in helping your child develop a wide range of skills. Sorting toys are great fine motor skills, problem-solving and memory while building blocks are fantastic toys for an imaginative and creative playtime.

You can encourage your baby to play with her push toy by getting something that resembles a real life item. Children love to imitate their parents so getting your children a toy vacuum will most likely get them wheeling around the house with their push toys. This kind of activity also facilities imaginative play.

Your children can act out scenarios and copy what you’re doing. It allows them to see things in different perspectives and experience a wide range of emotions. These toys also build your children’s self-esteem and confidence when they play while you do the chores.

It would also help if you compliment them every time they help you with household chores or they reach certain developmental milestones.