Gifts For Kids

Still staying with the young ones, I want to share with you three fabulous ride-ons for children aged 1-3. With these models, the little ones don’t need to pedal anything just yet - simple foot to floor is all that’s needed (or an adult for using the rear engine option, of course). What I really love about these is the imaginative designs. If it wasn’t for their size, designed for toddlers, I can assure you they would have been just as appealing to my six year old.

Here are my recommendations, lower price first (quoting prices at Amazon during the writing of this post) -

The Bulldozer Ride-On

At only $29.52 I find this one to be a perfect gift for most little boys, and for some little girls too. If they love Bob the Builder, they’ll love having their own bulldozer. It has not only active steering, but also an operable blade with an easy to grasp handle! Along with some music and sounds, this one is perfect for the very young engineer.

The Train Ride-On

This ride-on is just so full of potential when it comes to role play! Perfect for young kids, to tow their favorite toys with around, making a “real” train out of this cute locomotive. It comes highly recommended by other buyers, and I can see why! I think it’s amazing that you can get such a great durable toy at under $40!

The Police Car Ride-On : Little Tikes Patrol Police Car

Who doesn’t want to be a policeman? or a policewoman for that matter. This awesome police ride-on is sure to be an instant hit with any child. This coupe-styled car is larger than the other ride-ons reviewed in this post, but it’s still foot-to-floor, so even younger legs can operate it with ease. Entering the ride through a proper door, the child gets a more realistic “driving” experience. The battery-operated lights and sounds all add, of course, and I can see how why this model soon has become very popular with the young cops out there. At $69.95, it’s a more expensive model than the previous two, yet it is larger and provides a much more car-like experience for slightly older toddlers.

There is an absolutely HUGE selection of other ride-ons at Amazon, with any childhood fantasy fulfilled. Little airplanes, tractors, animal-shaped rides, you name it - you can find a perfect gift for any younger kid with these. Here’s a link for the bestselling push ride-ons on Amazon - easy to order from this reliable source and they ship anywhere in the continental US -
Best Selling Push ride-ons at Amazon

The Green Angle: As with other ride-ons, these are not easy to recycle, yes they can be used for many years and passed on to young children in the family.

If you’re looking for a cool and yet affordable gift for any child aged 2-5, you can never go wrong with a ride-on! For the younger kids, I’d recommend a push ride-on, and for those 4-5 year olds, a self propelled pedal ride-on could be just perfect.

There’s an absolutely amazing selection of ride-ons on the market today, with most of them being under $100 a piece. That’s not a lot, I think, for a huge sized gift that kids are absolutely crazy about. If we’re talking about a family with more than one child aged under six, I would strongly recommend getting two ride-ons!

So, which are my favorite models? As always, Amazon is my destination of choice, with a huge selection of, well, everything, really. They don’t disappoint when it comes to ride-ons either - with hundreds of models available, for all ages. I’m going to do some ride-on reviews over the coming few days, finding the best value ride-ons there for you, for every budget -

The very basic Little Tikes Push & Ride Racer is perfect for younger children aged 1-3. It’s solid and is just the right height for them. Nice and simple design, with basic colors and handles which are easy for those small hands to grasp. The main disadvantage here is that you have to bend over to push it, although if the child is old enough, they should be able to manage a small excursion using their own feet. The original intent with this product is for it to be used as a doll walker, but trust me, and the user images on Amazon, this one will get ridden on! At under $30 at the time of writing this post, this one makes a perfect low-budget gift for any toddler.

Click here to get to the Little Tikes Push & Ride Racer page on Amazon, or to it’s pretty girly version the
Little Tikes Push & Ride Doll Walker - both are the same, apart for the colors, and both are among the bestselling models on Amazon.

My two boys aren’t exactly fashion fanatics. I consider it a blessing, myself, not having to deal with “what do I wear today” issues. I’ve been told that girls can be very different when it comes to fashion statements and all I can say to that is “Whew!”

For some reason or other though, my boys most definitely pay attention to their footwear. Their absolutely favorites are their Crocs - what else but Spiderman and Batman Crocs?

If you’re looking for a really cool gift, that would make any kid happy, get them a pair of Crocs. I would advise discussing this with their parents first, to try and get a feel of their favorite cartoon characters, and of course to check for shoe sizes!

With such a huge selection, shopping for Crocs online is actually a lot of fun. Try this page on Amazon to see which the most popular Crocs for kids models are:

Crocs for Kids at Amazon

Right now, as I write this post, the most popular model for girls is a bright pink pair featuring Dora the Explorer. For the boys, Bob the Builder on a many black shoe seems to be “it”. Don’t go for what’s popular though - check with the parents and see which pair of Crocs will be the best for the kid you’re shopping for.

The Green Angle

Deciding just how “green” Crocs are can be a challenge. After some online research, here’s what I found -

While Crocs are not made from recycled plastic, they are recyclable (although you should check with local authorities - as some places limit the type of plastic they can recycle). In fact, they’re easier to recycle than regular shoes (which are made from mixed materials). What’s more, being so durable, these shoes are perfect for donations. Either wash them and give to a local charity, or check the Soles Unite website for ways to donate your Crocs to other countries.

Crocs are made in China, so if you’re in the US or Europe, there is a carbon footprint to be considered. That said, many types of shoes are manufactured in China, especially sports shoes, so I’m not sure that skipping Crocs in favor of another shoe is a “green” move. Actually, with Crocs being so lightweight, their carbon footprint is likely to be significantly smaller compared to heavier shoes made in China.

All in all, I feel that as long as you’re conscious of the recycling issue, Crocs are just as green, if not greener, than most shoes worn by kids.

After the last post, with its high-tech Lego kits, I thought it would be appropriate to address the younger kids’ building experiences. I mean, if you’re looking for a gift for a toddler, or just above, then you could even go for something simpler than Lego blocks.

In fact, the most popular blocks sets sold on Amazon is this delightful set by Melissa and Doug -

Click to View the Full Product Page

With the high standard of all Melissa and Doug’s products, and the natural wood gorgeous blocks, this one is a sure winner with children and parents a link. The attractive box makes sure the blocks have a good storage box, uncluttered and appealing.

As for the benefits of this wonderful game, allow me to quote from Amazon’s description -

Wooden blocks have been around for centuries and make an excellent tool to teach basic math concepts, organizational skills, sequential skills, and spatial relations. It is no surprise that blocks are found in almost every pre-school and kindergarten classroom. Youngsters become the architect of their own world as they fit pieces together to form their vision. This open-ended play set stimulates creativity and hones basic motor skills.

The Green Angle

I don’t know much about the origins of the product, and where the wood it’s made of comes from. However, this being wood, it certainly has a green feel to it - it is definitely degradable and thus less contaminating to the planet. More importantly, these sturdy classic blocks aren’t likely to be thrown away too soon. This is almost a family heirloom, a classic that will last for more than one generation.

What are the top selling toddler toys? Well, Amazon.com, probably the largest and most popular online store, provides a good indication, I do believe. Since they have a category under Toys & Games dedicated to ages 2-4, which to me marks the toddler age span, I went over there to bring you the Top Five Toddler Toys and don’t think this is just a matter of copying and pasting either. Apparently, someone on Amazon got confused and so quite a few of the products on their best-selling list aren’t really for toddlers. See, if you visit their 2-4 category, you’ll find a bunch of products which , by their own admission, are for kids aged 4 and older… so I went ahead and filtered out these.

Here we go… the REAL Top Five Toddler Toys on Amazon. If you’re looking for gifts for a little one, around those ages, one of these ought to fit the bill!

1. Webkinz Plush Stuffed Animal Tiger Snake - I am not sure how computer oriented your average toddler is, but obviously enough of them are computer oriented enough to put a webkinz at number one! Or maybe they just like stuffed toy tiger snakes? Webkinz are indicated for ages 36 Months - 12 Years, so I guess slightly older toddlers can enjoy the hug factors, with Mom or Dad helping them out with the online version of their new pet. I agree, it’s borderline for toddlers, but can’t argue with the popularity factor.

2. Fisher-Price T.M.X. Tickle Me Extreme Cookie Monster - Nothing beats the Cookie Monster! Perfect for this age span, this one laughs, speaks funny phrases and rolls over from side to side. Sounds like a bubbly character and a good match for any active toddler. Or it can just be hugged!

3. Hasbro Playskool Busy Ball Popper - Amazing how a seemingly simple toy like this can provide toddlers with hours upon hours of entertainment. Beautifully designed, it would be a welcome addition in any kids room. Recommended for ages 0-36 months, I agree that this one would please the younger of the toddling crowd.

4. Radio Flyer Classic Red Tricycle with Push Handle - Truly a classic for this age group and hence recommended for ages 2-4. Older kids may find these too “babyish”, while younger babies are not ready for these. However, at two years old, the toddler is just ripe for sitting up on her tricycle and getting pushed around by an adult, while later on, she or he can learn the fine art of pedaling and propelling oneself forward.

5. LeapFrog Learn & Groove Musical Table - Another classic here, that will grab the attention of any baby who can stand up and use her hands. Slightly younger than two would be fine too. In fact, as soon as the baby can stand and toddle over to the musical table, they’re ready for it! And from my experience, expect older siblings as old as 8 to show a marked interest in this wonderful toy. Hard to resist all those colorful buttons and handles that make cool music and pressed, pushed and pulled.