Wooden ride on toys for 1 year olds are one of the best ways to entertain your toddler! These toys are also great for enhancing a variety of developmental skills. Toddlers love them because their simple, safe, and super fun! Your kiddo will have a blast riding around the house while you cook dinner, so let’s explain why!
What are Wooden Ride-On Toys?
Wooden ride on toys for 1 year olds are toys that your child can sit on and play with. They are wooden (hence the name) and are typically moveable in some way. For example, they may be on wheels, or they may be able to rock back and forth. Sometimes they can even bounce up and down in place if they have the spring mechanics to do so!
These kinds of toys originated in the 1800’s when parents would hand make these toys for their kids. To this day they are one of the most popular play toys for 1 year olds for a wide variety of reasons discussed further into the article.
Are Wooden Ride-On Toys Motorized?
These kinds of toys are not motorized. They do not have any electronic mechanisms in place either. This may make them sound boring, but 1 year olds love them! They like their simplicity, and this simplicity helps enhance their imagination skills! So, although they do not have a motor, they’re just as much fun!
Their lack of a motor also makes them easier to maintain, store, and use anywhere! They can be indoors or outdoors (so long as it isn’t rainy or wet out!).
Can 1 Year Olds Use Wooden Ride-On Toys?
There are plenty of wooden ride on toys for 1-year olds on the market today! In fact, wooden ride on toys are meant for toddler-aged kids. This is due to their simplicity and their design. Wooden ride on toys are smooth, small, and easy to get on and off of. Many of them have handles for additional help with maneuvering the toy as well. They’re perfect for 1-year olds learning to balance or enhance their imagination!
What are Wooden Ride-On Toys Good For?
Their purpose is to enhance several development facets. For example, their fine motor skills are enhanced by having to hold onto handles. Their gross motor skills can also come into play if there’s a steering mechanism involved (this is also great for their depth of field!). Additionally, wooden ride on toys for 1 year olds are fantastic for imagination development and even cognitive thinking.
Pending the toys, they’re also phenomenal at enhancing balancing skills and even vocalizations as they have to ask for help if they get stuck or do something they find exciting!
What Kinds of Wooden Ride-On Toys for 1 Year Olds are There?
There are dozens of different kinds of wooden ride on toys for 1-year olds! You’ll want to find a wooden ride on toy that you know your little one will find interesting. However, keep in mind that this is going to be new to them, so they may not seem excited at first. You’ll have to show them how to use it!
The most popular wooden ride on toys include:
- Rocking horses
- Horses with wheels
- Bicycles with wheels instead of pedals
- Wooden cars with wheels and a place for feet to move the vehicle
- Sit n’ steers in various animals or even bees!
These are the most popular wooden ride on toys for 1-year olds that you’ll find on the market today. You may however see some more unique options such as wooden tricycles without pedals or even wooden unicorns!
Are They Safe?
Wooden ride on toys are perfectly safe for your 1-year-old! They are specifically designed for toddlers so their functionality will not lead to harm. However, this is only if the toys are used correctly.
Wooden ride on toys are meant to be just that, ride on toys. They aren’t for standing, kneeling, pushing around really fast, etc. Your toddler should be sitting on the toy and holding on to the handles with their feel flat on the ground.
They are built to be low to the ground so that if you child does fall off, they aren’t falling far! The handlebars aren’t so large that your kiddo can’t grip them, but they are large enough to support a solid grip. Some handlebars even come with rubber grippers to ensure they can hold on tight.
The toys should not be used to go fast down hills, nor should they go through wet or muddy terrain. They are primarily meant for indoor use but can be used outside on dry concrete.
How do I Teach my 1-Year-Old to Use a Wooden Ride-On Toy?
Some toddlers may not seem interested in their wooden ride on toy at first. This is likely just because they don’t understand it yet. If this is their first time ever seeing one, it may be intimidating (or appear boring). This is where you come in!
It’s your job to teach your 1-year-old how to use a wooden ride on toy and there are a few ways that you can do this.
- Have them watch a video of a toddler on it while your kiddo is sitting on their ride on toy. They’ll likely begin trying to imitate what they see.
- If you have older kids, have them demonstrate for your 1-year-old.
- Slowly acclimate your toddler to the toy. Place them on it yourself and push them around. Then maybe move their feet for them and have them try. Eventually they will do it on their own.
- Leave them to it! Place them on the wooden ride on toy and just let them figure it out! They’re very smart and this will enhance their problem-solving skills and their imagination!
Final Thoughts
Wooden ride on toys for 1-year olds are an incredible way to enhance your child’s development in a fun way. 1-year olds love to ride around the house on their bike or pony. These toys help grow your child’s imagination and enhance cognitive development all while having fun! Be sure to teach them how to use the wooden ride on toy and give them time. New toys can be intimating, but they’re also so much fun!