As their name says, push-and-pull toys are meant for children to play by doing exactly those actions, but, do they have fun doing that? Why are pushing and pulling important for a child?
Oh yes! They sure have fun in their early years. This type of toy builds on the skills babies and young toddlers may already have developed, such as pushing themselves up from the floor and pulling herself into a standing position. The next big milestone is walking, and this is where push-and-pull toys come in! Once children have begun to walk, taking strolls with their push and pull toys becomes one of their favorite pastimes. They are practicing their new and rather complex skill, strengthening their muscles that allow them to walk and move around.
Children get to exert their agency by moving their toys further and in whatever narrative their imagination builds.
We are going to share some facts about push-and-pull play, it’s benefits and the two pieces we make at our workshop exactly for this stage: the moon stroller and the wiwi-wagon.
Playing with push-and-pull toys is a great activity for the little ones to develop their notion of cause and effect through movement. They are of great help for improving skills like balance and rhythm during walking. A push toy gives toddlers something to support and guide themselves while walking. It will help them learn to look ahead to avoid obstacles and follow a path. This boosts a toddler’s confidence and encourages her or him to be more coordinated while walking.
By the time kids are a year and a half, their pushing skills are more advanced.
Children can begin to play with push-and-pull toys at a rather early age, especially where there is more pushing involved. More or less when a child reaches 15 months, she or he will be able to push a sturdy toy with wheels on a leveled and smooth surface, think about a small trolley.
They look for new things to apply them to, like helping you out with chores like sweeping, a small broom or mop is quite fun for them at this age.
You may like:
Using a pull toy is a bit more complicated than using a push toy.
When beginning to use a pull toy, a toddler will want to look back every so often to check up on the toy passengers. But at the same time, the little one will also have to look forward to not bump into anything. Pulling requires higher coordination and more attention shifts. It’s quite normal if at the beginning your toddler doesn’t get it right all the time. Keep an eye open in case there is a little fall, some comforting will help him or her get back to pulling happily.
By the time a toddler is 2 years old more or less, he or she will have had lots of practice all over the house. He/she will be able to push and pull a little trolley with toys in it, the push-and-pull toys then become great pieces for role-playing and imaginative play as well.
The Moon Doll stroller
This is our own imaginative design and a new take on the classic doll stroller. It allows children to take their dolls for a walk around the house or even the neighborhood; lots of pushing, but pulling is also part of the game.
We came up with the design of the moon doll stroller because we wanted to make a special birthday gift for our youngest daughter who was about to celebrate her second birthday. It had to be imaginative, beautiful, and durable, a unique piece that would be her development companion and a way for her to play with all her dolls.
We recommend this piece for 2-year-old toddlers and up to 6-year-old kids.
This stroller is carefully handcrafted with top-quality local pine wood for the wheels and rods. It’s also made with certified European birch plywood for the sides, and there’s a cotton cloth for the sitting area. Our Moon doll stroller’s seat can fit two dolls or stuffed animals comfortably.
Toddlers love push-and-pull toys of all sorts and strollers have been a classic for little girls for ages, but for our moon-shaped stroller, we wanted to add a more imaginative dimension to the classic and open up more options for imaginative play.
If you have two children with a relatively small age-gap between them, the moon doll stroller will be lots of fun and they will come up with all sorts of ways to play with it together.
Even though older siblings might be very tempted to use it to give a ride to their younger sibling, please bear in mind that the Moon doll stroller is not designed to carry children. Make sure they are both aware of this while playing.
The Wiwi-Wagon
This little push-and-pull cart is our newest creation and we are so happy about it! It’s a great way for the little ones to move around their soft doll friends, take the dog for a fun ride (the cat won’t go for it, I’m sure), or even for an older sibling to take the younger one on a fantastic voyage.
- This piece is 11 ¾ inches (30.8 cm) wide, 20 ½ inches (52 cm) long and 14 inches (35.5 cm) high.
- Its maximum weight load is 18 kg (39.6lbs).
By design, it’s a cart that a child cannot carry on his or her own but only push and pull of course. Its weight is to ensure stability because kids can get quite excited while playing with it.
This piece is made of sturdy high-quality pine wood and European birch plywood. It also has a resistant but soft cotton cord to pull it.
Push-and-pull toys are great fun for younger kids and they’re the kind of toy that gets used a lot during their toddler years. Toddlers love to imitate the adults they have in their everyday life, so don’t be surprised if your little one starts imitating you with his or her wagon after you go to the supermarket together, or fastening the seat-belts of their dolls when placing them in the stroller. At this age, pretty much any toy version of something children see adults use and move with will be very popular, and their imagination will give that an even bigger boost!
Children will often keep their dolls and even some other toys in the stroller and the wiwi-wagon, so when it is not in use, it’s a good way for children to store their favorite dolls and stuffed animals themselves. Plus they get to check on them while they sleep!
This beautiful photo is by
Both the Moon doll stroller and the Wiwi-wagon are fantastic present ideas for grandparents and other family members to gift the toddlers of the family.
These toys will bring joy and a workout the little ones need for several years to come.
It will boost their confidence and sense of agency, and prepare them for activities that require keen coordination once they are a bit older.
