The Other Wheely Bug Designs

I personally like the original designs the best but here are the pictures of the Mouse and Tiger to complete the range

Todays Tip - Push or Pullalong toys?

The Toy Guru's view.

Well both are great walking based toys but remember pushing a toy along is slightly easier than pulling one behind you if you've just learnt to walk.

So pullalongs tend to be better suited to confident walkers who can easily look over their shoulder whilst walking while pushalongs are easier to use for the slightly less confident walker as they are always in view infront of the child.

Reviews of both sorts coming soon.

The Squish - Manhattan Toys

An enduring favourite from Manhattan Toys. Even young children find it easy to hold onto and with bright colours of the beads some of which move along the rods it fasinates lots of children.

Often chosen as a newborn gift or first clutching toy its hard to fault a real winner.

The Toy Guru Rating 4/5. Price arount £12 - £13 and widely available in the UK

Todays Tip - Dolls Houses

When buying a dolls house make sure that its 1/12th scale you will then find that most of the furniture sets sold by the leading companies are compatible as they all use this scale as a standard.

Baby Walker - By Pintoy

This Pintoy walker comes with a set of alphabet bricks and is my favourite walker in the Pintoy range.

There are a number of walkers around but I like this one as its really hard to tip backwards, even for an adult. The wheels are a good solid design and the axels made from steel, which means you dont have to worry even if larger children decide to step into the solid tray.

Age - well some children as young as 8 months may be ready for such a walker, but its not unheard of for a 19 month only just be ready for it, we all learn to walk at different times. Just remember to start off its best to use it near to a wall so the child can take a step or 2 forwards and then come to a safe halt. As they build up confidence just move them a little further from the wall

The Toy Guru Rating 4/5. A nice solid walker. Price £35 - £40

Todays Tip

Select the right toys for the right age, you don't need loads of different toys to engage a child's interest.

Don't be afraid to rest toys ie remove them for a few days/weeks and then reintroduce them.

Cuttable Wooden Cake

One of the most popular imaginative play themes is cooking play for both boys and girls.

I'll take a look at the birthday cake first. The toy is made from wood, the slices held together by Velcro which allows it to be cut using the supplied wooden knife. It also comes on a wooden plate the candles are included and slot in/out.

Its a great toy, simple in design but with lots of play value.

Aged 3+ on the box but as you know children often like this type of play from around 2 onwards (adult supervision advised). Interestingly the chocolate cake in the range says 2+ maybe the candles make it 3+

Made by Santoy in Thailand and currently distributed in the UK by both Bigjigs and Earlybird.

The Toy Guru Rating - Firm favourite: 4/5 well made hard to chip the paint off and easy to play with. Price around £10.

Todays Tip - Dolls Houses

Got a dolls house thats not being played with as much as you hoped?

If the dolls house on the floor - try putting it on a small table.

If it has lots of furniture in it try reducing it to a bare minimum then slowly re introducing to the dolls house.

Invite another doll to stay in the dolls house- try an unusual character like a fairy, witch or wizard. This will change the style of play.

Under the age of 4? Maybe they are not ready for it yet. Pack it up and try again in six months.

Tone Drum by Plan Toys

This great sounding wooden toy tone drum, comes with a rubber topped beater which gives a great tone when struck.

Its made from rubber wood in Thailand, and like most of plan toys range is well made and very strong. As the beating area is solid wood which has has slots cut into it, there is no chance that over enthusiastic drumming will break the toy drums surface.

Aged on the box at 19 months (approx age of rhythmic beating) its a popular 1st and second birthday present.

The Toy Guru Rating 4/5 Good starter toy instrument, strong with a nice sound. Price around £14

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?

Due to the huge success of the wheely bug there have been a number of "me to" products.
The best known in the UK is the Skipper Crazy creature range. Retailing at arount the £60 mark they come in a number of different designs but only one size.

They have a distinctive t-bar handle supported from 2 metal supports at the front of the bugs body.

The meta supports can cause problems if children play bump-a-cars with the ride-on as being metal they can make quite an impact.

Few retailers choose to stock this product the original wheely bug just being to good.

Rating: 2/5 Fun but I'd still choose the original

Wheely Bugs

The Background Story

The Wheely Bug was first developed in Northern Queensland Australia by a husband and wife team called Wildchild, based in the artist town of Kuranda.

The idea was soon a big hit in Australia winning "Best Australian Made Toy" ITSA Quality Toy Awards 2000, 2001 and 2003.

It became a firm favourite with Australian daycare centres and was used both indoors and outside under sunscreen canopies which didn't have to be huge as the wheely bug turns on itself unlike the more traditional trike.

In the UK they were first distributed by a Company called Oneworld who originally imported and distributed them. After they proved successful Oneworld tried manufacturing the wheelybug in the UK but quality issues soon proved to be a problem. Eventually Hippychick took over the distribution and normal service resumed with the wheely bug now being manufactured in China.

The Review

Over the years I have sold thousands of wheely bugs, and it is one of the few products that I have sold where people will take the time to email/write to tell you how good the product is. It is many families favourite toy bought under the age of five.

There are 2 sizes the small which is an ideal 1st birthday present (age range 1 (or when walking) to 2.5 years approx) and the large (age range 2.5 years - 5 years approx).

Both look small to an adult as we tend to size them in comparison to a more traditional trike but the large has considerably more girth and both feet need to be flat on the floor in order to sit and ride on it properly. Lots of children at the younger end are more interested in pushing the wheely bug around and playing with the antennae but they soon learn that the real fun comes in the riding.

Falling off.

Unlike a traditional trike or bike children tend to slide off the bugs back rather than the more abrupt fall from a trike. However you need to make sure a really small child doesnt topple forward over the handle in an attempt to reach the bottom of the feelers and the bugs should be used under adult supervision.

The casters on the wheely allow it to move easily in any direction and turn fluidly on itself 360 degrees. They are rated to take 30kg each and with the solid moulded body means that even much larger kids can have a ride.

They work best on smooth surfaces, but with more effort can be used on short pile carpet. Children are really attracted by the simple but effective design and its a toy that proves something doesnt have to be over elaborate for it to be a great success with a young child. Wheely bugs dont have buttons, switches electronic noises or unnecessary distractions. They are strong and good fun and my daughter who had a small ladybird for her first birthday still has the occasional ride on it now aged almost six!

Prices

Smalls are around the £50 point and larges around £60. Expensive? I don't think so considering how long they are used for and their build quality.

Rating: 5/5 in my view the best sit and ride toy for younger children.

Final thoughts
The only other thing I would say about wheely bugs is let your child come to it in their own time. you know its a sit and ride but they may prefer to push/pull it play with the feelers. Let them they will ride it in their own time. To get all the moves may take a year or more, so if they don't whizz around straight away have the patience to let them learn.

Toys, toys toys........

Playing with toys shapes our lives from an early age.

Introducing the right toys at the right age is a very important part of helping to shape early years development, I hope this blog will help inspire you when choosing toys and give a little more background to the toys and the companies that make them