Old Fashioned Toddler Pull Toys

I have a 3 year-old son and he has a couple pull toys. One is a wooden dog on wheels and the other is a stuffed safari animal train where the animals can come apart and the wheels unvelcro from the bottom of the feet. He loves both of these and often pulls them around or takes the train apart and plays with the animals individually. As he hates to have anything together the way it was intended, he also loves to take the wheels off and use them for drum sticks, stir sticks, etc! He has found much enjoyment from these toys, sometimes in ways other than the original intent--- to be pulled.

I think you don't see the pull toys with strings anymore becuase they were deemed a choking/strangling hazard. If it is something safe i think kids would love them. My girls love beanie babies and small stuffed animals. They put them in families and put collars on them and carry or drag them around!

I think toddlers would still love them but the pull strings are probably too long for todays safety standards. Now days the strings can't be longer than something like 6 inches. They are much too short for even a toddler to walk with. Anyway, if you were going to sell these you may want to add a safety disclaimer and have people sign it.

I'm not sure what you mean by "pellet" stuffed, but my 18 month old son has a stuffed frog prince on wooden wheels. I believe it's a newer toy made to look classic. He loves this frog and wheels it all over the house and yard. It's the cutest thing. I'm not sure a 3 year old would get as much pleasure out of something like this, but a young toddler still practicing the walking thing will love it!

Hello D.,

I bought a wooden cho-cho train pull toy at a craft fair. My daughter loves it so much that it sometimes is in the bed with us at night. She is 2 years old so I would think that other children who like pull toys would like the sturdiness of a wood toy plus it rolls very nicely.

Angie

My daughter is 2 (so a year younger then your granddaughter) and loves the good old push popper. She plays with it for a few mintues here and there but is worth the $1 I paid for it at a garage sale.

A toddler may like the toys for awhile but unless she is a big animal kid she may not get much use out of it.

I agree with the below moms about the safty stuff... but I also say that the past generations have played with items like that and are healthy (I know the risks but we will always find new things that are bad for us). There are the simple lead home kits to test for lead, I have used them plenty. Also with the little pellets, as long as the animal is fully closed and you keep an eye on it nothing to worry about.

I'd like to know your sites, too! I'm sure it's allowed and not considered advertising if we're all asking! :)

My 1.5 year old LOVES her pull toy. And it's a stuffed character that rides on wheels... she hugs and cuddles it all the time. We have the classic fisher price click clack duck pull toy too and my kids never liked that. I think the pellet filled ones would be better.

We also have some kids leather bookends that are filled with iron shavings and one of the seams came open and we had iron specks all over. I was worried that it was lead but called the company to find out what it was. So again, just make sure the pellets are double-bagged into the toy.

All of our kids have used them (my husband prefers them) and especially if electronic toys are kept to a minumun, then become favorites. Timberdoodle, Heartsong and Amish retailers are excellent places to find them.

SAHM of seven

I say classic toys will always be loved... that's why they're classics! Besides, the less bells, whistles, lights and digital sounds, the more a child has to use their imagination.

My only hesitation would be concerning the safety of the toys. Many imported wooden and classic toys as well as som locally handcrafted toys may have lead in their paint and may slip under the radar of the Government consumer recall lists. Be sure to check the recall lists both online and at most toy stores) and/or purchase a lead testing kit at your local pharmacy, hardware store, or toy store, to be sure the paint is safe. Especially with antique and used toys.

My second safety concern would be pellets, or materials used. You say this pull toy is stuffed with pellets, depending on the type of pellets and what they're made of, and the age of the child, these might be a choking hazzard if the child is able to tear the fabric of the toy.

Otherwise, pull-toys are great, as are wooden blocks, puzzles, and more. I personally love the Melissa and Doug line of wooden toys found at most toy stores. And I love Brio, which carries wooden/classic pull toys and fantastic wooden train sets.

I have 2 daughters, a 2 year old and a 4 year old, and both are big fans of pull toys. They each have to have their own and sometimes they race each other or just run around in an circle together pulling their quacking ducks and clattering clown behind them (both were fisher price pull toys that my mom saved from my childhood). They also love pushing their dolls in a baby stroller (I found their doll strollers for a buck or two at garage sales but they do sell new at Target or Walmart starting at 9.99). Awesome idea for your special young lady....she may just have a blast with these toys and who knows....she may want to talk about it! Good luck and I will pray for speech to come for her. I am a SAHM of 2 girls and have a fantastic husband/dad of seven years!

I think they are absolutely adorable.

My son did not agree. He didn't want anything to do with a toy that followed him, whether it was on a string or remote controlled or wind-up or whatever. He eventually adjusted to the wind-up type stuff or battery-powered trains etc, but he never liked the pull-toys, no matter how cute they were. He also never liked push-toys or ride-on toys during the age-groups they are recommended for.

His cousin on the other hand loved anything he could hold on to. Pull toy, push toy, ride-on toy. He is very tactile.

I think it is a preference thing.
So that's one toddler vote for, and one against. My own vote is to carry them, since people will probably buy them, whether their kids end up using them or not. I don't think it being "outdated" or old fashioned is a problem. Think of Lincoln Logs and Legos. Just because it's an older toy idea, doesn't mean kids won't like it/play with it.

I am an auntie of 6 and have given pull toys of different types to almost all of my nieces/nephews. They are still a wonderful toy - their parents tell me that they get very attached to their pull toy and it encourages walking and gross motor skill developement. It has been a favorite with the kids I give them to and remains a favorite gift for me to give! I've also worked in a variety of childcare settings and see this toy prefered over others time and time again. The best age group I've seen for this toy is 12-24 months.

My dad has given our daughter 2 of the old all wooden pull toys and she LOVES them. She will be 3 next month. She has a duck and a turtle. They bring out her imagination as she pretends they are her pets. She takes them for walks and gets them food and water. It makes me think we need a dog!!!

I had one for my older son and he loved it! If you put where to get them let me know I would love to get one for me younger son cause some how I have missed place the one I had any many of our moves!

My toddler LOVES pull toys of any kind. He likes to walk his dog pull toy and he even pulls toys around that weren't designed for that. =) For a while he and I would run around the house together each pulling something and "racing". He got a very cute wooden alligator toy too that he loves pulling around. He also likes standing them up, rolling them over and all the other control you get by pulling a string attached to something.

I think they are very cool - I would totally buy them. I think people love the more vintage toys and would possibly use them more for decoration too.

On a side note: What type of online store do you run? I have been selling baby hair bands at some specialty shops and want to figure out how to get them online.

No, I never would buy for my kids or as a gift. Especially for the age range you've mentioned, 3 and up. My 3-yr-old gal would rather have a 12 inch bike, scooter, Dora books, Thomas gear, etc, or "classics" like balls, flashlights, dolls, etc. A pull toy like that might be appropriate for perhaps a 2-yr-old who has learned to walk well enough on his own to pull a toy along with him and be challenged/entranced by it.

I also echo the response of the other mom, who would be worried about the pellets or other safety issues. This is not to be overlooked as a reason not to buy.

Perhaps consider this type of toy just for nostalgic adults?

T.