Sunday, September 12, 2010

Fisher Price Stride-to-Ride Dino

As a House Party host, I was given the inside scoop on five of Fisher Price's hottest new baby toys. For those of you who aren't able to attend my Perfect Playdate, I'm sharing insider details on these great new products. Be sure to watch for my reviews on the other three toys I have waiting for you, and check out my review on the Laugh and Learn Learning Kitchen!


The Fisher Price Stride-to-Ride Dino


awaiting us in the box

initial impression : I'm a bit skeptical of any push walkers, having owned several other models made by Fisher Price and other companies in the past. The Stride-to-Ride Dino certainly had an adorable dino face and I liked the footspace the photos seemed to suggest in the walker position. And I'm always interested in toys that convert to other things - nothing stinks like buying an expensive baby toy that they quickly outgrow and make obsolete.

packaging : Once again, I really liked that the pieces were simple to remove from the packaging. There was the standard clear tape on the outside of the box and cardboard tabs on the inside, not a wire tie among them. The toy came with 8 screws and easy-to-follow instructions. I had no problems popping in the back wheels or screwing in the fronts, and screwing the front and back pieces of the body together was not a problem. However, screwing the head onto the body was very difficult - the holes did not want to line up. I managed to get 2 in place before the head made a snapping sound and seated itself onto the body. Once together it was fine, but definitely something to keep in mind if your time/strength for assembly is limited.


fresh out of the box, 9 pieces and 8 screws


basic overview: The Stride-to-Ride Dino is designed for children ages 9-36 months. Most importantly, it has a maximum weight limit of 44 pounds. It starts out as a legs-apart push walker to give extra balance to babies learning to walk, and then can convert to a legs-together ride on toy. Movement causes the dino to come to life, playing catchy tunes and dino sounds, and the "mane" lights up. It has 2 volume levels and an off switch.


in walker mode, with lots of space for little feet

in ride-on mode, very sturdy and friendly


pros : It's always great to find a toy that can grow with your baby. Because it turns into a ride-on toy, the dino will definitely hold a toddler's attention. In the walker stage, the legs of the dino spread far apart to allow a baby ample room to move. Unlike other walkers I've seen (and owned), there is nothing for an average baby's feet to hit against as they learn to walk. Overall the toy is very sturdy and feels like it would be difficult to tip. My three-year-old (32 pounds) scooted around the house on the dino and it rolled freely. In fact, the wheels are all free rolling, so it has little resistance - this is a pro as a ride-on. I also like that the handles are positioned at elbow level, which makes for a secure grip as a ride-on toy. The switch from walker to ride-on is a button located at the neck of the dino, and is definitely not easy enough for a toddler to engage (always a bonus!) but is doable for an adult after a little practice.


a bit tall at age 3 1/2 but she had a lot of fun riding it around
age 9 months, not yet ready to walk with it but definitely interested
delicious


cons : This is my beef with all push walkers I've encountered - there's not enough resistance on the wheels to keep it from flying forward and baby toppling to the ground if baby's not developmentally ready enough to use one. Use your common sense when purchasing a push walker; the age range is listed at 9-36 months and the developmental level is suggested for "Stand and Cruise" and beyond, but your baby might not be ready for a push walker even at the cruising stage. My baby is 9 months and just began cruising, and he doesn't have the balance for this. He would lean his entire weight against the walker, and it would fly forward and he would crash since nothing is preventing the wheels from moving forward.

The Stride-to-Ride Dino would be a fun addition to any older baby or toddler's collection!

See more information and purchase the Stride-to-Ride Dino directly through Fisher Price!

*Note: I received the Learning Kitchen free of charge through the partnership between House Party and Fisher Price. I am not being further compensated for my review*

2 comments:

Brenda L said...

Too bad it has to make noise! It looks like an adorable push/ride on toy otherwise.

We have a few push toys and haven't had much problem with them running away from our kids... But that's probably because we have carpeting and nothing rolls well in our house.

Heidi said...

The sound does turn off, or you could always leave out the batteries! LOL

And I agree, it definitely rolls fast on our ceramic tile. But if you have, say, a Little Tikes shopping cart and know how those wheels roll with a little resistance (since the wheels themselves are snug against the cart), this dino is completely different. The wheels are set underneath the toy completely so they roll with no resistance at all.