Kids Ride-On Toys - Styles and History

Ride on toys and vehicles for kids have been populardesigned to look just like miniature versions of the real
for over a century. Although they have been aroundthing.
for many generations of kids, they became veryGo karts for children range from the simple, which
popular in the first half of the nineteenth century.may be assembled in a parent's garage, to elaborate
Classic riding toys include the pedal car and the bicycle.contraptions purchased ready-made or assembled
For children too young for a bicycle, wagons andfrom a kit. Go kart racing is even a popular sport for
tricycles provided plenty of entertainment. Besideskids. Because these karts are powered rather than
being pure fun, ride on toys provide a way for childrenpedaled, they can go much faster than any of the
to get around the neighborhood and feel grown-up.other toys on this list. Karts vary widely in speed, with
The top five kids' ride on vehicles and toys are thetop speeds anywhere from 15 to 100 miles per hour.
bicycle and tricycle, the wagon, the pedal car, the goThey were first manufactured in the late 1950s, and
kart, and the scooter.caught on very quickly. At first, the engines were
The bicycle, and its cousin the tricycle for youngeradapted from motorcycles, although today there are
children, will always remain a popular choice. Chancesspecialized go kart engines.
are good that you remember the bicycle you ownedThe scooter was very popular around the same time
as a child. Today, bicycles are available in nearly everyas pedal cars and classic "banana seat" bicycles, but in
style and color imaginable, from classic designs in brightthe past decade or so it has been reinvented for a
primary colors to bicycles featuring popular kids'new generation of children, with the lightweight and
characters. Bicycles first gained popularity towards thefoldable "Razor" scooter. Scooters have even found
end of the nineteenth century, and have notan audience with a slightly older crowd who take them
decreased in popularity since then.to skate parks.
Unlike the other toys on this list, a child cannot climbThe classic versions of all of these riding toys popular
onto a pull-along wagon and steer it while propellingsince at least the middle of the twentieth century were
themselves. Still, parents can pull their children around inmade of very sturdy materials, such as steel. Though
this classic wheeled toy. The most well-knownthese vintage toys often didn't include all of the modern
wagons are Radio Flyer, which became known for itssafety features, these toys typically lasted through
red metal wagons in the 1930s.several generations, unlike many of today's plastic toys.
Pedal cars were designed almost as early as the firstRide-on toys and vehicles make a great gift for
automobiles, although they really became popular firsttoday's children. Their classic style and the creativity,
in the 1930s, and later in the 1950s and 1960s whenfresh air, and exercise they allow will ensure that these
postwar prosperity meant that middle-class workerstoys remain popular for generations to come. Although
could afford to buy them for their own kids. Many ofmost of the classic versions are pushed with the child's
these 1950's and 1960's ride on toys were designedfeet, today many versions are motorized, including
using the same elements found on the latestmany miniature cars that are battery powered and
automobiles, like streamlined styling or even pedal carslarge enough for a pre-schooler to drive.