I originally got this toy, because I have three children under five and needed something for multiple children. I like the idea that it seats an individual child in the middle by themself, two children together, or even all three. (We found out that it will hold 5 small children, too! lol) Since the moment that we took it out of the box, my children have used the toy every moment of the day!
The girls love to play together on the toy, and when the older two are in school, the youngest one likes to play by herself. The alligator teeter totter has provided hours of fun for them, and it encourages sharing. It encourages them to work together by being gentle with each other, allowing each other to get on and off of the toy, and by working out seating arrangements (instead of saying, "NO! MY seat!" all of the time).
This is definately the best toy that we have gotten for our children yet. I am so glad that my aunt got it for them for Christmas, and I cannot wait to show her the pictures of how happy the girls are! Thank you Little Tikes for such a wonderful toy!!
It is very durable and a very fun toy for the kids. The only educational thing about it is that it teaches the kids how to share and take turns in different spots. But it can be in the house as a toy if it is raining or snowing outside.
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This is a great little teeter totter. It's everything I'd hoped it would be, which is fantastic, since I ordered it sight-unseen. It's not available locally, and although I got free shipping it's not exactly cheap, so it was kind of a gamble.
Here are the things I really appreciate about it: It's made in the USA, not China. It's pretty cute and seems durable, save for the very likely possibility of the eyes and 'Little Tikes" plates falling off. It seems much safer than metal-frame teeter-totter/seesaws available. If you're using it as an outdoor toy on the grass, there's not a lot to get hurt on, as the plastic (LDPE, I believe), is soft and has some give, the handles are rounded and coated with soft, grippy vinyl, and it's relatively low to the ground.
I had wondered if the age range listed was actually appropriate. My girls have just turned two and four. Would this toy be too advanced for my two year old? Would it be too laid back for my four year old? Well, yes and no, is the answer.
When we removed it from the package, both girls hopped on in the appropriate spots and began rocking to and fro. Despite my encouragement for the four year old to take it easy, she rocked wildly and the two year old became, understandably frightened. Tiny kids get a good bit off the ground with this one. Since that first ride, my youngest will only sit in the center seat, which is fine I suppose. Unless the angry four year old demands, "No!!! Sit on the other end!"
With neither child willing to budge an inch, literally and figuratively, I was left rocking the other side with my foot for what felt like an eternity. They enjoyed that immensely: Letting mom do all the work is awesome!
Now, let me just put it out there that this was not the blissful experience of two (or more!) children rocking themselves joyfully, peacefully, all the while learning the art of sharing and cooperative play that I had envisioned. I mean, those kids in the stock photo look like they might actually be having fun! Well, actually now that I scrutinize, only one of them is smiling while the other two look a bit apprehensive, so maybe they snapped that photo moments before the other two began freaking out.
Anyway, my ankle began to go numb after going on like this for quite awhile, and I had to have a break. Since I was the one doing all the work, the kids were full of boundless energy and unresolved frustration with one another. So, after a good bout of screaming and insanity we all retreated (some of us less willing than others) to our respective corners to cool off a bit.
Now, in a perfect world, where children act like something you might see on the Cosby show, this would be a really fantastic toy because it does exactly what it is supposed to do and has the potential to entertain toddlers and preschoolers alike. Even a four year old is raised off the ground a bit on the upward motion, and given the right temperament any pair of kids *could* have a rollicking good time. Even the difference in weight (one 25 lbs, the other 37 lbs) didn't seem to hamper the movement of the teeter totter, near as I could tell from our brief demo of the proper use of the thing. I could imagine two older kids on this thing could also get it spinning a bit whilst rocking (the bottom of it is kind of slippery). And, as another reviewer stated, there's adequate room for 5 small kids. However, we don't have 5 good 'time out' spots in our house, so I might just avoid this possibility.
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I bought this for mt 4 and 2 year old grand kids for Christmas. It was the big hit Christmas morning
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WOW this toy is cheap, but shipping and handling is over $100!!!!! don't waste your time. Do a little bit more searching and you'll find another toy just like this one for cheaper.
Love this train!! A huge hit with my 3 yr old and 1 1/2 yr old grandsons. It was very easy to blow up and is very durable even with 2 wild boys jumping and tumbling on it. They love pushing the red button to hear the "Thomas song" and the train sounds. Its very light so it can be put up out of the way without deflating. Very happy with this purchase.
