I'm reviewing this just for those of you who might be confused by the large vs. small models. My 2 year old son is pretty small for his age maybe 25 pounds, maybe 34 inches. He's tiny. So when I saw that the "large" wheely bug is supposedly for 3 years old and up I figured my tiny guy would certainly need the small. Still, I hated to buy the wrong size and then have to ship it back. So I found a store in town that offers wheely bugs and went there to physically have my son try them out. Am I glad I did! The small is so tiny that I cannot imagine it being appropriate for any child. If your child is so small as to need the small version, chances are he or she should not be riding it. Remember, these things do not have seat belts or other safety features. It's a fast-moving ride-on, on chair casters. The small model looks suitable for a stuffed doll, perhaps. My son fits on the large version with no problem. His feet hit the floor flat. He can climb on and off with no difficulty. Also, be aware that this really only rolls well on hardwood floors or other smooth, flat surfaces. It's tough to roll on carpet of any sort even area rugs. Would work well on a smooth, flat driveway or in an unfinished basement. So please do not hesitate to purchase the large model, unless your child is very young or very, very tiny (maybe shouldn't be on this toy, in that case), and do be sure you have someplace where your child can have fun riding it.
After reviewing the dozens of suggestions that I purchase large to avoid tears and short lived use of the bug, I feel that I should set the story straight for parents looking for the right size "ride on" toy for their child. My daughter received this bug when she was 17 months old and in the 90th percentile for height. I believed that, surely, my daughter could ride with ease after the other parents had described how unreasonably tiny the small was. Unfortunately, her feet do not rest flat on the floor and she is unable to ride the bug effectively. Since her feet do not set flat and the handle bar is fairly low, she simply scoots off the back of the bug and pushes it through the house.
She does LOVE the Wheely Bug, as do I, but I did want to clear up any confusion. The large sized bug should be purchased for 3+ year old children and the small sized bug for younger toddlers to make riding the toy possible. Now, there might be exceptions and my daughter is by no means a risk taker or dare devil, but if you would like to see your younger toddler ride the bug...I would opt for a small. Sure, it looks small, but consider that they must straddle the plump little bug and have their tiny feet flat on the floor to really maneuver the adorable thing. If your child really prefers to push toys, the large is the way to go and perhaps he/she will ride it once they are older. I am glad that I went with the large for this reason.
Great toy that really is very attractive to young children. I am very happy with my purchase, but do feel the bug is slightly over priced when considering its simplicity...no flashing lights, sounds, motor. All in all, the bug is incomparable to other push toys, ride-on toys, and any other toys in general. This bug will be a winner in your home, guaranteed.
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We got this for my daughter's first birthday, and it has been her favorite present. She is a very active child, and loves pushing it around the living room. She is a little small to ride on it yet (her legs don't touch the floor solidly enough), but she seems very content to push it every which way. She loves that it will go any direction she wants without having to use a steering wheel (a result of the castor type wheels). She is also fascinated by the antennae, which bounce around when she bops them. It is also very durable, and the leather covering is well stitched and very strong. I'm sure this toy will last for a long time. It's also nice that it seems to work on just about every surface we've tried (carpet, hard wood floors, deck and reed outdoor carpet). **Update** 4/3/2010 Our "bug" is now 3 years old and continues to be a favorite toy for both my daughter and her friends. She can still ride it (at almost 4 years old), and it still looks brand new. This is a really excellent poduct.
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This is a great toy! I'm a pediatric occupational therapist and love to find great toys that allow kids to develop their motor skills. I recommend it all the time!
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My nearly 18 month old just got this toy and she likes it quite a bit. She doesn't love it (yet) because she hasn't yet gotten the hang of how to make it "go" while she is sitting on it. But she will figure it out eventually. Meanwhile, Dad and Mom push her around, and she thinks it's great. The omni-directional capability is terrific, so much better than toys that only go forward and back.
We bought the large size in spite of the age recommendation (3-5 yrs,) and it's a good thing we did. Our daughter is tall for her age, but not abnormally so, and she can sit astride this bug with both feet on the ground. If it was any smaller she would outgrow it almost immediately.
This is a cute, fun toy, but wait to get it for your child until after he/she has been walking for 3 months or so. A child needs to possess a certain amount of vertical stability before attempting to play with this toy as it will scoot away from her at the lightest touch.
UPDATE:
4 yrs later (Sept 2011) we still have our orig Wheely Bug, & it is still used regularly by my daughter, now 5 1/2, & my son who just turned 3. It's in great shape: the striped cover has no tears or significant marks/stains. The blond wood that constitutes the base is a bit dinged up, but not missing any chunks. And one of the antennae is wonky, (it sort of lays down pointing forward,) but it's still firmly attached, and now gives our bee a little character. Most importantly it still glides smooth & fast over the floor; and unlike the chucky plastic FP ride-on trucks & cars, it corners like it's on rails. ;)
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My son received this toy as a gift for his first birthday. He loved putting the shapes in through the top of the jar and taking them back out, and loved being able to take the lid on and off. The music is cute, too. However, now that he is a little older (almost 15 months) and ready to really sort the shapes, he gets frustrated trying to fit the correct shapes into their corresponding holes. The shapes are too big for their holes, which makes it a very tight squeeze. In order for me to fit, say, the star shape into the star hole, I have to hold the cookie jar tightly with my other hand and really forcefully push the shape through. There is no way my son could do that on his own, which he finds frustrating. Although I think this toy was a cute idea and is fun to use when just putting shapes in and out the top, I think it really should be redesigned to work better as a shape sorter...
