Need input from G'mas or mom's of little ones

[mstang67chic]

My youngest sister Easy Child (evil child LOL) has been texting me. Our other sister A is at the ER for a recently ongoing abdominal issue. (Pain and they haven't figured out what it is yet). Anyway....Easy Child is keeping my niece occupied (why they took her I don't know but anyhoo....) and Easy Child found a wagon to pull niece around in. Niece LOVES it! So does Easy Child for that matter but that's a whole other issue! LOL

Anyway....niece's first birthday is coming up and I was looking for an idea for something fun for her. My question for you is....did/do your kids/grandkids have a wagon and if so, what is a good kind to get?

 

[gcvmom]

We still have the wagon we used when our kids were little. But it is not the kind I WISHED we got (could not afford). Ours is a Little Tykes (I think) plastic sit-in wagon with side door. Seats two kids. We still use it when hauling stuff to a picnic or the beach.

The type of wagon a wanted to get has the over-sized rubber tires, sits up a bit higher off the ground and has side rails on it. You can get canopy attachments for them too. They just seem to maneuver better, travel over terrain better, and hold more than the plastic type we ended up with.

Google "all terrain wagon" and you'll see the type I'm talking about.

 

[trinityroyal]

I think a wagon is a great gift. Good for hauling the little gaffers around in when they are tiny Tot-monsters, and then great for them to haul their kit and caboodle around later when they grow into Monster-tots.

Good show, all around.

The Little Tykes one is good because it has seats etc., but it's not too heavy for the little ones to pull around later on. Some of the other types can be a struggle.

Trinity and the Tot Monsters (who are not quite big enough for a wagon yet, but eagerly waiting...)

 

[AnnieO]

My Grandpa wanted a little red wagon all his childhood. But as one of 9 kids... No money.

So a few years back, he got one for my Dad. Because it turned out Dad never had one either.

Now that Grandpa's gone - Dad uses the wagon - the kids use it - Mom and I use it...

Radio Flyers are the best in my opinion.

 

[tiredmommy]

This is the wagon we got Duckie for her first birthday:

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=radio+flyer+wagon&cid=15653143923084445231&sa=image#p

I love it and still use it in parades, at theme parks, etc. It was worth every penny. What's especially nice is that the sides come off... we've used it as a bench at parades and community events.

 

[gcvmom]

Trinity makes a good point about the plastic ones being easier for the kids to use on their own.

Still, from an adult perspective, I would still have preferred to have the all-terrain type Maybe get one of EACH!!!

 

[susiestar]

Wagons are AWESOME! Get the all terrain type.

 

[KTMom91]

Miss KT had (and still has, in the backyard) one of the plastic Little Tykes wagons. My brother and I had the red metal Radio Flyer.

But the most fun was the rickshaw my grandfather built for his grandkids. Basically a wooden seat on two wheels, with a long wooden pole for the grownup to pull the child up and down the street.

 

[Marguerite]

Wagons aren't really an Aussie thing. However, some of our magazines have published plans on how to make a little red wagon.

We don't buy them in our shops, we make them. Traditionally, we'd make billycarts with the kids. These are like a wagon, plus they are designed for a kid to sit in and ride it down a hill. Simple to make, kids would make them themselves from an old fruit crate. Bit of a safety issue these days though. But they didn't have to be pretty, often being home-made meant they were unique and decorated by the kids themselves.

It could make a great project for Easy Child. Find an old discarded pallet somewhere and get cracking!

Marg

 

[Hound dog]

My kids had the RadioFlyer wooden/metal wagon. Frame was metal but the bed and sides were wood and could be taken off if needed which made it great when you needed to put it into the car. I like the First Step and Little Tykes wagons, but their biggest down point by far is they just are so hard to fit into a car for places like the zoo and such.

Nichole got the wagon for her 1st birthday present from mother in law and us. (we combined cash) It was in daily use until Nichole was about 16 when it finally just gave out. But by then we were using it for yard work. lol Before that it had seen traffic from every kid in the neighborhood of various ages......in several neighborhoods....in several towns/cities.

Once I'm working as a nurse I plan to surprise each Darrin and Aubrey with a wagon like Nichole's had. I like the other types. But in my opinion the RadioFlyer wooden wagon was far more versatile, which let them get much more use out of it. If you get the one's with seats and such......the kids don't fit well after about age 4 and the wagon is pretty much useless.

 

[Shari]

My paw made Wee a wagon, looks like an old buckboard with a spring buggy seat and the all terrain wheels.

We take that thing EVERY where.

If you have anyone who's "sorta" handy with wood, its easy to make. I have the plans and would be glad to share. I think the hardward for it is sold for maybe $40?

 

[KTMom91]

I would love to get the plans from you. Hubby says he can build Maddie a wagon. She's two days old...

 

[Marguerite]

I meant to post this link before. They seem to have lots of different plans.

http://www.woodworkersworkshop.com/resources/index.php?cat=421

Marg

 

[DammitJanet]

Here are a the wagons from toys r us.

I love the step 2 push around buggy. It is really better to me than a stroller. I have seen more folks using them to push toddlers around parks and activities because they work better and are fun.

http://www.toysrus.com/search/index...197&kw=wagons&origkw=wagons&kwCatId=&view=all

 

[mstang67chic]

Thanks for all of the suggestions! I think I'm going to have to pick out some of my favorites and then go see them in person so I have a better idea of dimensions.

Shari, if it's something you can email (I don't want you to spend the money), I'd like to see those plans too. I'm not exactly handy but I'd like to try a project.....if not, my friend's father would, I'm sure, love to make this for his grandkids.

 

[Marguerite]

Stang, the link I posted has lots of plans. Plus there would be many other plans on other sites - billycarts are an Aussie icon. They're called that because kids used to have them pulled by a goat. But generally, kids would ride them down a kill and often race them. However, they do work well as a wagon sort of thing. You can design them so the kid riding can steer if you want - the steerage is generally a plank of wood nailed in place in the middle (to pivot), with old pram wheels underneath the plank. The rope to pull it along also doubles as steerage in the hands of the driver, who can pull the rope loop on one side or the other as well as steer with the feet.

But that's for older kids - until then, the rope loop is the 'wagon handle'.

We used to make these out of rubbish, literally. Scavenging old prams for the wheels (axle too if you can get it); a block of wood for the steerage pivot, a fruit box for the seat, a paling for the foot plate/ steerage, a chock of wood with a piece of truck tyre nailed to it for the brakes.

If you watch "Cool Runnings" and look at their push carts, they are a slightly up-market version of the Aussie billycart.

Marg