Little Tikes Rocking Horse

Momicillin is pleased to introduce visiting writer, Meredith Lopez. If you like what you read, find more from her at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/meredith-lopez

Remember those rocking horses we all rode as kids that attached with metal springs and we all had to go get tetanus shots when we sliced ourselves to ribbons on the sharp and rusty coils, which today would probably be called something cute like “Enjoyment Shrapnel” or something? Well, thanks to Little Tikes, I can let my son, the Juban Princeling, ride off into the sunset without the worry that he will have to fight his way through lockjaw afterward.

The Rocking Horse actually solves two problems with its genius design: because it is so low to the floor, I can let the Princeling ride as hard as he wants to, and if he falls off he doesn’t actually hit his head very hard. Also, the curved plastic bottom eliminates the need for any “enjoyment shrapnel” carving into his ankles and shins. 

With no small parts and no assembly required, the Rocking Horse was ready to go straight out of the box. It requires no batteries and makes no noise, making this a parents’ DREAM toy. While it is probably too big for most toy boxes, it fits nicely in our itty bitty New York City apartment without making us feel like we live in the back room of a toy store. 

And the Princeling just LOVES it. At first he had trouble getting himself onto the horse, but now he’s an expert at saddling up. Sometimes he rocks for several minutes at a time – we call it his “thinking horse” because he concentrates very hard when he rides his horsey. In the evenings he likes to rock slowly in front of the TV and zone out to “Plaza Sesamo.” I think the rocking motion helps him settle down and get ready for bed.

If I have one complaint it is that the bottom of the Rocking Horse is very smooth, so it slides around a lot on our rug. We constantly have to move Princling and his noble steed back into position because the back lip of the horse will get stuck under our couch, or they’ll both wind up under the dining table. 

Still, a small price to pay for the hours of quiet (QUIET!!!) enjoyment the Princeling gets out of his Rocking Horse.

Manufacturer’s Recommended Age: 1 to 3 years
My Recommended Age: 1 year and up