Alternative transportation toys
June 16, 2020 12:58 PM   Subscribe

I'd like to find some toys that aren't cars and trucks. Are there toddler toys that are bikes, skateboards, etc.? I'm looking for toys to play with, not to ride on or in.

I'm thinking of things like this small push-along car, but in a bicycle instead of a car! Surely this must exist somewhere? Surfboards, skateboards, kayaks, etc. are welcome--I'd just like to not have so many cars and trucks around. Thanks!
posted by stillmoving to Shopping (10 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Etsy is great for this sort of thing.

This site has planes, ships and rockets

I also found a Vespa
posted by Mchelly at 1:04 PM on June 16, 2020 [1 favorite]


If you're looking for water transportation, check out bath toys. Boats are common, obviously, but we have, for example, a toy jet ski (with dog rider) from Target.

I thought I remembered finger skateboards being a thing, and a quick Google does return results.
posted by kevinbelt at 1:45 PM on June 16, 2020


It may be for older kids than you’re looking for but Playmobil has a lot of sets that include some alternate transportation. There’s a bike with trailer, a family checking in at an airport that includes a skateboard (and a luggage cart), a road safety set with bikes and helmets, and lots more included in larger sets. I also found a Duplo pizzeria set that includes a delivery bike, and is for a bit younger kids than the Playmobil.

I was able to find lots of planes, trains, and boats, but it sounds like you’re looking more for person-powered vehicles. It seems like those are mostly in sets that are focused on the activity, rather than as bigger stand-alone vehicle toys. It seems like you can abstract away the operator for toys representing motorized vehicles, but for person-powered, you need the operator and so it tends towards playsets.
posted by duien at 2:05 PM on June 16, 2020 [1 favorite]


Check out finger bikes. There are also finger skateboards.
posted by pinochiette at 4:58 PM on June 16, 2020


My kids had several non-car Barbie vehicles over the years that we got via hand-me-down, garage sale, thrift store and birthday gifts including a yacht, a plane, and an RV that opened into a hot tub. We also had a scooter, and I believe a motorcycle has been made for Barbie at some point.

I think only the scooter was pink, too. They were very non-gendered toys in and of themselves. They were also a really satisfying scale.
posted by padraigin at 5:12 PM on June 16, 2020


Green Toys makes awesome boats, planes, submarines, etc.

Duplo has trains and airplanes, and LEGO has a bicycle set but that may be too small for your toddler.
posted by bananacabana at 7:42 PM on June 16, 2020


Barbie has put out multiple bike toys over the years for Barbie-size dolls to ride, but I'm not finding many available for sale right now. This one is the one I randomly found at Costco early last year, with four Barbie dolls on two bikes, a trail-a-bike for the youngest sister, and a scooter for the second-youngest sister. Might have too many small parts for toddlers, but might also be worth picking up for when they're older? (I've never ordered from the site I linked to, though, they were just who I found still selling what I'd gotten elsewhere.)
posted by Pandora Kouti at 1:59 AM on June 17, 2020


We leaned heavily on Playmobil for this when my kid was that age. We had bicycles, buses, boats, and other types of vehicles (including one weird rideable snail.)
posted by tchemgrrl at 6:09 AM on June 17, 2020


A couple of my grandchildren really loved toy strollers they could push dolls, stuffed animals, and any number of other objects in. Also small wagons. Apparently toy wheelchairs are also a thing. I don't have any specific recommendations, but Amazon has scads of all of these. My 5 r old grandson has a small wheelbarrow he uses to help his other granny in her large vegetable garden, as well as kid-sized gardening tools.
posted by mareli at 7:49 AM on June 17, 2020


Searching "wooden doll bike" on Etsy turns up a few items, including this wooden trike.
posted by the_blizz at 1:57 PM on June 17, 2020


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