Sweet retro nostalgia; wobbly and easy to overturn
Written: May 21 '04
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Pros: Lightweight for easy transport from room to room, slight size for small spaces.
Cons: Slender width makes for easy overturning.
The Bottom Line: Only today's contemporary safety standards cause me to give a middle-of-the-road rating. This is a very sweet first ride-on vehicle for a toddler. Watch for falls.
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| lisandrea's Full Review: Radio Flyer Tiny Trike 310 |
I'm not sure you'll find many of these trikes new, anymore, as this model has been upgraded to correct what are obvious dangers for young children. Still, this trike gives you a sweet nostalgic happiness at first glance, and first use. We bought a 40-year-old version at eBay and were amazed at its durability over the years. The wooden body elements are solid state, the handlebars are not rusted, and the hard plastic wheels show very little wear. I do not think this reflects simply on the previous owner's care of this product, but instead, on the quality of Radio Flyer toys.
This "trike" is narrow, so your new walker easily straddles it. It takes some practice for any child to learn how to sit in one place while pushing the vehicle forward by walking, and my 13-month-old son still hasn't gotten the hang of it. The upright positioning he has to take to sit properly with both hands on the handlebars while push/walking seems to make learning the technique a slow process. I believe the newer version, with a more "ergonomically" designed curved seat causes the child to relax a bit more into a position of greater foot/leg control.
In this case it is fairly simple to lean to one side or the other too much and just pull the trike over on its side. However, since it is so low to the ground, any falls are not severe or frightening to either the parent or child, of practice is done on flat soft surfaces, like rec room carpeting. My son prefers to push the trike from behind, while moving forward on his knees. He does LOVE to do that, as he has gotten used to pushing his Radio Flyer walker wagon.
Each handlebar ends with a firmly secured rubber handle. Even on my attempts to pull these off in order to replace them with new parts, I find they do not budge, which I see as a positive quality. If handles can be too easily removed, then metal handles can cause harm if fallen upon (I know from personal experience on my ""two-wheeler" as an elementary school child). This rubber security gives me confidence when my son plays independently with his trike.
Riding in the grass takes extra effort since the wheel circumference is small, and this old classic doesn't boast any "shock absorption" for varying terrains. The wheels are also not wide, as they might be on other toddler trikes, so this further encourages easy tipping.
Is tipping so bad, though? Well, it can be if your child is scooting along on the driveway pavement. But, then again, I guess he'll only fall a couple times before he learns to adjust his weight for better balance. And that's why this will bring back fond memories of days gone by. I remember falling in order to learn many things. Today's toys are so "safe" that they're on the edge of sterile.
This toy, however, is wooden, is quite attractive, and makes me feel I am giving a high quality object to my son, which will teach him to cherish good manufacturing, good workmanship, and classic design. He may look back as fondly on this trike as I do on many of my old wooden toys. Wooden objects last. They encourage creative play. They don't over stimulate a young child's developing mind.
I give this trike a mediocre score because of current safety standards, but still am so glad to have purchased one for my son. As a stay-at-home mom who is by his side as he explores the world around him I do not worry about any tragedies on this vehicle, as I am there to supervise at all times.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 7.80
Type of Toy: Other
Age Range of Child: 12 to 36 Months
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Epinions.com ID:
lisandrea
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Location: Virginia
Reviews written: 45
Trusted by: 4 members
About Me:
AP, NFP, WAHM/SAHM but NO SPAM (thank you, Ma'am)! :O)
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