Hasbro Playskool Step Start Walk 'n Ride Reviews

• STEP N START

  
  By on 2000-11-18
  I PURCHASED THE STEP START WALK N RIDE TOY FOR MY SON'S FIRST BIRTHDAY. ALTHOUGH HE IS STILL NOT WALKING TOTALLY INDEPENDENTLY YET, HE SEEMS TO HAVE LOADS OF FUN "WALKING" BEHIND THE WALK N RIDE. HE ALSO SEEMS TO ENJOY THE MANY ACTIVITIES THAT THE TOY OFFERS. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT FOR ANY CHILD FROM PRE-WALKER (ABOUT 9 MONTHS) ON UP. WE HAVE TONS OF FUN WITH IT. ONE ADDED BENEFIT IS THAT MY 6 YEAR OLD IS ALSO ABLE TO ASSIST THE BABY WITH HIS EFFORTS.

  I REALLY LIKE IT BECAUSE IT WAS VERY EASY TO ASSEMBLE.
  
  

• Pretty good toy.

  
  By A37FNOG3ADISY5 on 2001-06-05
  Let me start by saying that my 10 month old LOVES this toy. She likes both modes (walk behind and ride on) and she really likes the toys on the body. I would agree with the other reviewer who said that this is a carpet area only walker. The design of this toy is bizarre at best. In order to get the toy from ride on to walker, you have to "snap" the handle into place. This is not easy. It's not impossible, but it does take some practice and the first few times she used it I didn't get the handle secured properly. Also, this toy will tip over. My baby likes to walk to the side of both of her walkers but the other walker has a more stable base. Although I wouldn't recommend this toy as a first walker or a walker for a non-carpeted area (for that I recommend Elmo's Grow and Go Walker Mower by Fisher Price), I do like the fact that this toy has two functions.
  
  

• Great purchase!

  
  By A1C8U7IFFDOIRJ on 2001-02-20
  We bought this for our daughter for Christmas when she was 9 months old. When she first got it, she preferred to play mechanic(flipping it over and playing with the wheels and underside)and she also liked to play with the toys on the top. So far, we have not had any trouble with the attachments. Now that she is learning how to walk, she loves to use the toy in the walker mode and strolls around our living room. We have found that when she does hit an obstacle, the toy has held up well and is very sturdy. In the car mode, she loves to have us push her around. She can push herself backwards, but she has not gotten the going forward part down yet. When she wants to get off of the car, we have found that it is low enough to the ground that she has not hurt herself. Overall, we have felt that this was a great purchase and plan to pass it down to the next one!
  
  

• Good for learning to walk

  
  By A4GR1WQJK6PDS on 2000-12-08
  My son received this for his 1st birthday. He's never done much riding on it (he waits to be pushed...can't seem to get him to move his feet to do it himself!), but he LOVES to walk behind it and push it. He used it to get around when he couldn't walk on his own. The only thing I would change: it has a little "antenna" that is pulled out much too easily -- I ended up putting that piece in a drawer. Otherwise, easy to assemble and great entertainment. He'll sit in front of it and spin the attachments and put things in & out of the "trunk" with great fascination.
  
  

• Not worth it.

  
  By on 2001-10-24
  I got this for my daughter last Christmas when she was 10 months old and just beginning to walk. The base is too narrow for her to walk easily. Like other reviewers, we have found moving from the riding mode into the walker mode difficult and less than stable from a safety standpoint. In the riding mode, it is heavier and lower to the ground than a Fisher-Price rider she received as a gift from her aunt. Therefore it is more difficult for her to push and she now likes the Fisher-Price rider better. About the only thing my daughter likes to do with this toy is put things in the trunk and that alone is not worth the purchase price. I do not recommend this rider.
  
  
• Not a favorite toy at our house...
  By on 2001-11-14
  We bought this for our daughter when she was 8 months old (she's now 11 months). It is one of those toys that sits by itself and collects dust. It doesn't seem to be very sturdy and the base of it is a bit difficult to switch from a walker to a rider. They need to design some sort of control (like a brake) to slow down how fast it moves once your child is behind it using it as a walker. Our daughter busted her lip while using this product because of the lack of control with the wheels and the fact that it isn't very sturdy. I wouldn't recommend this product at all.
  
  
• Not what it says it is
  By A23M2BRZPTL339 on 2001-11-12
  I bought this because of the brand name and the commercials for it I saw on t.v..I was very excited to buy it to help my son while he was taking his first few steps: But it is the most non-walking friendly toy for a beginner walker to even use! The wheels are to slippery, when he trys to push it it just slides or falls over because it is too top heavy, and the walk space for my babies feet is too awkward..as a ride-one it is just too low to the floor for my son.

  He has used it only to push the levers and play hide and seek w/other toys in the trunk compartment of it...I am really upset about the money I spent on this product..
  
  

• This toy is not safe!
  By on 2001-07-14
  My husband and I purchased this toy for your son's 1st birthday. The back wheels were so narrow that everytime he tried to walk with it in the upright position, his feet kept hitting the wheels, making it impossible for him to walk with it. When it was in the sitting position, he reached forward for the "trunk" compartment and tipped right over! I returned it immediately!
  
  
• Clear the Road Everyone!
  By A2UZK2Y6CO83TD on 2001-02-12
  Our daughter received this as a gift for Christmas when she was 8 months old. It is still her favorite 2 months later! She is starting to walk on her own and this toy has been a great help to her. She doesn't care for the car part of the toy, but the walker has been great. In reading the other reviews, I see that there have been some complaints about the attachments or design. So far, our child has not been injured or pulled anything off of this toy. It has been pretty durable. She does tip it over on occasion, though. An unbalanced child can easily tip this, but it does not seem heavy enough to cause an injury and Veronica has always just gotten up and kept right on going. It is small enough to take along in our trunk and we take it with us when visiting. I think this is a great learning-to-walk toy.
  
  
• this toy is not safe
  By A1W1ZGSYVEOARK on 2001-10-22
  I HAVE A 9 MONTH OLD DAUGHTER WHO IS STARTING TO WALK ON HER OWN, SO I BOUGHT HER THIS TOY THINKING IT WOULD HELP HER WITH HER WALKING. AFTER PLAYING WITH THIS TOY FOR NOT EVEN FIVE MINUTES SHE FELL BACKWARDS AND HIT HER CHIN ON THE HANDLE. AFTER CALMING HER DOWN SHE WANTED TO PLAY WITH IT AGAIN, SO I LET HER AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN. NOW I ONLY LET HER USE IT AS A RIDE ON TOY. IN MY OPINION I DO NOT THINK THE TOY IS WORTH BUYING.
  
  
• Not worth the money
  By A12N8EEKWARPA3 on 2001-04-15
  My 9 month old is starting to walk and I thought that this would be a perfect toy for her. I was wrong. She likes to play with the activity toys on the outside, but when she pulls herself up, the handle falls down. It is not sturdy at all. When she tries sitting on it, she wants to play with the activity toys and she falls off. I'm going to try another toy and the Step Start/Walk N' Ride is going in the trash.
  
  
• Walk and Ride
  By on 2001-05-17
  I bought this walker for my son when he was nine months old. He loved playing with all the gadgets on the front of it. He is now almost 11 months old and still has trouble walking with it. I do not consider this to be a very safe walker. He has fallen on either side of it and on his face. The handle is small and hard for him to hang on to and the base is small so he tries to walk with one foot inside and one outside, it also rocks when he tries to pull himself up on it. I feel okay with him walking on the plush carpet but do not trust it on our tile floors, the wheels slide out in front of him very fast. He likes riding on it when we push him so it is a fun toy for him just not a stable walker.
  
  
• step start walk n' ride
  By A3KJB8VZPTXKA5 on 2001-04-25
  I purchased item for my 11 month old grandson who is starting to walk. Each time the item has collapsed when used in the walking mode that caused my grandson to fall. We have positioned it properly and it appears to have snapped into place properly for this mode but collapses anyway. THIS TOY IS UNSAFE!!!!
  
  
• The trunk is the key!
  By A28SM5JTU8RJJ3 on 2001-11-29
  Although it is a great walker for learners, the trunk is the most fascinating thing for my son - he puts things in, closes the door and takes then out again. When in an upright position, my son will cruise back and forth across the family room. I have noticed it can tip if he is not directly in back of the handlebars but we are always there to straighten him out anyway. He likes to ride on the car but has not figured out how to get his feet out of the way unless we hold them up for him. I recommend this toy to help new walkers but as with all toys, you should always supervise. My 11 month old son just loves it and he is walking on his own now!
  
  
• Not too Happy
  By on 2001-01-19
  We bought our 11 month old this walker and found enough flaws with it to return it to the manufacturer. Our daughter has practically fallen over it because of its unbalanced design. There isn't enough room between the wheels for her "waddling" feet. It doesn't lock in the walking position very well. In the riding position, she has opened the front compartment, leaned over, and pinched her fingers as it closed. The antenna pulls off very easily, which can be dangerous in the mouths of babes.
  
  
• Read this review!
  By on 2003-11-26
  I would not recommend this walker. Although it is quite durable, I gave it a low rating in all categories since I would not recommend it to anyone. The biggest problem is that the base where a baby walks behind it is too narrow. It tips over so easily. My son is quite sturdy on his feet now and constantly trips on it. He has decided that it is easier to walk beside it and pull it along. Several of my friends also have it and have the same opinion. One friend is an early child development specialist and also dislikes it. We purchased an another one (after seeing our son fly across the room with other walkers that belonged to friends' babies) by Fisher Price. He loves his new one (wider base and all four wheels in line with each other). The multi-use functionality of the Playshool one is attractive, but not worth the money (or bumps and bruises!).
  
  
• Excited Mom
  By A36DD42IN2YF90 on 2000-12-30
  I am very happy that "Santa" brought this toy to my 14 month old son. My son is not walking yet, but he will be very soon. He will stand in one place and he cruises the furniture at fast speeds. He loves this walker so much. He pushes it around the house and is very excited that he can get from place to place with out being scared to walk alone. The 1st time my son used it, he was so excited and it exicted my husband and I very much to watch his eyes light up with his new found walking ability. All the toys attached to the walk n ride is great. Another wonderful toy from Playskool!
  
  
• Excellent Skill Builder
  By A2A0642U6RTTPT on 2002-08-06
  I have read the other 38 reviews and it is obvious that the stability of this walker is questionable. However, for my 9 month old son it is perfect! He loves cars and he is so proud that he can walk behind it. He does not yet walk on his own. I recommend allowing your child to use it on carpeting. This will cushion falls and add resistance to the wheels. Also, I assisted my son in his first attempts to use the walker. Once he realized the mechanics of it all he took off! :) As far as a riding toy goes. My son does not sit still for very long and he is more prone to injury when using this function. As with all toys of this nature my number one recommendation is to get on the floor and supervise your child. This will counteract many of the complaints you may read about.
  
  
• Fisher Price toy lover
  By A1VHUU6SPZSGG1 on 2004-03-20
  We bought this toy for my daughter as Christmas gift when she was 8 months old. I have always been a Fisher Price fan and was extremely disappointed with the design of this toy. My daughter showed no interest in it when we gave it to her. As she grew she rarely played with it to ride or walk behind it. When The toy was not designed with enough room for her to hold onto the handle and walk behind it without her hitting her toes on the toy in front of her. She tried to walk beside it but she was too unstable and she would fall frequently. Though she is a tall child, this toy was too small for her and probably most children her age. Look elsewhere for a walk-behind toy! This is not the one you want.
  
  
• DANGEROUS!!! Do NOT Buy This TOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  By A1P81W2G9C56O0 on 2004-06-04
  My 9 month old got her thumb stuck under the short handle when this toy was in the upright position! She was screaming & her little thumb was stuck for 5 minutes until her dad and I could figure out how to get it out! I put this toy together myself and it was put together correctly. Her thumb could be broken; her doctor said there is not much you can do for a broken baby thumb if it is indeed broken. Hopefully she will not lose her thumbnail, but it is crushed and very discolored. Save your child the possibility of what my baby endured this afternoon. Do not buy this toy!
  
  
• Not for wood floors!
  By A3NYP1GSBJMHWE on 2005-11-18
  This toy is quite fun for my daughter but it's basically a stationary toy that I have to place against a wall so that it doesn't tip over. When the toy is pushed sideways on my wood floors, it easily slides really fast that my daughter sometimes falls flat when she's holding on to it. The wheels are so flimsy that when the toy is moving forward or backward the wheels don't turn, thus it just slides on the wood floor.
  I definitely do not recommend this toy for wood floors as it has become more of a hazard for my girl than fun.
  
  
• Maybe it's better not to be too many things at once...
  By A29TDHNT47LR05 on 2006-04-01
  I bought this for my daughter because she was just beginning to cruise and needed to develop some confidence. As a walker this toy works pretty well. My daughter pushed it all over the house, and it seemed to help her gain the confidence to become a walker. Once she was walking fully, she pushed it all over for the fun of pushing.
  
  As a rider, this toy has real drawbacks. Like another reviewer said, the wheels are too close together, so her legs hit the back wheels when moving forward. Also, they don't spin very well. This is great when walking because it slows the unit down, but my daughter found it very frustrating to ride because she couldn't go anywhere without a lot of effort.
  
  The gadgets are a mixed blessing. The spinners and clickers are great, but the antenna on the back gets in the way (especially when you convert it to a riding toy), and my daughter was actually reduced to tears on a couple of occasions because her leg kept getting stuck when she tried to get off.
  
  If you're going to get it, don't pay full price. I donated mine to daycare.
  
  
• Save your money! Really poor design
  By A1UHF7DQEOAY8S on 2006-09-22
  I may not argue the ride part is OK, but as a pushing cart this thing is just a disaster.
  
  First the wheels should lock...they DO NOT! This thing took away so fast my baby had no time to keep up with it--I am glad she still has all her teeth! Then the wheels do not work on hardwood floors, they slide to the side. And last the gadgets are distracting...this should promote walking, it should not distract with antennas, and other purposeless things. I have retired this thing and got a wood push wagon I found online...a really simple design that will help her with her walking, that has wheel lock, and rubber under the wheels for stability. Save your money and your baby teeth! Do not buy this thing!
  
  
• Great for your little walker =]
  By A23GY2BFXCYHSD on 2002-03-14
  We bought this toy for our son's first birthday, as he was starting to cruise around the furniture. He did have a little trouble tripping on the base at first, but he was new to walking, so I think he would have tripped a little on anything. As a car, he's just now at 18 months starting to figure it out. At first, he would always get on backwards, and then he was uncomfortable because of the handlebar. Plus, he always scoots on it backward. He's just now getting the concept of pushing off with his toes, and going forward. He liked it anyways, backward or forward, so it doesn't really matter to me which way he goes. Also, he loves to store little toys in the trunk, as well as the remote for our tv, which is quite small. Many times when the remote is missing, we have to ask him for it, and he retrieves it from his trunk. We have not had any problems with it at all, and our son is a little rough with his toys. Some people have mentioned it being hard to change from the walker to the car, but we've found that it's only hard if you try to force it in. If you pull the release lever back until you get it into the notch, then it will lock great when you release the lever. This is a great multi-functional toy that I am sure he will use for a long time to come, unlike his other walker which he is no longer interested in now that he can walk without it.
  
  
• Should be called the walk and climb
  By A1YFHOJA68SHL1 on 2002-11-07
  My daughter recieved this toy for her first birthday she had started walking a few days before she recieved this toy but I thought she would enjoy riding on it and that walking with it would help her perfect her walking. She enjoyed walking with it but when you put the toy on hard wood floors it can get ahead of the child and it is hard to keep up with.A couple of times my daughter fell because the toy was moving too fast. I think the toy taught her how to run instead of walking. To keep her from falling anymore we turned it into the riding toy and eight month's later she hasn't rode it once. Instead she has learned to roll it up to something and climb up on it. It definetly isn't a steady stool.I think the idea behind the toy is good but not so much the toy.
  
  
• Dangerous Toy
  By A2OS2CEKNNS8HU on 2005-09-19
  I liked this toy a lot at first. The idea of being able to push and ride was great. But twice my son fell while using it and cut himself. The not-so-sharp plastic edges of the toy cut him above the eye and on the lip, both times leaving cuts that I debated getting stitched. The toy is now in my garbage can. Live and learn.
  
  
• Simple & Fun
  By AI4W1396PKM11 on 2005-10-29
  My son received this walker for his first birthday and after just two practice runs, he was walking behind it like a pro. I love that it is small, we have limited toy space, and that it IS simple - doesn't talk or sing at him at every step. It's plenty sturdy for my almost 30 lb. son and the handle is easy to grasp. He loves the hood that opens up and the roller toy at the top. It is easy to convert from a walker to ride on toy. I do agree with another reviewer, that because it is so small, for a two or three year old who wants a ride on toy you might want to go with something else.
  
  
• Unsafe
  By on 2001-03-20
  My 10 month old needed another walker to help him get around and he has only found disappointment in this non-sturdy, dangerous toy. The antenna points straight to the childs eye when it is in walker mode and it tips over so easily, we put the toy away until it could be hopefully used as a scooter in 6 months. Not worth [the money].
  
  
• Great toy just watch the antenna
  By A33KXO581CKH6Q on 2001-08-29
  I have a one year old son and he loves this toy. The only problem is the antenna falls off. I have removed this from the toy to ensure my son does not choke.
  
  
• do not buy this walker!
  By on 2001-12-31
  This is by far the worst toy we have ever bought our son. He got it at 8 months old and it was a lousy walker and ride on. Our son would slide off the side every time he would try to ride it.( we have tile floor...which really hurts when you fall down on) When you put it in the walker mode ( which is also very difficult to do)...the wheels have no resistance so they take off leaving your infant to fall on the floor behind it. This is a very bad design. I think it could be improved by making the seat more square and not so round, placing some kind of non slip material in the seat and by adding some resistance to the wheels. We returned this item to the store and I strongly discourage anyone who has tile or wood flooring to stay away from this item. I can't believe such an item would be allowed to be sold!
  
  

• LeapFrog Alphabet Pal® Caterpillar (Colors May Vary)
• Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Learning Phone
• LeapFrog® Learn & Groove® Musical Table
• Fisher-Price Sesame Street Pizza Party Elmo
• LeapFrog® Learn & Groove® Animal Sounds Guitar