Most young kids don't have particular preferences when it comes to toys. Any toy will likely make your child happy if you give it to them. While children generally aren’t picky about toys, as parents, you should care. Play is crucial for your child's social, emotional, physical, and cerebral development, so the toys you choose should be age-appropriate, mentally entertaining, and, most importantly, safe for children to play with.
For babies as young as 10 months to 1 year old, a ride-on car is an incredibly entertaining children's toy appropriate for both boys and girls. In addition to being a lot of fun, it helps your child grow in many ways. Selecting the ideal car might be challenging due to the abundance of options. Thus, what should you know before you buy your kiddo one?
Are Ride-on Cars Good for Kids?
Ride-on cars aren’t only fun but very helpful for children’s development. Research indicates that these toy rides help children's gross and fine motor skills and enhance their spatial intelligence or visual thinking. Their comprehension of space expands as they investigate their environment. This ability frequently emerges when kids recognise possible hiccups and figure out how to control the ride while they turn, accelerate, or decelerate. However, selecting the ideal ride-on vehicle for your little rider can be difficult, given the wide range of models available.
How to Choose a Ride On a Car?
SUV, a truck or drift car? 24V or 12V? Officially licenced brands or something simpler? 1-seater or +2-seater? What colour? When you start exploring the world of electric ride possibilities and decide to buy ride-on cars, you’ll encounter a world of possibilities. Here are the most important considerations to help you make the right decision without becoming overwhelmed.
Motor Number and Battery Size
The car's wheels move thanks to the motor. That’s why the number of motors is an essential factor to consider. You can ride with a single motor or two motors: a single motor is typically located on the back wheel of ride-on cars. A motor will be located in the rear left wheel and another in the rear right wheel of a dual motor ride-on vehicle.
Ride-on cars with two motors (2WD) can steadily transport larger kids. That indicates it’ll maintain its intended speed despite the child's weight. Additionally, your youngster will have a smoother ride in a dual-motor ride-on car, especially if they weigh more than 18 kilos.
Ride-on cars with a single motor will travel at the same pace as those with two motors, but as their weight increases, they will slow down. If your youngster weighs less than 15 kg and you're searching for a bargain deal, one motorised ride-on car should be plenty.
Larger is always preferable regarding battery size, and a 12V battery works best for ride-on vehicles. Nonetheless, some ride-on cars run on a 6V battery and are suitable for smaller toy rides for younger kids. Only larger options with two seats should use the uncommon 24V. The average-size ride-on car can achieve speeds of up to 11 km/h with a 24V battery, which is very risky!
Quality and Design
Ride-on automobiles come in a plethora of styles. There are SUVs, high-end supercars, quads, pedals, and little, kid-friendly vehicles that you can push.
Licenced ride-on vehicles are a double-edged weapon. Their style is an identical replica of the actual vehicle. Since licenced ride-on vehicles must pay licencing fees to the manufacturer, they must be of the highest calibre. As a result, when you travel in a licenced car, you receive two for one: quality and design.
You will see lower-quality vehicles with glitzy stickers, flashy lighting, and an overall awful design. Avoid buying these ride-on cars, as they will be difficult to assemble and have a short lifespan.
Remote Control
You should buy ride-on cars with remote control capability if you want one to "grow with your child." Depending on the baby's size, you can use your ride-on as early as 18 months (some people can use it as early as 12 months). The wonderful thing about having a remote control is that even if your child is too small to use the pedals, they can still enjoy the automobile. Sitting a youngster allows parents to have complete control over the vehicle.
The child can begin using the steering wheel and pedals to operate the car when they are around three or four years old. Finally, when the kid outgrows the automobile, it can become the coolest accessory in their room.
Seat Number
Although most ride-on automobiles only have one seat, larger models might have two seats. The problem with two-seaters has nothing to do with the vehicle's speed or usefulness. The main problem we as parents have observed with them is their constant quarrel about who gets to drive! The size of certain two-seaters is another problem with them. Although it says it seats two, it only has room for one! Plus, two-seaters are more commonly found on larger ride-on vehicles like off-road vehicles or SUVs.
The one-seater is the best choice if you're looking for a car with greater sportiness, like a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes AMG, Bentley, or Porsche since it has every element of a sporty supercar.
Caution: Avoid using it in the living room as it will destroy your furniture!
Age Suitability
Selecting a ride-on vehicle suitable for your child's age is crucial. When choosing a car for your child, parents should always consider their age. That will ensure their safety and comfort in the vehicle.