There are aisles and aisles of sleds, tubes and toys for outdoor winter fun, but which ones are the best fit for young kids who have outgrown infant/toddler sleds but aren't quite ready for X Games gear?
I grew up in New Orleans, where the occasional flurry was a big huge deal but we never had enough for sledding. When I went to college in upstate New York we were extremely resourceful, fearlessly zipping down hills on trays liberated from the cafeteria. Now I'm raising kids in Chicago and facing a steep learning curve in search of something fun and safe. Last week we got our first decent accumulation this winter and headed to the park with friends. They brought their Sonic Snow Tube from L.L. Bean and it was an instant hit with my four year old, who loved riding in it as much as he loved hauling his buddy across the park. It's an awesome toy but it is on the spendy side, so I'm looking at other options. So far I haven't found anything that holds a candle to the Sonic Snow Tube in terms of quality, construction and function, so I'm appealing to the Apartment Therapy readers for recommendations.
Between tubes, plastic discs and oblong sleds, what are your preschoolers' favorites?
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We have a really basic plastic saucer type sled and I think it works well. It's small/light enough that our 3yo can pull it up the small hill in our yard himself. It's structured enough that he doesn't have trouble getting on it.
But since he saw the episode of Calliou where Calliou needs to use a cardboard box at playschool b/c he forgot to tell his mom that he needed to bring his toboggan, our 3 yo's favorite is his Pampers box "toboggan".
Spend the $ on the tube. Three years ago we got ours from http://tubeproinc.com, where they are $99 + shipping. At the time our son was 8 and our daughter 3. They still use them every chance they get—dragging each other around the yard or park, or sliding down the local hills. The best investment ever!
Santa brought my daughter a 6 foot long wood toboggan when she was 6 years old. It's a lot like the one I had when I was a child.
I pull it up the hill. We both ride down. It's a great time for us.
Be honest now: how many of us in snow country have really given up on the snow toys we grew up with?
Disclaimer: I now live in Hawaii (land of snow on Mauna Kea, where the snow is thin and the volcanic rocks beneath them are really sharp) but I grew up in Portland, Or.
We started out with a basic plastic disc, and our then-toddler was terrified! Even last winter, at age 3, he didn't particularly like it. I found a $15 inflatable sled that has a seat and a back, and it works very well. Though this winter we still haven't had enough snow to try it out with our 1-year-old!
Sort of like this: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=13381839
Oh, and the huge bonus of an inflatable sled is how little space it takes up...we have minimal storage area in our condo. I don't normally go for vinyl things, but for infrequent, outdoor use, I figured it's fine.
http://www.target.com/p/flexible-flyer-snow-boat-silver-red/-/A-14187922#prodSlot=medium_1_7&term=sled
I bought these at Target a few years ago, only mine are all silver. Time and time again, both my children and the neighborhood children eschew fancier sleds, including giant inflatables, to use these. In fact, I think we were gifted a big inflatable tube that my kids left somewhere and didn't care about to go back and get it. But, from the comments, it appears that it may depend on the personality and needs of your child.