There are few prouder moments for parents than when their babies take their first steps. This proud time comes at about nine months old for most babies, and there are a lot of things that parents need to do to make this a safe, easy, and happy developmental experience.
At about nine months old, most babies will start trying to pull themselves up to a standing position using furniture or whatever is available, which is why a toddler walker is a good idea.
Even if you buy a walker, the first thing you need to do is toddler-proof your home. “Obviously, one of the first things you should do is to remove items that are within your baby’s reach that he could pull down on himself. If you have table lamps, place them far back out of the baby’s reach,” says learningwalker.com.
“Don’t have ornaments that can easily break where your baby can reach them, and make sure that there is nothing sharp that your baby will be able to reach when using furniture to help with balance,” adds learningwalker.com.
Dr. William Sears offers further suggestions for making your home a safe environment for a new walking toddler, which are:
- Secure lamp cords so lamps can’t be pulled down.
- Anchor floor lamps, or remove them.
- Cushion sharp corners on coffee tables, piano benches, and hearths.
- Display breakables out of baby’s reach, or put them away for a few years.
- Move plants
- Push chairs all the way up to the table to prevent climbing.
- Install latches on drawers and cabinets that hold breakable dishes.
- Push items to the centers of tabletops.
Watching your baby learn to walk will be a happier and less stressful experience when your home has been toddler-proofed. Then, the next priority is finding a walker that is both safe in itself, as well as fun and versatile enough to be used past when your baby doesn’t need the physical support anymore.
This is why natural push toy walkers are such a good idea. They are safe (using only non-toxic paints and other materials) and most can be used as just fun toys later on. But even with these toys, some additional safety considerations should be kept in mind.
A toddler walker should have a wide enough base so that it doesn’t tip over, and it should be made of natural durable materials.
Author Craig Thornborrow suggests that if you buy a walker with adjustable sizing that “it should have a secure locking method to keep it from collapsing on the baby. This is especially true if it is designed to become a ride-on toy after the baby is done learning to walk with it. In reality, most babies use their walkers as a ride-on toy until two or so.”
Some worthwhile natural push toy walkers to consider are: the PlanToys Woodpecker Walker, the Haba Push Car, or the Wonderworld Fire Engine Walker Push Toy.
PlanToys Woodpecker Walker
PlanToys Woodpecker Walker. Photo by burdr.com.
This is a great toy because it’s fun for the baby as it walks to watch the two woodpecks moving up and down and tapping their beaks on the perch.
These toys are also very safe. All PlanToys are made of clean, natural rubberwood from rubber trees, which no longer produce latex, said the company, adding that it doesn’t use any dyes containing lead or any other heavy metals.
“We use only safe, non-toxic water-based dyes on all our toys,” said PlanToys.
This toy is most ideal for nine months and up.
Haba Push Car
Haba Push Car. Photo by wayfair.com.
Some of the great things about this toy is that it has storage space, a removable fabric pocket, and a cushioned seat – great for a later little brother or sister to ride around in.
More features of the walker include that its frame can be positioned at two different heights, and its rubber wheels make it roll easily on any surface. The walker is made of natural hardwoods, and is painted with non-toxic water-based paints.
This toy is most ideal for 10 months and up.
Wonderworld Fire Engine Walker Push Toy
Wonderworld Fire Engine Walker Push Toy. Photo by wayfair.com.
This is cool looking walker push toy with fire engine decals also includes wooden blocks for fun construction play.
The walker and the blocks are made from “environmentally-friendly” rubberwood, says the company.
Also as a safety precaution, the walker has a parent-adjustable friction system that prevents the child from pushing too fast.
This toy is most ideal for 12 months and up.
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