looking for some good physical gifts for christmas..stuff that rachel could ride on, bounce on or push. any suggestions?

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Maggie, mom to Rachel (9/19/09), duodenal atresia repair on 10/26/09, VSD closed
and Charlie (8/12/11)
www.maggiefluck.blogspot.com

Those are Piper's favorite "categories" of toys!!!

She has this trampoline: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0026HXVQA/ref=asc_df_B0026HXVQA1785078?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395093&creativeASIN=B0026HXVQA and LOVES it!!! I've gotten her to use a lot of her pent up energy on that thing, and it's actually small enough for her to BOUNCE on. HOURS of entertainment, especially when the weather's not nice enough to go outside.

She has this for a "trike"- she's no where NEAR being able to touch pedals on trikes yet, so this is what we're stuck with for the time being. But it's let her get the idea down, and have a "bike" like the big kids. http://www.amazon.com/Radio-Flyer-20-Scoot-About/dp/B000FIOB2A/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1321548411&sr=1-8 We've thought about trying one of these, too, for therapeutic reasons, but the handle bar is just about as tall as she is, so it doesn't work terrifically well... http://www.amazon.com/Radio-Flyer-1st-Scooter-Red/dp/B000OWAZYU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321548586&sr=1-1 Maybe next year for a scooter!

And as far as pushing? Piper's favorite is a basket full of folded laundry. But that doesn't make a very fun Christmas present...

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Aimee, Mom to Piper (5/2009) and Adalynn (5/2011)
http://aimeesbowlofcherries.blogspot.com

hum, rachel still doesn't "get" pushing with her feet. so i think that push trike is out. she has a toy she can do that on and i haven't figured out how to get her to push with her feet on it! any ideas??? i wonder if she would use the tampoline... she tries to jump but isn't quite successful. did piper know how to jump before you got it?

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Maggie, mom to Rachel (9/19/09), duodenal atresia repair on 10/26/09, VSD closed
and Charlie (8/12/11)
www.maggiefluck.blogspot.com

Hmm... No great ideas for teaching the push trike; I guess we did kind of move her legs for her in the beginning. She kind of walked with it for a while, without really sitting on it. Because the seat is so narrow, it makes the walking motion more natural and easier to convert to "riding" it. I know she liked it better than the other ride-on toys that we had because it was more comfortable in that way, I think.

And no- Piper didn't know how to jump on the trampoline. In fact, she still doesn't truly jump. She STOMPS on it, kind of marches in place, and when she gets going, she kind of jumps on one leg at a time. BUT, I feel like it'll help her learn to jump because it's flexible enough (made for such teeny kids) that she's getting the feedback on it that the floor doesn't offer. It's how Pat Winders teaches jumping, too, so I figure it must be a good way... We put it in front of a big bathroom mirror that we hung on the wall in her bedroom (probably 3'x5') and she LOVES to watch herself in it!

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Aimee, Mom to Piper (5/2009) and Adalynn (5/2011)
http://aimeesbowlofcherries.blogspot.com

Here are some things Sophie enjoyed at that same age:

Bouncing Horse:
http://www.amazon.com/Radio-Flyer-Soft-Bounce-Sound/dp/B0020LZO80/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1321580744&sr=8-8

This isn't the exact model we got, but it's close. She loved this horse and it stayed around longer than many other toys.

Wheely Bug:
http://www.amazon.com/Prince-Lionheart-Wheely-Ladybug-Small/dp/B000GX0B3M/ref=pd_sim_sbs_t_22

This got a lot of play time on our tile floors. In theory, it does require you to push yourself along, but Sophie would also use the bar to push it around before she ever sat on it. And it's super durable -- ours is still in pristine shape 3+ years later.

Doll Pram:
http://www.amazon.com/Haba-1624-Doll-Pram-Natural/dp/B0002HYDP4/ref=sr_1_6?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1321581201&sr=1-6

FWIW, we didn't buy this from Amazon, waited for a good sale and bought it elsewhere for a lot less. This doll pram is STILL in our toy line-up and has been enjoyed by girls and boys alike. Sophie uses it for her dolls, to push around her baby brother (oh my!), or she can still get in it and be pushed without hurting it (it's built like a tank.) Also, for a long time I kept a 20 lb. sack of rice in it for her to push around the house (she really liked the deep pressure she'd get from pushing something heavy around.)

Sit n Spin:
http://www.amazon.com/Playskool-Sit-and-Spin-PINK/dp/B003FL39N6/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1321581428&sr=1-2-catcorr

She got this around age 2, but didn't figure out how to really use until closer to 3. But then....watch out! Man, she loved this thing; still does, only now she insists on lifting it up onto the coffee table and spinning from there. Goofball!

Jump Smart Trampoline:
http://www.amazon.com/Diggin-Active-00135-JumpSmart-Trampoline/dp/B00264GIFO/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1321581541&sr=8-12

We didn't own this particular one (we actually used to have a bit larger one so that if --- when --- her sibs jumped with her, it wouldn't break) but our OT did and used it with her every week and she preferred this one because it also played music and had funny rhythms when you bounced. Also the bar was low enough for her to reach, which was a problem with some of the other models we looked at. Oh, and she couldn't jump at all when she started, so she would sort of bounce in place for a while, but it was still great exercise and sensory input for her.

Hope this helps a bit!

Kind regards,
Kristin

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Happy, busy mama to 6 beautiful kiddos -- Kieran (12), Hanna (10), Cameron (9),
Charlotte (7), Sophie, (5) 4/20/06 (DS), and Duncan (2)

Thought of a couple more that she played with a lot around age 2:

Exercise ball or peanut ball
She loved to either bounce on it, be rolled on top of it or have it rolled on her. And in theory you can use it, too.

Bop bag:
http://www.amazon.com/Original-Bozo-Clown-Inflatable-Punching/dp/B00067TAWG/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1321582181&sr=1-1

Remember these from your childhood? I do. This was a bit hit, too, and very inexpensive.

Kristin

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Happy, busy mama to 6 beautiful kiddos -- Kieran (12), Hanna (10), Cameron (9),
Charlotte (7), Sophie, (5) 4/20/06 (DS), and Duncan (2)

Mazie loves her Rodyhttp://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=rody&tag=googhydr-20&index=toys-and-games&hvadid=1421013417&ref=pd_sl_1cpjv48ohl_e They have them in two sizes

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Lisa Wife to Glenn Mom to Johnathan 24 Allison 21 Chad 15 Greta 14 Sarah 12 Jennifer 9 and Mazie 6 (DS/ vsd repair 8/03)

maziebaby wrote:

Mazie loves her Rodyhttp://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=rody&tag=googhydr-20&index=toys-and-games&hvadid=1421013417&ref=pd_sl_1cpjv48ohl_e They have them in two sizes

i was actually looking at something similar at toys r us.

_________________
Maggie, mom to Rachel (9/19/09), duodenal atresia repair on 10/26/09, VSD closed
and Charlie (8/12/11)
www.maggiefluck.blogspot.com

Guinevere wrote:

Bop bag: http://www.amazon.com/Original-Bozo-Clown-Inflatable-Punching/dp/B00067TAWG/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1321582181&sr=1-1 Remember these from your childhood? I do. This was a bit hit, too, and very inexpensive. Kristin

i never had that growing up! and i'm pretty sure my husband would freak if i got it. he HATES clowns! but i like the idea. i'll have to see if there is a different type.

_________________
Maggie, mom to Rachel (9/19/09), duodenal atresia repair on 10/26/09, VSD closed
and Charlie (8/12/11)
www.maggiefluck.blogspot.com

http://www.timberdoodle.com/v/vspfiles/photos/327-WAHOO-2T.jpg

My oldest daughter had an inflatable train similar to this. She LOVED it! I think these are much sturdier.

Michelle

http://www.timberdoodle.com/v/vspfiles/photos/327-020-2T.jpg

Here's another one.

I also like the Little Tykes shopping cart and the Melissa and Doug shopping cart. Very cute.

Melissa had one of the older Little Tykes shopping cart and she LOVED it!