If there’s one toy that sums up my oldest’s toddler years, it’s his Little Tikes Cozy Coupe. He zoomed around the house and the driveway in it for years. It was his favorite toy, hands down, and I have the sweetest memories of it.
Little Tikes is our go-to brand for the big stuff: ride-ons, climbers, trampolines, and water tables. These are the 10 Little Tikes toys I recommend across the site, sorted by the play categories I use for our toy rotation, with ages on every pick.
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Why We Like Little Tikes
We live somewhere with cold winters and rainy springs, and I have two boys with a lot of energy! So we need toys that can do indoor/outdoor double duty to keep our kids moving year-round.
- They make gross motor toys that work inside. When it’s too cold to play outside, a trampoline or a climber in the living room saves everyone’s sanity.
- A lot of them fold. The trampoline, the climbing wall, and the T-ball set all fold down so they aren’t taking over the house (or the garage).
- They last. We used our activity garden for years and then passed it on to another family, who used it for both of their kids. Our Cozy Coupe looks just as good now as it did day 1… And believe me when I say it got a ton of use.
The downsides: these are big, plastic toys, so you need somewhere to put them. The Cozy Coupe wasn’t exactly friendly on our laminate floors. And some of them get outgrown, especially if you have a tall kid (more on that below).
Little Tikes Toys by Age
Little Tikes toys stay in play for years because kids use them in new ways as they grow.
| Age | What to look for | More toys for this age |
|---|---|---|
| 6 mo+ | Activity Garden Playhouse | Toys for 9 to 11 months |
| 18 mo+ | Cozy Coupe, Gas ’n Go Mower, basketball set, T-ball set | Toys for 18 to 23 months |
| 2+ | Flowin’ Fun Water Table, Story Dream Machine | Toys for 2 year olds |
| 3+ | 3’ Trampoline, Campin’ and Climb Wall | Toys for 3 year olds |
| 4+ | Bouncing Fun Hopper | Toys for 4 year olds |
| 5 to 6 | The climbing wall and hopper still work; the small trampoline may not | Toys for 6 year olds |
Little Tikes Ride-On and Push Toys
This is where Little Tikes started for us. Ride-ons and push toys are gross motor toys first, but they turn into pretend play as they get older.
Cozy Coupe (ages 18 mo+)
Has there been a more iconic gross motor toy in my house? I don’t think so.
My oldest would speed around the first floor: down the hall, around the closet, through the kitchen, and back. On repeat. And repeat.
One mom tip: it was great for cold winter months, but it wasn’t kind to our laminate floors. But that was our fault. We let it be an indoor and outdoor toy at the same time. And the wheels got scratched up outside and brought small rocks inside that scratched the floors. To salvage, we decided it would be an indoor-only toy. Nowadays, you can buy wheel covers or rubber replacement wheels to prevent this issue!
Little Tikes Cozy Coupe
I have the sweetest memories of my oldest zooming around the house and driveway in his Cozy Coupe. For years this was his favorite toy.
- Made in the USA. The Little Tikes Company is located in the heartland of America.
- GROWS AS KIDS DO. The removable floorboard makes this ride-on transition easily between parent-controlled and kid-powered modes
- Includes: working doors, steering wheel with working horn, moving, clicking ignition switch, gas cap open and closes, rugged, durable tires, front wheels spin 360 degrees
Gas ’n Go Mower (ages 18 mo+)
We love lawn mowers so much that both of my kids had to have their own. They make great push walkers for little ones who are just learning to walk, and even older kids still love pretending to mow the lawn. No batteries needed: the sounds are mechanical, and the beads pop as it rolls.
Little Tikes Gas 'n Go Mower
We love lawn mowers so much that both of my kids had to have their own! These are great walkers for little ones just learning to walk, and even older kids seem to love pretending to mow the lawn as they get older.
- Sounds are mechanical, so no batteries are needed
- Push the toy mower and the beads pop
- Pull cord to hear engine sounds
- Clicking key and moveable throttle
- Removable plastic gas can
Little Tikes Indoor Climbing and Jumping Toys
Jumping with both feet and climbing are big gross motor milestones, and these are the toys that let kids practice when you can’t get outside. They also give a lot of sensory input, which some kids really need.
3’ Trampoline (ages 3+)
This trampoline is always a hit at our house. It’s perfect for little ones learning to jump with both feet, the handlebar gives them something to hold, and it folds down for storage. The honest part: once kids get older and jump higher, you may need a bigger model. We’ve found it can get a little wobbly for our tall 6 year old.
Little Tikes 3' Trampoline
This trampoline is always a hit at our house! It folds down for easy storage. It's perfect for little ones learning to jump with both feet. Once your child gets older (and can jump higher) you may have to move to a bigger model as we have found it can be a little unstable for our tall 6 year old.
- Perfect trampoline for toddlers to burn off energy
- Features large jumping surface and handle bar for stability
Campin’ and Climb Wall (ages 3+)
I love the compact design of this one. Think of it like a Pikler triangle, but it folds down and fits under a bed or a couch. Kids can climb the outside, then crawl into the tent in the middle to play house or go camping. That’s climbing and pretend play in one toy, which is exactly what I look for when I’m picking toys for a rotation.
Little Tikes Campin' & Climb Wall
I love the compact design of this toy. It's like a pickler triangle, but it folds down and fits under a bed or a couch. Kids can play house and camping inside or climb on the outside.
- Made in the USA. The Little Tikes Company is located in the heartland of America.
- ADJUSTABLE DESIGN Adjustable climbing wall angles to either lean against the wall or stand on its own.
- HIDEAWAY TENT Large and spacious tent area opens up between the climbing walls for an additional play space.
The hopper is a great workout (believe me, I’ve tried bouncing on one) and a great way to get sensory input, too.
Little Tikes Bouncing Fun! Blue Hopper
Not only are these a great workout (believe me I've tried to bounce on one of these!), they are also perfect for sensory input.
- Safe with a recessed re-inflatable valve
- Helps build coordination skills
Little Tikes Sports Toys
Little Tikes sports sets are sized for small kids, so they can actually hit the ball or make the basket. That early success keeps them trying.
T-Ball Set (ages 18 mo+)
The bat is chunkier than a regular bat, so it’s easier for little ones to make contact with the ball. And it folds down and stores easily, so it isn’t taking up precious garage space.
Little Tikes T-Ball Set
This folds down and stores easily so it's not taking up precious garage space. The bat is chunkier than a standard bat, so it's easier for little ones to make contact with the ball.
- Compact and foldable
- Comes with one bat, one stand, and five balls
The basketball hoop adjusts as kids grow. At its lowest height (with smaller kids), it works inside or out. Once it gets taller and your kids get stronger, it may need to become an outdoor-only toy. Heads up: the base needs to be weighted with sand, which isn’t included.
Little Tikes Easy Score Basketball Set
At their smallest height (and with smaller kids) this is a great toy for gross motor play both inside and outside. As it expands and gets taller (and your kids get stronger) you may need to move this to an outdoor-only toy.
- 6 ADJUSTABLE HEIGHTS. Raise the height to increase difficulty as your kids grow. Basketball Set can be adjusted from 2.5 to 4 feet
- OVERSIZED RIM. Designed with an oversized rim making it easier for kids to score baskets
- DEVELOP SKILLS. Encourages preschoolers and toddlers to play independently while working on balance and improve their hand-eye coordination
- Base must be weighted with 40lbs. of sand (not included )
- Includes 3 junior sized, soft basketballs (color may vary)
Little Tikes Baby Activity Center
One toy that grows with them through the whole first couple of years. If you’re shopping for a baby, our guide to the best toys for babies and 1 year olds has more.
Activity Garden Playhouse (ages 6 mo+)
We used this activity center for years, and it really did grow with our kids.
- As babies, they played with the mini piano, the ball drop, and the mailbox.
- Once they crawled, they crawled up and down the slide.
- Then they pulled up to stand and cruised along the walls.
- Even when we thought they’d outgrown it, we threw a blanket over the top and it became a fort.
We loved it so much that we gifted it to another family, and they used it for their two kids too.
Little Tikes Activity Garden Playhouse
We loved this playset and even gifted it to a family who has used it for their two kids! Climb and slide, or sort and click. This activity center has dozens of things for little ones to do.
- Convertible frame shape
- Shape sorter, ball drop, mini-piano, bells, a slide, shutters, a front door, mailbox, and so much more
Little Tikes Water Table
One of the best pieces of toddler advice I ever got was to get a water table. It’s sensory play, open-ended play, and a reason to be outside all in one.
Flowin’ Fun Water Table (ages 2+)
This was the first water table I found that actually connects to a hose. Let me say that again: IT. CONNECTS. TO. THE. HOSE. so the water keeps flowing.
It takes your water table game up a level, and my kids would play with it for hours. Pipes, fittings, and faucets move around, so kids can change how the water flows (hello, early engineering).
Little Tikes Flowin' Fun Water Table
This was the first water table that I found that actually connects to a hose, so the water is always flowing! This takes your water table game up to the next level. My kids would play with this for hours.
- Includes 8 interchangeable pipes, fittings, and faucets, a scoop, bucket and boat
- Connect to a standard garden hose, or pour water into the central tower, to create endless splashing fun
Little Tikes Story Dream Machine
A quick note before this one: we haven’t owned it. At our house, the Yoto players are our daily routine for quiet time, bedtime, and trips (here’s my Yoto Mini review). But I’m more and more impressed with this one, so it earns a spot on the list. I think it would have been SO FUN for my kids when they were younger.
Story Dream Machine and Headphones (ages 2+)
It shows the pages of a story on any flat surface while it reads to them, so kids can listen, watch, or both. The story library keeps growing, and it makes books feel like they’re coming to life. It fits right into our musical and multimedia category.
Little Tikes Story Dream Machine & Headphones
I'm increasingly impressed with this product, although we haven't personally owned one. I love that children can listen to books and/or watch the pages on any flat surface. It makes books come to life. They also have an increasingly large amount of books to choose from!
- BRING STORYTIME TO LIFE. Watch, listen, and read along to bedtime stories as they magically unfold through screen-free wall projection, colorful lights, and sound effects.
- 6 STORIES AND 2 CHARACTERS. Enjoy 6 new PAW Patrol stories: All Star Pups, Save the School Bus, Puppy Dance Party, Rubble to the Rescue, Save the Dinosaurs and Mission Paw. Chase and Rubble character figurines add to the story with fun light effects in nightlight mode.
- INCLUDES HEADPHONES. Comfortable, kid-friendly headphones plug straight into the projector for on-the-go storytelling.
- BUILDS READING SKILLS. Story projection helps develop your childu2019s word recognition and beginning reading skills. Children can follow along easily and learn new words as a narrator reads their selected story aloud.
- EASY TO USE & STORE. Simple, kid-friendly controls allow children to change the volume, fast forward, and rewind the story with ease. When storytime is over, store cartridges easily in the slots on the side of the projector.
- WHITE NOISE SETTING. Doubles as a white noise nightlight to soothe your child to sleep. Choose from 5 different sound settings.
Looking for smaller toys for babies and toddlers? Our Fisher-Price roundup is heavy on Little People, and VTech has a few great early walkers and crawling toys.
FAQ
At our house, the Cozy Coupe, the Gas ’n Go Mower, the Activity Garden Playhouse, the Flowin’ Fun Water Table, and the 3’ trampoline got the most use. The Cozy Coupe was my oldest’s favorite toy for years.
It’s labeled 18 months and up. The floorboard comes out, so younger toddlers can be pushed before they can scoot it themselves. My 6 year old still crams himself in there for the occasional cruise around the house 😂
Yes. The Cozy Coupe was an indoor toy for us during cold winter months, and the activity garden and small trampoline are made for indoor play. Just know the Cozy Coupe can be hard on laminate floors, and the basketball hoop may need to move outside once it’s raised.
It’s great for learning to jump with both feet. Once kids jump higher, it can get wobbly. We noticed it with our tall 6 year old, so you may want a bigger model by then.
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