Fisher-Price Rock, Roll 'n Ride Trike: A Must-Have for Parents of Toddlers

Fisher-Price is a popular company known for its fun and innovative toys. When my husband and I saw the Fisher-Price Rock, Roll 'n Ride Trike in December, we immediately thought it was the perfect Christmas present for our little girl. Although we had no choice in the color, we felt it wasn't important when compared to the functionality that it offered. With the ability to convert from a rocker to a trike, we knew this toy would last a number of years. The suggested age range is 18 months to 5 years.

The tricycle is made of hard, durable plastic that is very lightweight. It features a removable, long push handle that provides the trike with its rocking capability and adult-assisted riding. The seat is adjustable, so as your child grows, you can easily move the seat to one of its three possible positions. A yellow foot rest hangs from the body of the trike and can be folded up when your child learns to pedal. The tricycle can be used indoors or outdoors and it is easy to steer.

The initial assembly was easy and it didn't take very long to put together. With the help of a screwdriver and a hammer, you can have it put together in twenty to thirty minutes. The instructions are mostly pictures of what to do, so it was a little difficult to identify some of the parts.

Converting the tricycle is easy; by simply removing a large yellow pin, you can rotate the push handle to the rocking position or upright as a handle bar and use the pin to lock it in place. Once your child is old enough and able to ride independently, you can remove the push handle so it becomes a standalone trike.

To convert the tricycle to a rocker, remove the pin and simply swivel the push handle so that it is underneath the tricycle. Then slide in the yellow pin through a hole in the front wheel until it snaps in place.

To convert the rocker to a tricycle, remove the pin from the front wheel and swivel the push handle to the upright position. Push the yellow pin through a hole at the top of the wheel base at the back of the handle. You can remove the push handle by taking out two screws in the back of the handle by the wheel base.

One of the great things about the Rock, Roll 'n Ride Trike XL is that it doesn't tip over and it is easy for toddlers to get on and off. I love how easy it is to convert and how light it is. My daughter is easily able to push it around by the handle like a shopping cart, enabling my daughter to have even more fun. Currently she uses her feet to push herself forwards and backwards, since she is unable to pedal. The waist high handlebar makes it easy to push her around while she squeals in excitement.

While the Rock, Roll 'n Ride Trike XL is a great toy for toddlers, it does have some setbacks. While in the rocking position, it is very difficult for children to rock it themselves and if rocked hard, it will start moving across the floor backwards. For young children, the pedals will be too far away for them to reach, but it depends on the child's height. The wheels are made of hard plastic so they can be quite noisy while rolling on hard surfaces like concrete. Children can fall off the trike so children younger than 18 months should not play with this toy. While the Rock, Roll 'n Ride Trike XL is not perfect, it doesn't seem to discourage our daughter from having fun with it.

We found our daughter's trike at Wal-Mart in the toy department near the bicycles. It is fairly inexpensive, costing about thirty dollars at most retail stores. You can find it online as well, some websites offering it for a little more than half that price. There is a newer version of the trike with the same name, only without the "XL" and it costs around forty dollars. It has some slight differences but uses the same conversion techniques.

There is no doubt about it, this is a great first trike for toddlers and parents.