Toy Review: Radio Flyer Classic Rock and Bounce Pony

My daughter got the Radio Flyer Classic Rock and Bounce Pony for her first birthday. Like many toddlers, she loves to jump and play, and I worry about her falling off of other rocking horses. The Rock and Bounce Pony is a great toy that will grow with her.

The first thing that I noticed about the pony is the wide base. Instead of the rockers being directly under the horse, they are extended off to the side, making the whole pony very stable. She can go crazy on it, rock or jump as hard as she wants, and there's no way she could tip this pony.

The pony comes with a removable baby saddle. This really keeps her in place, and even though she's a climber, she hasn't been able to get out of the saddle. This lets me relax and allow her to play without hawking over her, giving her more freedom to rock and jump to her heart's content without fear of falling off. When she's a little more steady, and her feet can touch the ground, the saddle comes off easily so she will be able to climb on and off of the pony whenever she wants.

Another great feature is the soft, removable cover. The pony's body is cushy and she can't hurt herself on it, and if (when) she makes a mess on it, I can just pull the cover off and toss it in the wash. The rest of the body is made of sturdy plastic that is also easy to clean.

Instead of just being a standard rocking horse, the pony is poised on rubber suspenders, so when she gets really excited she can bounce all around. The pony's ears are also crinkly, giving her something to play with when she calms down from all of the jumping. It doesn't rock very steeply, but I actually prefer that for her safety. The bouncy aspect definitely makes up for how much it rocks.

The whole pony was very easy to assemble. The plastic base fits together securely, holding the rubber suspenders in place. The only tool you should need while assembling this is a Phillips head screwdriver. Most of the parts snap together on their own.

There are a few down sides to this pony. The first is that the easy to clean plastic base also slips on the carpet really easily. My daughter has figured out how to move it the way she wants and rides it through the living room in little scoots. Also, it's very large. If you live in a small apartment or space is a real issue, this may not be the pony for you.

The big pluses are that my daughter loves this toy and will play on it for a good period of time. She exerts a lot of energy and she laughs the whole time. It only took a few tries where my husband and I would rock it for her before she figured it out and started going for it. Also, the pony is very cute. It's safe, sturdy, and easy to clean. All in all, I give it a big thumbs up.