Shopping cart or baby stroller for 1 year old

[vonfirmath]

(Well, actually she'll be 10 months old)

We don't know if she walks or not yet. She's being adopted from China and this is her baby shower.

PS What dolls are good for this age group?

[MoJo]

Congrats on your adoption! Very cool!

I'd say both, at least that's what I do, and my 15 mo DD is now walking pretty well.

If it's a store with shopping carts, I use a cart with a shopping cart cover (I love the Eddie Bauer one at Target). My DD loves being closer to face height and being face to face with me. I park as close as possible to the cart return for simplicity.

However, at the mall or for walks around town, and hopefully in the future for a trip to the zoo etc, we use the stroller. DD doesn't like the collapsible "mall" umbrella stroller as well as the cart or her jogging stroller. She tries to get out of it a lot more than she does the cart or the jogging stroller.

But she does GREAT in the jogging stroller, which is saving my sanity and my health right now. It's too big to keep in the trunk, but I use it almost daily to walk to the post office, park, or just for fresh air and exercise.

[vonfirmath]

Sorry. I should have been more clear. I am looking for a gift for the little girl. A toy stroller or a toy shopping cart! :)

[brittone2]

DD's first doll was this (in yellow)

http://www.blueberryforest.com/evi-dolls/evi-waldorf-cuddle-baby-dolls.htm

I think it is hard to find a really, good, stable plastic shopping cart or baby stroller for a child not yet walking independently. They could always save it until she's walking more on her own (assuming she's not already) though. FOr new walkers, I've found the wooden ones (but they are $$$$ especially for a gift) to be much more stable...easier to pull to stand at and less likely to skid, etc.

When I was working in EI, I did have a plastic shopping cart that had a nice wide wheel base, and a short little handle that didn't stick out very far (which makes it better centered over the center of gravity). It had a nice wide wheel base (more stable and less likely to cause a child to trip). I strongly prefer our Haba walker wagon, but the plastic shopping cart wasn't bad. I don't think they make that particular model anymore though.

Someone posted this not long ago on a thread. I have never used it IRL, and therefore can't compare. But from the pic, it at least looks like it has a nice wide wheel base and the handle is pretty much over the center of gravity or not far from it. Plastic won't be as easy to pull to stand at, and it will be more likely to skid on hard floors. But...this could be one to check out:
http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Brilliant-Basics-Stroll-Along-Walker/dp/B0015KVXW8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1239936760&sr=8-1

Seems to get pretty good reviews at Amazon.

[deannanb]

if you have someone who will buy this for you - I would suggest the Haba doll pram
http://tinyurl.com/y8hw2v5 Our friend has it and it is used frequently in her house - for dolls and more.

we have the fisher price shopping cart - and it is use off and on. I would recommend it for a simple walking toy

[Tondi G]

We have a little metal shopping cart from Pottery Barn Kids... while I like it the thing is loud and can easily mark up a wall when the kids bump into them. When our niece wanted one we got her the pink and purple Little Tikes shopping cart... it was light enough for her to push but not so light that it got away from her or tipped. No marking up walls and not super loud being pushed around the house. If I were to buy one again I would probably go with the Little Tikes!

We got a little baby doll stroller for our boys... I think at just over a year. They were both walking well. I found that kids that came over that were not walking well fell sometimes with the little stroller!

Another option is the Radio Flyer Walker Wagon.... all the kids in our neighborhood LOVED this!

[ahrimie]

We have a little metal shopping cart from Pottery Barn Kids... while I like it the thing is loud and can easily mark up a wall when the kids bump into them. When our niece wanted one we got her the pink and purple Little Tikes shopping cart... it was light enough for her to push but not so light that it got away from her or tipped. No marking up walls and not super loud being pushed around the house. If I were to buy one again I would probably go with the Little Tikes!

We got a little baby doll stroller for our boys... I think at just over a year. They were both walking well. I found that kids that came over that were not walking well fell sometimes with the little stroller!

Another option is the Radio Flyer Walker Wagon.... all the kids in our neighborhood LOVED this!

I'd like to second the options above. I love the look metal shopping carts and ever since my DD could walk, would always want to push the small carts in grocery stores. I'm not sure about the Melissa & Doug one but you could try that. We have the Little Tikes one--it's not tippy at all but it's a bit tall to use for a 1 yr old. As DD is getting taller, she likes it more though.

My DD also received the FP doll stroller as a gift. She's not too into it but will on occasion use it. But I have to say, it's not a good toy for a newly walking or yet to be walking tot. It's not as good a push toy as a wooden wagon/walker.

We have a wooden wagon push toy and DD LOVES LOVES it. It's a good 1st push toy. It's heavy and sturdy enough to help the wobbly walkers. Now, my DD will even sit inside it and play or she'll push around some dolls and toys. :)