What is the best rocking horse for toddlers?

An all-time favorite classic toy, the rocking horse has maintained a place in American households for generations. Beautiful in its simplicity, a rocking horse is also a great way for young kids of a variety of ages to remain active, even indoors, and also improve their balance and coordination. Nowadays, two primary styles of a rocking horse are manufactured: the type that moves in tandem with its rockers, and the type that rocks within its own frame.

A classic symbol of childhood, rocking horses and activity rockers have always been a hallmark of play. Keep the rocking horse tradition alive in your home with these best rocking toys for kids:

Image	Brand	Product	Type	Why it's great	Recommended Age	Learn more
	KidKraft	Derby Rocking Horse – Natural	Wooden	Sturdy, solid wood construction with a real wool mane and tail, with unique anti-tip rockers for added safety. This timeless, heirloom-quality rocking horse is a treasure for every child.	36 months - 8 years	Check price
	Hape	Rock and Ride Wooden Rocking Horse	Wooden	This classic rocking horse toy provides hours upon hours of imaginative exercise by gently rocking at a steady pace or safely galloping, while helping to develop basic balance and coordination skills. High-quality finishes are all non-toxic and child safe.	10 months - 3 years	Check price
	EverEarth	Bamboo Rocking Horse	Bamboo	Made with sustainable resources, water-based paints, recycled packaging, and manufactured to the highest quality, this bamboo rocking horse encourages your child’s imagination and fine motor skills development.	12 months - 6 years	Check price
	labebe	Stuffed Animal Rocker	Plush	This adorable crocodile rocking horse is complete with wings, a mirror, and a pocket.	6 months - 3 years	Check price
	Rockin’ Rider	Lucky Talking Plush Spring Horse	Spring	This soft huggable plush rocking horse also talks and sings “I’m a Little Pony” song, 6 talking phrases, and other sound effects from its synchronized moving mouth. The 3-position stirrups grow with your child and the sturdy steel frame ensures safety for ages 2 to 5 years and up to 65 lbs., making this one of the best spring horses for kids.	24 months - 10 years	Check price
	Radio Flyer	Blaze Interactive Riding Horse	Spring	This horse has 3 distinct riding actions: walk, trot, and gallop. The built-in safety straps provide added protection and the easy climb step allows easy access and dismount for kids up to 60 pounds. The best rocking horse for a 3-year-old!	24 months - 6 years	Check price
	Rockin’ Rider	Legacy Grow-with-Me Pony	Safety seat	Rocking horses with safety seats are best for babies that are still developing their balance. Converts in minutes without tools to grow with your child from a bouncer, to a rocker, to a spring horse. Recommended for as young to 9 months, converts at 12 and 24 months (up to 50 lbs.) Babies will love the soft, huggable plush, detailed saddle, and embroidered eyes, and are soothed by the gentle rocking in the removable safety seat. The best rocking horse for a 1-year-old!	9 months - 3 years	Check price
	Little Tikes	Plastic Rocking Horse	Plastic	The small size is portable and ideal for indoor or outdoor play areas. The seat and easy grip handles are designed to keep kids from falling forward or back, and the sturdy construction and unique design will keep kids in the saddle for hours.	12 months - 3 years	Check price
	Step2	Patches the Rocking Horse	Plastic	The charming yet sturdy double wall poly construction is durable and will last for years, and prevent rocking or tipping. The contoured seat and easy grip handlebars are designed for optimum comfort, and the lightweight design makes it extremely portable and easy to store.	12 months - 3 years	Check price
	VTech	Gallop and Rock Learning Pony	Plastic	Grows with the user by transforming from a simple rocking horse to a ride-on or rolling toy. Encourages rocking and riding with motion detectors that activate realistic horse sounds, fun phrases, 60+ songs, melodies, sounds and phrases for imaginative play. A different, fun spin on kids plastic rocking horses.	12 months - 3 years	Check price
	Gymnic	Derby Rocking Horse – Natural	Inflatable	This Inflatable Rocking Rody Rider has a detachable base that converts it to an adorable and safe rocking horse. Remove it, and the Rody returns to its original hopping and bouncing form, making him grow with your child. Regular play with the Rody has been shown to tone muscles, improve balance and heighten cardiovascular exertion.	18 months+	Check price
	Qaba Kids	Rock and Ride Wooden Rocking Horse	Metal and plush	This rocking horse has a traditional plush design, but also comes equipped with more modern features, such as electronic neighing and galloping sounds when you press down on the ears. It weighs an extremely light 4 pounds, yet is still able to support up to 88 pounds.	3 years+	Check price
	Animal Adventure	Bamboo Rocking Horse	Wood and plush	An out-of-the-box design - a rocking bee!	18 months - 8 years	Check price
	B. Toys	Stuffed Animal Rocker	Wood and plush	One of the more cuddly and durable rocking horse designs that we've seen	18 months - 5 years	Check price
	Qaba Kids	Lucky Talking Plush Spring Horse	Wood and plush	Why ride on a rocking horse when you can ride on a rocking llama?	18 months - 3 years	Check price

Frequently asked questions about rocking horses for kids

What age is a rocking horse for?

Most rocking horse manufacturers recommend a minimum age of 18 months, to ensure that the child’s balance is sufficiently developed for safe use. Some rocking horses come equipped with seats or safety harnesses so that younger children or even babies can use them. Due to weight constraints, the vast majority of rocking horses are designed for kids under 6. There are some higher-capacity versions available for heavier or older children.

What is the history of the rocking horse?

The history of rocking horses can be traced back to the hobby horse of the Middle Ages, but they have come a long way from the original fake horse’s head attached to the end of a long stick, which would be positioned between their legs to simulate riding. It is even believed that children were often gifted these early rocking horses and hobby horses to practice the rudimentary jousting techniques prior to graduating to actual horses.

Around the 16th century, this version was replaced by a barrel horse, a circular log propped up on four legs and adorned with an imitation horse head. It wasn’t until the early 17th century that bow rockers, which first truly resembled the modern rocking horse, were invented. During the World Wars and the Great Depression, the craft declined almost to the point of disappearing forever, and indeed by the 1960s, there had been a significant decline in rocking horse manufacturers. It was around this time that a small community of skilled craftsmen began restoring antique rocking horses to their original glory and creating new designs which ultimately led to the examples we see being manufactured today. In 2004, the rocking horse was inducted into the Strong National Museum of Play National Toy Hall of Fame.

What was the most expensive rocking horse?

To date, the most expensive rocking horse solid on record was a solid 18k gold rocking horse, which was handmade by Japanese designer Ginza Tanaka. It sold for $600,000 in 2012 to Jay-Z and Beyonce for their daughter Blue Ivy.

What is the biggest rocking horse?

The title for the largest rocking horse on Earth is held by Yilan, China for a structure that weighs 4.5 tons, measures over 27 feet (8.3 meters) long, and is 10x the size of an average rocking horse. The record for the largest hand-carved wooden rocking horse is held by Katlinel and Les Hartness of California – it was built in 2000 and measures 7 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 1,200 pounds.

Are rocking horses dangerous?

Babygaga has rocking horses in their list of 15 Toys That Can Cause The Most Injuries (number 15). Of course, the vast majority of these injuries are due to falls. A large number are probably due to misuse (children that are over the weight limit or using it inappropriately). If kids are riding responsibly, the rocking horse is durable and well-maintained, and there is some parental supervision, then rocking horses are considered to be quite safe.

What are rocking horses made of?

Traditionally, rocking horses were nearly always made of wood. Today, many still are. However, it is becoming more common to see rocking horses made of a hybrid of wood and fabric, such as a wood frame with a plush animal body. This can make them more comfortable and also allows more creativity with the shape and design. It also makes it possible to standardize on one frame design, but have plush overlays that can help create different designs, or even different animals. Other brands will make their rocking horses out of metal or plastic with more modern manufacturing techniques. There are even some inflatable rocking horses out there.

What wood is used for rocking horses?

A lot of manufacturers (and DIY-types) build rocking horses out of pine, because of its resistance to wear and tear, dents, and scuffs.

Thanks for reading!

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