Pull toys have been a staple in children’s toy boxes for generations. These classic toys provide a range of benefits for young children, from developing gross motor skills to enhancing cognitive development (1).
Pull toys come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and designs, but they all have one thing in common: they require a child to pull them along, either on wheels or on a string. In this article, we will explore the best pull toys available on the market today. From traditional wooden toys to modern designs, these pull toys are sure to bring joy and learning opportunities to your child.
Our Top Picks
- Best Affordable Pull Toy: Fisher-Price Lil’ Snoopy
- Best Musical Pull Toy: VTech Pull and Sing Puppy
- Best Push And Pull Toy: Hape Wonder Walker Push and Pull Toy
- Best Alphabet Pull Toy: LeapFrog AlphaPup
- Best Train Pull Toy: Melissa & Doug Rocking Farm Animals Pull Train
- Best Alligator Pull Toy: PlanToys Dancing Alligator Push & Pull Toy
- Best Giraffe Pull Toy: BRIO Pull Along Giraffe Wood Baby Toy
- Best Puppy Pull Toy: Hape Walk Along Puppy Pull
- Best Duck Pull Toy: Brio Pull Along Duck Wood Baby Toy
- Best Shape Sorting Pull Toy: Hape Walk-A-Long Snail Toddler Wooden Pull Toy
In This Article
HappyBabyHub’s Best Pull Toys For Babies & Toddlers Picks
Fisher-Price Lil’ Snoopy – Best Affordable Pull Toy
- Cute pull toy
- The little dog’s legs move and he makes a little barking sound even when it gets pulled backward
- The body weighed a little
- Budget-pick
- The leash is not the longest
Introducing Fisher-Price’s beloved pull toy, the Lil’ Snoopy! Your child’s first puppy companion is guaranteed to provide endless hours of fun and developmental benefits. With just a gentle tug on the leash, Lil’ Snoopy will wag his tail, move his head, and even make a clicking “bark” sound, just like a real dog!
This delightful toy is not only entertaining, but it also helps to develop your child’s gross motor skills as they pull and walk alongside their new furry friend. Lil’ Snoopy is perfect for toddlers and young children and is sure to become a cherished playtime companion.
- Recommended Age: 1-5 years
VTech Pull and Sing Puppy – Best Musical Pull Toy
- Cuddle worthy
- Pushing the buttons keeps babies and toddlers entertained
- Easy use for a 1-year-old
- It lights up brightly
- The pull string is short
This adorable walking dog loves to stay close to your child’s side and makes playful sounds and music when its cord is pulled. Watch as the puppy’s legs wiggle and keys swing while your child explores colors, numbers, and body parts with the fun, interactive buttons.
With charming melodies, phrases, and puppy sounds, this toy is sure to keep your little one entertained for hours on end. As the puppy rolls, its nose flashes in time with the music, creating a fun and engaging experience.
Your child will develop a special bond with their new furry friend as they grow and learn together, discovering cause and effect as they tug on the puppy’s string.
- Recommended Age: 6 months – 3 years
Hape Wonder Walker Push and Pull Toy – Best Push And Pull Toy
- It does not tilt
- It comes with minimal but fun toys on the sides
- Very sturdy
- It is nice to look at
- The wheels are squeaky
The Hape Wonder Walker is the perfect pull toy that doubles as a push toy to encourage your little one’s first steps! With its stable base, setback wheels, and easy-to-grasp handle, this walker will help your child balance as they take their first steps.
But that’s not all – the Wonder Walker doubles as a fun activity center! Your child can play with the knobs, gears, and colorful balls while they explore their surroundings. Plus, the rubberized wheels provide a smooth ride, and the spacious storage base offers room for extra toys and even a friend to come along for the ride!
The solid wood construction and eco-friendly materials ensure that this toy is built to last and is safe for your child. Assembly is a breeze, taking only 15 minutes.
- Recommended Age: 1-3 years
LeapFrog AlphaPup – Best Alphabet Pull Toy
- A fun way to learn the alphabet
- It is really cute
- It is musical
- Great lights
- The pull string is short
The AlphaPup makes learning fun and easy by teaching the alphabet and letter sounds while playing the ABC song. Its colorful stripes are designed as buttons that call out letter sounds and names to aid in phonics and early language learning for young children.
With soft, cuddly ears, the AlphaPup makes for a playful friend that your child will love petting. Pull on its leash to sing along to three learning songs or hit the music note or bone buttons to hear amusing dog expressions.
- Recommended Age: 1-3 years
Melissa & Doug Rocking Farm Animals Pull Train – Best Train Pull Toy
- The pieces separate so your child can use individual pieces as a car
- The animals rock back and forth in the train cars
- Easy to pull around and rolls well on carpet and wood floors
- Stays together well
- Painted in somewhat girlish colors
This pull toy is not only a great way for babies and toddlers to develop their fine motor skills, but it also provides endless opportunities for imaginative play.
With three linked train cars that feature wheels and a draw rope, as well as three adorable wooden animals that fit inside the train cars and rock back and forth as they’re pushed, this set offers six delightful pieces that your child will love taking apart and putting back together again.
The train cars can be attached and detached easily, making them perfect for little hands to practice their dexterity.
- Recommended Age: 18 months – 3 years
PlanToys Dancing Alligator Push & Pull Toy – Best Alligator Pull Toy
- Very cute movement of the entire body when it is pulled by the rope
- Long enough rope that the child does not trip over when pulling it
- Extremely well made with high-quality wood and parts
- No plastic parts or made with any plastic
- Babies might not understand how to pull this toy until older
This delightful Dancing Alligator pull toy will surely put a smile on your child’s face. Little ones will adore this classic wooden toy, as it produces a gentle click-clack noise as it is pulled along with its 24-inch string. Made from eco-friendly rubber wood and non-toxic paints, this gator is completely safe for kids to play with.
- Recommended Age: 12 months – 3 years
BRIO Pull Along Giraffe Wood Baby Toy – Best Giraffe Pull Toy
- The head bobbles back and forth delightfully
- The colors are bright and attractive
- Extremely durable
- Great wooden material
- Smaller than expected
This adorable wooden giraffe is a classic pull toy that moves its neck and head as your child pulls it along. The giraffe has bright yellow functional wheels that work well on any floor, and it’s made from solid Beech wood that’s been sanded smooth for safety.
It has been handcrafted to meet the high-quality standards of Brio and is coated with six layers of non-toxic paint to ensure a long-lasting and chip-resistant finish.
- Recommended Age: 12 months – 3 years
Hape Walk Along Puppy Pull – Best Puppy Pull Toy
- Good for a toddler that is walking
- The tail wags when you walk the dog
- The wheels have a rubber edge that keeps them on the floor
- A gentle pull and the head moves up and down with the ears swinging along
- Tips easily
This cheerful pup will become your child’s faithful companion on all their daily adventures. As your infant grows into a toddler, this pull toy will be the perfect addition to their playtime routine.
Whether your little one is crawling or walking, the Walk-A-Long Puppy will happily follow along, providing endless entertainment. With its innovative design, your child can position the puppy in various ways and take it on a stroll, just like a real dog. They can sit, stand, and roll with their furry friend by their side
- Recommended Age: 12 months – 3 years
Brio Pull Along Duck Wood Baby Toy – Best Duck Pull Toy
- Great build quality
- The duck is actually more attractive in person than pictured
- The curves have all been beautifully smoothed
- The duck stays upright even at a fast pace which is nice and the wings turn
- The chord is short
This cute and quirky duck toy nods its head, flaps its wings, and even quacks to let your child know it’s there. The bright red wheels work on any type of flooring, making it easy for your child to take their new feathered friend on adventures all around the house.
This sturdy wooden toy is built to last and is made to the highest quality standards, ensuring it will be a treasured playroom staple for years to come. With its smooth, sanded beech wood construction and non-toxic paint finish, you can feel confident that your child is playing with a safe and durable toy.
- Recommended Age: 12 months – 3 years
Hape Walk-A-Long Snail Toddler Wooden Pull Toy – Best Shape Sorting Pull Toy
- Colorful
- Very interactive
- The side where you remove the shapes makes it pretty easy to take the shapes in and out
- The fit and finish are excellent and the wood is high-quality with no rough edges
- It’s difficult to get the round piece to fit into the snail so that it goes around and around
If you’re looking for a toy that can help your little ones learn about colors and shapes, then look no further than Hape’s Walk-A-Long Snail Toddler Wooden Pull Toy. This friendly snail is a multi-tasking playmate that follows your child wherever they go, wagging its tail and pulling along a shell filled with wooden pieces.
The toy also features three different-shaped holes (triangle, circle, and square) and an aperture with an elastic band on the opposite side for easy access to the snail’s shell. It’s a great way to encourage your child’s curiosity and problem-solving skills while also having fun!
- Recommended Age: 12 months – 4 years
How To Choose The A Pull Toy?
- Age-Appropriate: To choose the best pull toy, start by considering your child’s age. Make sure to select a toy that is age-appropriate and not too complex for them, as this could lead to frustration.
- Weight: It’s important to choose a pull toy that is not too lightweight, as it may frequently topple over and cause frustration for both you and your child. However, the toy should also not be too heavy that your child has difficulty pulling it behind them.
- Value: While all pull toys help develop coordination, balance, and gross motor skills, some toys offer additional educational benefits. For example, battery-operated models may teach young children numbers, shapes, the alphabet, colors, and other skills. Consider these features when selecting a pull toy for your child.
- String Length: For safety purposes, it is recommended that the string length of a pull toy should not exceed 12 inches to avoid any risk of strangulation (2). If the string is longer than this, it is important to cut it short before allowing your child to play with the toy.
- String Thickness: Make sure that the string is not too thin as it may cause cuts to a child’s skin. It is recommended that the string should be at least 1.5 mm or 1/16th of an inch thick (3).
What Age Is Best For Pull Toys?
Pull toys are suitable for children between the ages of 12 months to 3 years old. However, it is important to choose a pull toy that is appropriate for your child’s age and developmental stage. Pull toys for younger children may be simpler in design and have fewer parts, while those for older children may have more complex features such as shapes, colors, and sounds.
What Are The Benefits Of Pull Toys?
Pull toys can help develop a child’s gross motor skills, coordination, balance, and strength as they pull the toy behind them. Some have features like different shapes, colors, and textures that can help enhance a child’s cognitive development by improving their visual and tactile perception, problem-solving, and creativity. Additionally, pull toys aid in teaching children about cause and effect as the rolling of the toy is typically accompanied by movement and sounds.
How Do You Fix A Pull Toy?
If the string on your pull toy breaks, you can easily replace it with a new one. Measure the length of the original string and cut a new piece to the same length. Tie one end of the new string to the toy and the other end to the handle. Make sure the knot is secure and trim any excess string.
If any parts of the pull toy are loose, such as the wheels or the handle, you may be able to tighten them with a screwdriver or wrench. If the toy is made of wood, you may need to use wood glue to secure any loose parts.
