Have you seen these mechanical toys at your local big box store or shopping center? They can cost as little as fifty cents or tons more depending on where they are located.
JDaniel first encountered a cluster of vehicles at my mother in-law’s local mall. He asked if he could ride in a sports car and I put the money in the slot. The car started rocking back and forth and making revving sounds. Needless to say he didn’t stay in it long. “Help!” he cried with his arms over his head.
That first encounter occurred when he was just about two. It seemed to scar as well as scare him.
When we went back to that mall later, he just wanted to sit in each of the vehicles in make his own sounds. While in the fire truck, he made a siren sound. He made his own revving sound for the sports car. The school bus was silent as he sat in it. I guess he couldn’t think of a noise that it would make.
Over time we have come across other mechanical toys and he continued to just wanted to sit in them. I love that he didn’t need me to pay for the ride and he loved that it didn’t move.
We stopped at the outlet mall in Gaffney, North Carolina a few weeks ago to get school clothes and JDaniel saw this bull. He asked if I would help him up and I did. He asked if he could really ride it and I put in two quarters. The bull slowly rocked forwards and backwards. He didn’t make noise. He just rocked. JDaniel loved this bull. He was so tame and so unlike what a bucking bull in a rodeo might be like. He was perfect.
When the ride ended , Jdaniel asked if I would let him stay on him for awhile. I said that he could, but that I wasn’t going to pay for another ride. “That is okay mama,” he said, “ This time I will just pretend.”
His words made my heat melt. I bet he had as much fun pretending to ride as he did really riding.
On our way to the car JDaniel saw a fire truck with Bert and Ernie in it. Once again he asked if he could ride it.
I looked at him and asked if he meant really riding it or pretending. He replied, “ I think I would just like to pretend again.
He and Ernie looked like they were having a wonderful chat. I love watching him pretend.
This post is linked to Mrs. Matlock’s Alphabe Thursday!
I loved this post because I remember my kids doing the exact same thing!! They were so excited to get on the ride and see what it would do, and then when it moved and rocked, they were petrified, like “get me off this thing!!” Totally loved the whole sounds thing. Super cute and sweet. One for the memory books for sure!
Pretending is a gift the world does not enjoy enough
I love love pretend play. It is truly a gift to give your children the ability and time to pretend play.
My 11 year old today just initiated a game of “babies” with her 5 year old sister. It made me so happy that even though she is so old she can still pretend play at home.
I love that you don’t just automatically put in the coins, but give him the option.
Aww, what a sweet, sweet child! Love this post. 🙂
He has learned something truly important…pretending is often just as good, if not better than the real thing! 🙂
Kids really seem to like doing it this way more. Mine are the same and I am pretty sure it’s because this way, the ride is endless!
He is so precious! Happy Alphabet Thursday~wishing you a happy week!!!
XO
Cindy
Hey, I’ve been to those stores! I grew up not too far from Gaffney.
I saw your website on the Alexa Blog Hop, would love for you to come over and visit!
Brenda
http://www.piggygiggles.com
How sweet!
This brings back so many memories of when Josiah was around the age of three, and he LOVED riding on those kinds of toys/rides. We were living in Israel at the time, and at the nearby mall, there were several different rides like that. Ah, good memories. 😉
What a great post Your child sounds so sweet
Aww…too cute!
JDaniel4 sounds such a content child :). My toddler prefers to just ride those toys without the quarters.
That’s so sweet! What a contented little boy. Thanks so much for leaving me comment son my SITS day!
I love this! My little guy was scared of those things when he first rode them, too. I bet now he would feel the same way and just pretend. We’ll have to try it next time I brave the outlet mall!
What a gift to have such a creative and inventive child! Bravo!!!
That is so funny. Today I let me 2 year old try it again. Last year he hated it. This year he couldn’t hold back a smile. Too fun.
My kids love those too, but they are so expensive! We don’t do much tv or video games at my house, but we love things like legos and building blocks, cars and playdough.
Sandy
Aw, so cute! I really miss my boys being that age.
I’ve brought my kids up to pretend with those mechanical toys so much so that when I actually put a coin in for them to experience the real thing – they didn’t like it and preferred for them not to move. It’s true – quarters not need!
*chuckles* My granddaughter had the same reaction a month ago on a mall toy! She was scared when it started moving. She prefers to pretend, as well!
For some reason Kids love them. My kids arebold enough now we can walk by them. The baby has her time coming I am sure.
Pierce likes to just sit on them too. But if I have 2 quarters I’ll let him ride once 🙂
What a sweet boy!
My son was just the opposite ! he couldn’t get enough of rough shaking and rolling and roller coasters ! I got already sick only looking !
I couldn’t agree more. There’s nothing like watching my kids pretend play to melt my heart.
Pretend riding … I think my heart just melted. So sweet!
What a great story. Your son sounds like a delightful child!
=)
Ah…what a sweetie he is! Don’t you just love those moments?
Great tip for children’s fun! Wonderful photos and true tale!!!
Hugs,
Coralie
This story melted me too. I love that he had the courage to really ride again, but that he is also perfectly happy pretending. So cute!
Such a great post! A childs imagination is an amazing thing to watch!
That is so sweet!
Cute shots 🙂
Oh, that is so sweet!
Ahh…so so sweet!
It’s so nice when kids actually use their imagination! This reminded me of a story from when I was little about Busby the school bus that went “bingity bang like a thousand tin cans.”
I love that he just pretended after the time ran out. Fortunately, the horse at our store is only a penny. I’m always shocked it’s not more!
What a dear boy he is! Plus his imagination is full of surprises so he is certainly a beautiful example of not having to give your kids everything all the time! Let them pretend! Your little fellow did a beautiful thing! Hugs to you both! Anne
it’s so good to foster that ol’ spirit of pretending! he’s so cute!
That. Is. Adorable.
What a sweet heart.
Graesen actually seems to enjoy sitting on those toys if they are not moving! When I put quarters in he usually get a kind of scared look on his face 🙂
When I only had one kid, I made sure he didn’t know those rides actually moved. He had a great time sitting in them pretending. But Grandma had a great way of ruining that! He drove me so crazy to ride the rides over and over that I would avoid certain malls because of it! By the time the fourth kid comes along, you learn to just say no. 🙂
It’s a great story. We don’t pay for these rides out of principle, and daughter always has a great time just climbing all over them.
That post made my heart melt.what a sweet boy.
For the longest time, I hid the fact that you could put money in those things so they move! My daughter loved to just sit and play in them. Then one day, she got wise when she saw how they really worked.
That was a sad day!
Your posts about your little one make me miss my grandsons so much. Thanks for sharing your photos and little stories. I can just imagine the dreaming that went on during both bull rides.
Aww how sweet and wonderful use of his imagination.
I seem to say this (Aw!!!) all the time on your blog or this (Too Cute!) or this (So sweet!) or some variation of this! But really…I love that he said “for pretend”…
What a blessing to have sweet, uninhibited, child-like faith and pure imaginations!
Blessings & Aloha!
My daughter used to pretend too! She never liked the rides to move. She likes it now at 3 and a half.
he is so cute!!!!!
i love your stories on him
Pretend play is often so much richer and should be encouraged.
A fun story.
Thank you for dropping by earlier and I so appreciate your taking time to comment.
What a sweet little man. I love it that he’s totally okay with pretending. I let my girls ride once and once it’s over we leave. If they insist, I let them ride without paying and most of the time, they’re okay with it. We’ve had some tantrums at other times though.
Oh, oh. Be still my heart. He is so precious.
I love those rides. I have so many memories of my children riding on them. I rarely see them now, though.
Wouldn’t that be a fun thing to restore and have in your family room?
Thanks for the smile and the quite lovely link.
A+