Coupe Car Wars

[SunflowerMama]

So I only have 2 coupe cars and I'm really debating selling both of them.

The kids love them but they fight over them from the minute we head out for outdoor time until we head in.

All my kids are age 2.5 - 4. Does anyone not have ride on toys for that age or have any other suggestions to replace the coupe cars with?

[mickey2]

They need to learn to share! I only have one of everything and they take turns whether they like it or not. How are children going to learn if you get rid of the things they fight over? Teach them to share.

[ammama]

I used to have 2 coupe cars, that I got rid of for a few reasons.

1 - they always fought over them - not fighting out loud really, but one child would stand there waiting for their turn, and I felt like I was constantly being a 'buzzer' to tell the next person it was their turn.

2 - they really tore my grass up riding them down my little hill

3 - they took up SO much room in my toy storage shed that I had to keep them outside, and I hated the look of bright red plastic in my yard all weekend.

Now I have a little tricycle, a little plastic ride on and a 'runner bike' (small bike with no pedels so they learn balance). Not nearly as cool, so they don't fight over them as much, and they fit in my toy storage.

[JenNJ]

I do not have ride on toys available for my daycare kids. I would rather them run, play, and explore than be sitting down in or on a toy.

[SunflowerMama]

They need to learn to share! I only have one of everything and they take turns whether they like it or not. How are children going to learn if you get rid of the things they fight over? Teach them to share.

I should have added another part of the comment. I'm changing up my program a bit and trying to eliminate a lot of the plastic toys. We do work on sharing the cars every day and most days they are good with the sharing but we frequently still have arguments. I was thinking if I could come up with other toys to have out there it could encourage more cooperative play.

[SunflowerMama]

I used to have 2 coupe cars, that I got rid of for a few reasons.

1 - they always fought over them - not fighting out loud really, but one child would stand there waiting for their turn, and I felt like I was constantly being a 'buzzer' to tell the next person it was their turn.

2 - they really tore my grass up riding them down my little hill

3 - they took up SO much room in my toy storage shed that I had to keep them outside, and I hated the look of bright red plastic in my yard all weekend.

Now I have a little tricycle, a little plastic ride on and a 'runner bike' (small bike with no pedels so they learn balance). Not nearly as cool, so they don't fight over them as much, and they fit in my toy storage.

#2 is a big one for us too. I found this and thought maybe one of these would be fun and like you said...maybe not nearly as cool so less fighting possibly and easier to store.

http://www.backtobasicstoys.com/item/productid/5083/txt/Junior_Whirly_Wheel_Ride-On

[QualiTcare]

if they weren't fighting over those, they'd be fighting over something else - especially a new something else.

i think they need to learn to share. it may make life easier if you choose who gets to have the cars first and then make them trade every ten minutes or whatever the time limit might be.

when you take away their ability to fight over who is first and next, etc., i bet the cars won't even be that popular.

[daycare]

I have one bike for each child and a coupe car. when they start to argue over something I let them work it out, if they cant I will remove the item and put it back in the shed. Over and done with really quick.

but yes, they take up a lot of room.

my kids love the bikes teaches them balance and how to use their large motor skills. I actually have two kids here under 4 that ride without training wheels and I am currently teaching the others as well.

each child has their own helmet for now, but if someone leaves we wash them.

[momatheart]

We have those cars too. I will say early in the morning that I am watching for good behavior so that when we get outside those of you who are sharing nicely this morning etc. (whatever we are working on improving at the moment) will get to use riding toys first. When we get outside I let them know that we will try to let everyone have a turn. If you do not get a turn we will try to get you your turn in the afternoon.

Then we rotate the riding toys through the group.

Sometimes I tell my group no riding toys when it gets to be a lot of fighting. Then they run and play just fine. Sometimes I tell them riding toys are closed for awhile I want to see you running and playing then open them up for the last 15 min we are outside.

[SilverSabre25]

I have two cozy coupes and two trikes, a scooter, a roller coaster, and a couple more "baby" riding toys. Not much fighting over the riding toys since there are more of them than I have kids. If someone expresses annoyance that a certain "vehicle" is being used, I redirect them to another vehicle or a different activity and walk them through telling the person using the object in question that they want a turn--then I wait for the kid using it to be finished and let the kid who wanted know that it's free.

Overall though, there's not much fighting anymore over our riding toys...I have kids who want to do trikes, kids who prefer the coupes, kids who would rather stand in the middle of the yard and howl (he's 16 months and hates that he has to leave his lovey in the house when we go out).

[youretooloud]

Hi. I'm new here It's my first post!

So.. anyway, I have two cars also, but they don't get any attention. My kids love the Fisher Price bikes, and the one scooter I have.

My yard is very, very small, and I wish I could find something that would fit in my yard that the kids would enjoy. I have a very long narrow sidewalk that they love to play on, but most days it dissolves into fighting within 20 minutes.

[Michael]

Welcome to the Forum youretooloud!

[DCMomOf3]

my ride-ons are all the same but they still have to share.

And welcome yourtooloud!

[melskids]

when did the cozy coupe become a must have "staple" in a daycare?!?!?!?!

i'm totally being sarcastic

i remember the time before cozy coupes, that we all rode on old fashioned metal tricycles. i was still young enough, that when cozy coupes hit the scene, my mother refused to buy me one because she thought they were plastic pieces of cr*p. LOL

my mother also refused to buy me the awesomely -huge -beautiful - all - i -ever - wanted - pink -real -life -sized- plastic- kitchen -that -all- my- friends - had -and -i -so -desperately- longed- for, and made me make one out of an old white laundry hamper turned on its side. how dare she, right!??!!?!?? i still wont let her live it down!!!!::

and to be honest, i think they would get more balance and coordination from real trikes, and pedaling, rather then sitting on their bums and scooting fred flinestone style with just their feet.

i say chuck 'em.

now, i do still have two, but my kids much prefer the real trikes, the pedal tractor, and the big wheels, so i'm thinking of getting rid of mine too.

JMO

[Blackcat31]

I have 4 Cozy Coupes, a bus and a pick-up truck and they rarely get played with. They used to be a major source of chaos and fighting but I splurged a year or so ago and bought three of those really heavy duty off-road style tri-cycles and now those are what they fight over while the fleet of Little Tike vehicles sit off to the edge of the yard like old stationwagons that no one wants anymore.

I'll eventually get rid of them but need to save up the $$$ for more tri-cycles since they are in high demand but cost a fortune.

http://outdoorplaytoys.com/dirt-king-tricycle-for-kids?zenid=e09633bb0b82aee5f68c77a8931202a6