Vtech First Steps Baby Walker Review: A Toddler Tells
They call him Baby Boss for good reason – this 13-month-old toddler means business, especially when it comes to reviewing toys.
So what did Louis think of the VTech First Steps Baby Walker? Check out his ‘bells and whistles’ review. Ready, set, GO!
The product
VTech First Steps Baby Walker, $69.95
Best ages
6 to 30 Months
The road-tester
Louis, 13 months.
The nuts and bolts
The First Steps Baby Walker has already scored top prize at the Australian Toy Association Awards, scooping ‘2018 Infant/Pre-school Toy of the Year Award’. It’s a ripper buy – as you’ll see from Louis’ review below.
The mother company: about VTech If you don’t know much about VTech (you will by baby number two!), here’s the short version. VTech are renown for inventing top-quality age-appropriate and developmental stage-based electronic learning products for children. They’re like, the ‘Willy Wonka’ of toys! Parents trust the brand because they know the toys they’re investing in for the littlies are not only safe, but they are fun, engaging, entertaining, and they nurture their children’s love of learning, foster their creativity and imagination and encourage curiosity.
Mum says
You know how every mum discovers one incredible toy at each key developmental stage that they tell every other parent on the planet to go and buy for their baby too? This is THAT toy. The baby walker. And an award-winning baby walker, at that! So we were pretty excited when Louis was invited to roadtest and review it. He’s just the wee-man for the job.
Boss baby’s developmental milestones
At 13 months old, Louis can launch upwards from sitting position to standing independently, and stay standing for around a minute. He’s also adept at cruising the furniture. He will side-step and hand-crab-crawl sideaways along anything – dishwasher, lounge, sliding doors – his preference is to have grubby hands while doing it and leave a trail of leftover lunch as evidence. But will he take a step independently? Nope. I try to encourage him to hold my hand, walk front facing with me, walk side by side, but no, he just isn’t ready for that.
"Oooh what is this? A little chicken! And this? YES! It's the new mobile phone!" Because every toddler needs their own mobile!
The unwrapping
When we unpackaged the First Steps Baby Walker we thought we’d hit the jackpot in addressing his first steps fears and needs. Now, instead of walking the perimeters, he can go anywhere! And he did!
The second we assembled it – which took 5 minutes – Louis literally stood up, gripped on to the handle and off he went aided by the baby walker. He was no longer limted to being a pawn on a chessboard, skirting the perimeter one move at a time. He was a Queen! A horse! A bishop! He could go in any direction he wanted to!
Now, it should be known that the ‘walker’ is actually just one (albeit, major) component of this toy. It’s actually a 2-in-1. So it can be pushed by a child who is learning to walk, but also, the front panel detaches and can be used for sit down play – which is great for younger babies from 6 months. Louis gets double bang for his buck. He loves playing with the front panel as well as using it as a walker.
First Steps Baby Walker developmental benefits include: Motor Skills • Manipulative features strengthen motor skills. • Walker encourages first steps. Language Development • Introduction to animals, colours, shapes and sounds stimulates verbal imitation. Discovery & Exploration • Variety of interactive features encourage discovery. • Playful phrases, songs, sounds and melodies help develop your child’s imagination.
Boss baby (aka: Louis) says:
OK, he didn’t really say that – mummy did. But if Louis could talk, he’d be singing the praises of his new found freedom courtesy of the First Steps Baby Walker, and how it’s brought him from furniture crawling to cross-country (ok, cross-loungeroom) diagonally at lightning speed.
The bells and whistles
The detachable house-shaped front panel features a load of whizz-bang activities, each with an educational and learning spin to them. Louis’ favourite is the detachable mobile phone. He actually puts it next to his ear to listen, role-playing mummy and her familiar daily tune, ‘has anyone seen my phone?!’
His second fave is the roller (centre bottom, front panel). He sits in front of the walker (after making his daily step count!) and just loves spinning that roller, watching the pattern and listening to the little beads inside.
The flashing numbers and buttons along the top of the panel are another hit, which, when he presses them, launch into song and light up like a grade 3 disco in the school hall.
Surprisingly, he’s also enthralled by the little door that opens and closes, too. So simple. Such a great example of cause and effect and how engaging a simple learning concept can be.
Similarly, the shape sorters are also a hit. He loves popping each shape back into its rightful space.
As a parent, it is so heartwarming to watch him learn these seemingly simple tasks that we as adults take for granted. All in all there’s 10 activities ready to launch, entertain and educate your little one. They will love it!
"What do you mean it's only 6am? I have places to go! People to see! Play dates to attend!" Louis has his transport ready to rock and roll...
The verdict
If, like my little one, your baby is soooooo close to walking but just can’t quite work out the sequential order of steps, get a First Steps Baby Walker. In fact, babies from 6 months will benefit from this – so get your bang for your buck and get one early. Louis has only been road-testing this for two weeks and absolutely loves it. It’s the first toy he beelines for each day (at 6am!).
Want more information?
The VTech First Steps Baby Walker, $69.95, is an award winning 2-in-1 walking and activity centre. The house-shaped activity panel encourages independent play and first words, while the textured wheels, easy grip handle and durable design, give babies the support they need to take their first steps.
The fun-filled activity panel has more than 10 different activities to capture baby’s attention, including bright light up number buttons, moving gears, shape sorters, a wobbling bird, opening door and rollers, or pick up the phone for role-play fun. The activity panel can also be removed from the walker for extra sit-down play. With lots of exciting activities, cheerful music and friendly phrases, little ones will be introduced to numbers, shapes, animals and colours. And when they’re on the go, motion sensor triggers music and lights, encouraging those first steps
The First Steps Baby Walker is suitable for babies from 6-30 months, and available from September from Target, Big W, good toy stores and online retailers. $69.95
Visit VTech First Steps Baby Walker or VTech for the full range of educational and learning toys for babies, toddlers and children.
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Franki Hobson is a women’s lifestyle journalist and editor with more than twenty years’ experience. Her areas of expertise include parenting and health and well-being. Franki has two gorgeous boys, Maxwell, 10, and Louis, 1 ½.
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