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The Best Rocking Horse for Your Child

A smiling woman watches a toddler riding a magenta rocking horse outdoors.

A rocking horse is a classic toy made for children. It is shaped like a horse and placed on rockers to mimic the motion of horse riding. Ideal for outdoor playgrounds and indoor playrooms alike, a rocking horse can bring joy to any child’s playtime. We recommend checking out these rocking horses for ultimate fun.

Choosing a Rocking Horse

There are several rocking horse options to choose from for your child. Consider some of these factors when making your purchase:

  • Type: Rocking horses can be manual or mechanical. Both are fun, but you should determine whether the rocker you choose is appropriate for your child’s age.
  • Material: Rocking horses can be made of plastic, wood, or even steel. Comfort and functionality in respect to location (indoors or outdoors) should factor into your decision.
  • Design: Some rocking horses come with plush seating as well as additional accessories and elements, such as bridles and saddles or realistic manes and tails. Consider the level of detail you’d like to have on your rocking horse.

Best Plastic: Little Tikes Rocking Horse

A plastic magenta rocking horse is shown against a white background.

Little Tikes offers a small plastic rocking horse for the youngest riders. The secure seat will keep kids from falling forward or backward, and the rocking horse has easy-grip handles for small palms. It is perfect for indoor and outdoor play and offers a fun color pop for any play space, as it comes in a magenta color.

Best Plastic

Little Tikes Rocking Horse Magenta Small

This rocking horse is ideal for beginner riders.

Best Plush: Animal Adventure Rocker

A plush white rocking unicorn with pink hair and pink accessories is shown against a white background.

This rocking horse is durable and well designed. It is crafted to handle daily use but also offers soft plush fabric for comfortable riding. In addition, it boasts embroidered details and seat accessories, such as a mane, tail, saddle, and bridle to encourage children’s imagination. Suitable for kids aged 3 years and up, this toy can withstand a maximum weight of 75 pounds. It also comes in a safer “joyride” style with a high seat back to accommodate different ages. It comes in many design options like cats, bees, dinosaurs, llamas, and peacocks to meet any child’s preference.

Best Plush

Animal Adventure | Real Wood Ride-On Plush Rocker | White and Pink Unicorn | Perfect for Ages 3+

This rocking horse features soft fabric and a durable base to guarantee hours of fun.

Best Wooden: Labebe Rocking Horse

A white wooden rocking horse is shown against a white background.

The Labebe rocking horse is made of wood to provide a safe, natural, and traditional playing experience. It is sturdy yet not too heavy for small kids to rock. With handrails and footrails, children can rock this wooden horse forward as well as backward steadily. For additional safety, it has a back stopper to keep children from slipping off the end. Best of all, this rocking horse features environmentally safe water-based white paint designed to be easily covered with top paint and customized to express your child’s personality.

Best Premium: Radio Flyer Riding Horse

A mechanical rocking horse with red accessories on an "X" frame is shown against a white background.

Created with a steel, innovative X frame with an easy-to-climb step, this rocking horse offers a mechanical riding option. Using springs that react to the rider’s motions, the horse offers three riding levels, including walking, trotting, and galloping, but it also offers a soft ride, thanks to a deluxe plush coat and padded head. It also stimulates children’s imagination with unique features, including life-like sounds, a comb to encourage pretend grooming, a carrot to encourage pretend feeding (which activates chewing sounds), and a bandana accessory. This rocking horse is appropriate for kids ages 2 to 6 and can hold up to 60 pounds.

Best Premium

Ellie Miller Ellie Miller
Ellie Miller is a full-time copy editor and occasional writer for LifeSavvy’s reviews articles. With years of experience in substantive and copy editing, proofreading, and publishing, she has edited thousands of online articles, as well as memoirs, scientific essays, book chapters, and workplace training documents. She hopes you’ll find some new favorite products here on LifeSavvy like she has. Read Full Bio »
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