A few weeks ago, I was asked if we'd like to discover The Original Didicar, described as "a unique, self propelled ride-on toy for children of all ages". I couldn't actually see what was so different to all the other ride-on cars on the market so I kept on reading : "Simply turning the steering wheel left and right moves the Didicar. There is no need for pedals, motors, batteries or greasy chains. It's a magical little (big) car that fuels the imagination while helping children keep fit and have fun.". Ooh, I liked the sound of that - especially as it says that it is designed for kids of all ages and that even adults can have a go too ! Even better !
When it arrived, I did have to call on Madhouse Daddy because there is a bit of assembly required. It's simple enough to know what goes where but you need quite a lot of strength to fit the steering column into place. A few minutes later - well OK, half an hour and a few choice words later actually ! - it was ready for a test run.
Pierre started off, instinctively using his feet to scoot it around the car park. Even if that's not what it's really designed for, he had great fun and managed to go quite fast, whizzing around corners by tilting his weight. I was impressed at how stable it was and how smoothly it rides.
Juliette was the first one to use it properly, demonstrating that with a bit of manic arm wiggling, you can go from static to quite fast without ever putting your feet on the floor. You do need a flat surface for this to work, but she manages to ride around the dining room table on our laminate flooring or outside on the big car park opposite our house. According to the instructions, you should be able to reach a top speed of about 6 miles per hour which is quite fast ! To achieve this dizzying speed, they tell you to "lean slightly forward over the steering wheel and use your whole upper body when you turn the steering wheel and not just your arms". This gives you quite a good work out and makes it much more energetic and active than all the other ride-on toys out there.
It wasn't long before the grown-ups wanted a go too ! Even if you do look quite undignified because you have your knees up around your ears, it is great fun and had us all giggling like loonies ! The Didicar can take weight up to 120kg so there's no reason at all why you shouldn't have a go. This means that two children or even one adult and a child (if your bum fits !) can ride together - this solves a lot of arguments if you have more than one child and they both want a go at the same time (and they will, trust me !).
It's certainly the only ride on toy that we've ever owned that the adults have had a go on and I love the fact that it's a toy that the kids won't grow out of for years to come, if ever. It's a great way of getting them off their backsides and burning off some energy, whatever the weather.
Didicars come in a range of bright colours and there are also sticker packs available which enable you to customise them. The Madhouse Mini-testers call their Didicar "the helicopter" but there are also stickers to turn it into anything from a racing car to a princess carriage, rocket or bug !
star rating : 5/5
RRP : £49.95 (but they have a summer discount on their website - £44.95 with free delivery and a free sticker pack)
for more information : http://www.didicar.co.uk/
Disclosure : We received the product in order to write an honest review.
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