This Christmas I was introduced to the wonderful world of friction motorized toys. My favourite one is this little ditty shown above, Penny’s Pooch ‘n’ Ride by WOW! WOW has mastered the use of friction motors. A friction motor powers a toy without the use of batteries. Similar to the old school wind-up Hot Wheels, a friction motor gains momentum through pushing them forward. Then, when you release the toy, they just keep going! And you have no batteries to buy so none to throw away/ recycle.
WOW is a brilliant little company that started in the UK, and because of its genius, it is now sold in 40 countries around the world. They conform to global safety standards, and are PVC free. WOW has created entire lines of toys including ones for boys, girls, bath-time, etc. And they have created different themes, including farm, fantasy, safari, emergency, construction, and holiday (to name only a few), so you are sure to find something for everyone!
Available at most specialty baby stores, or, the WOW website includes a list of global online retailers.
My daughter received a WOW car for her birthday. They are really cool. My son likes to use her car more than his trucks because the friction motor works so well that her car drives father than any of his big trucks.