How to Modify Push Toys for Taller Kids

For developmentally delayed kids, it can be hard to find toys that are both developmentally appropriate and the right size. For example, I wanted to get my almost-5-year-old son a play lawnmower, which developmentally is a good fit for him, but I was having difficulty finding one that would be tall enough. I ended up getting him this Little Tikes lawnmower:

Sure enough, once I assembled it, I found it was indeed too short for my son. So, I decided to do a little DIY project to "extend" the handle.

I went to a hardware store and bought these PVC pipes and connectors....

....plus some black duct tape:

I connected the PVC pipes and connectors....

....and then wrapped the resulting structure with black duct tape:

I then attached the above handle extension to the play lawnmower using more black duct tape, and voila:

Now my son can push his play lawnmower without having to bend over. Bonus: our neighbor's typically developing 6-year-old enjoys pushing it around, too.

This same—or a similar—method could be used to modify other push toys, such as doll strollers and play shopping carts. Of course, you'd want to make sure the modified toy is sturdy enough for your child to push safely.

Here's another photo of my son with his play lawnmower, just for cuteness sake 😊:

revving it up

Thanks for reading!