The 7 Best Lawn Mowers For Kids
Updated by · How we research
The Little Tikes Gas 'n Go needs no batteries and leads seven toy lawn mowers for toddlers, weighed on age fit, sounds, bubbles and how long they hold up. When users buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
No toy mower cuts anything, and the ones that last tend to be the plainest, since push-powered sounds and popping beads have nothing to burn out. This page is for parents and grandparents shopping for a child from about one to five, and it ends with the ages at which kids can safely help with a real mower.
From the manual
- An adult has to put it together, and the sheet grades it for children from 18 months. p. 1
- The one-year warranty needs a dated receipt and holds only if the mower was assembled and maintained per the instructions. p. 1
- Bought for a daycare or other commercial use, the warranty drops to three months. p. 1
- Fading and scratches from normal wear aren't covered, and the maker chooses between replacing the part or the whole toy. p. 1
Why the Little Tikes Gas 'n Go is our top pick
Our pick needs no batteries and carries a longer warranty than our runner-up, the Husqvarna HU800 AWD Toy. Its sounds come from a pull cord, a clicking key and beads that pop as it rolls, so there's no circuit to fail and no cells to buy.1 Its maker warrants it for one year from purchase.2 The runner-up takes three AA batteries that aren't in the box, and its dealer listing gives a 90-day warranty.4
Our pick is also graded for younger children, from 18 months against two years for the runner-up,1,3 though one reviewer found its handle tall for the smallest toddlers.5 The HU800 does show off better: its engine lights up when the starter knob is pulled, and an on-off button quiets it between turns.3 For a child who wants lights and a real brand's look, that's the one to get. For a toy that never needs fresh batteries and has a year of cover behind it, ours wins.
| Little Tikes Gas 'n Go | Husqvarna HU800 AWD Toy | |
|---|---|---|
| Power | None, sounds are mechanical | Three AA, not included |
| Maker's age grade | 18 months and up | 2 years and up |
| Warranty | 1 year, dated receipt | 90 days (dealer listing) |
| Lights | None | Engine lights up |
Sources
- Little Tikes Gas 'n Go 1Product page 2Instruction sheet with warranty (PDF), p. 1
- Husqvarna HU800 AWD Toy 3Toy mower page 4American Power Equipment dealer listing
- 5Mother & Baby: Little Tikes lawnmower review
From the manual
- It carries a pinch-hazard warning: always lock it in play mode before a child uses it. p. 7
- Rated for children up to 42 pounds and no older than three; the manual also says to keep them away from real tractors and mowers. p. 7
- Keep it out of rain and off wet grass: the manual says not to expose it to moisture or water. p. 24
- VTech's warranty runs three months and excludes batteries, battery leakage and damage from immersion in water. warranty policy
Editor's Notes
November 5, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Editors:
This pass read the Little Tikes instruction sheet and VTech's manual, added notes from both and a section on why the Gas 'n Go leads, and searched CPSC and Health Canada recall records again, with no toy mower recall found. We corrected the battery size given for the Husqvarna in the 2020 note, added an update to that note's line on the John Deere Real Sounds mower, which is back on the list, and fixed the line that called Maxx Bubbles a bubble-solution company.
October 23, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Editors:
The Little Tikes Gas 'n Go stays on top. It needs no batteries, so there's nothing electronic to wear out. The rest of the old list had drifted. The Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn, Fisher-Price Bubble Mower, Melissa & Doug Snappy Turtle and Small Foot Wooden Toys Playset aren't sold new anymore as far as we can tell, the Craftsman My First Garden Set was a garden tool set built around a toy mower, and the Peg Perego John Deere Ground Force was a powered ride-on. The Husqvarna Toy Mower is still here as the Husqvarna HU800 AWD Toy, now on its own instead of in a pricey three-piece set.
New are the VTech Get Growing Tractor for one-year-olds, the Tomy John Deere Electronic, the CT Sports XT-30018 and two bubble mowers. Nobody runs lab tests on toy mowers, so we weighed each maker's age grade and battery needs against years of parent reports about what snaps or stops working, and searched federal recall records for every brand. None turned up a toy mower recall.
Earlier notes
July 27, 2020, by Karen Bennett:
These lawn mowers for kids can provide a fun way for youngsters to imitate Mom or Dad, and many feature eye-catching colors, realistic noises, and sturdy handles that help young toddlers who are learning to walk. Like sandboxes and toy gardening kits, these outdoor toys are good for hours of backyard fun and can often be passed on from sibling to sibling. In today’s update, we added the Craftsman My First Garden Set to the list, and this all-inclusive kit includes not just a lawn mower, but also a wheelbarrow, a watering can, and five additional small and large tools. They’re made with the brand’s signature red and black colors, with firm handles to provide a comfortable grip. The German-designed Small Foot Wooden Toys Playset also joins the selection. It sports a height-adjustable handle and a pretend motor that comprises five components that kids can have fun stacking and disassembling. It’s made with safety in mind, thanks to smooth rounded edges and nontoxic water-based paint. Today the John Deere Real Sounds leaves the list, as it contains small parts and is therefore not intended for children younger than age three. [2026 update: the same toy, model 35060, is back on the list as the Tomy John Deere Electronic; John Deere's 2019 toy catalogue grades it for ages 2 and up, while some stores list it at 3 and up.]
The Little Tikes Gas 'n Go retains its top spot in this update, thanks to its bright and cheerful primary colors, as well as the variety of fun engine sounds it can make when youngsters pull the cord. It’s equipped with a pretend gas can that stores onboard and is easy for little hands to remove when it’s time for an imaginary fill-up. For another noise-making selection, consider the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn, which emits songs, sounds, and phrases that can be adjusted as little ones mature. It can help teach numbers and counting, and plays more than 30 sounds in total. For one of the most realistic-looking choices around, look to the Husqvarna Toy Mower, which is based on a real-life model available from the brand. It runs on three AAA batteries and features engine sounds and lights. [2026 update: the Husqvarna toy mower takes three AA batteries, not AAA.] Our list wouldn’t be complete without the classic Fisher-Price Bubble Mower, which emits bubbles as kids push it along. A mechanical motor spins and makes noise as you go, so it sounds like the motor on Mom and Dad’s lawn mower.
March 26, 2019, by Melissa Harr:
When it comes to toy mowers, it's tough to beat the Little Tikes Gas 'n Go, for several reasons. For one thing, the popping beads are attention-grabbing, and for another, it's sized well and is relatively realistic. It does have one drawback, however: it doesn't perform well in thick grass. This problem is actually common to most models, as they're designed with stability in mind, which means low wheels. If you'd like something that offers rugged performance over varied terrain, the Peg Perego John Deere Ground Force is perhaps the better choice, although it's certainly not inexpensive. But it does offer quite a bit of functionality for the cost, including a reverse option and a lockout that makes the top speed inaccessible, if need be. Finally, we selected a bubble mower option from Fisher-Price. It's cute but can spill, so this one is best for the patient parent.
Match The Mower To The Child's Age
Every toy here is graded by its maker, and the grade matters more than the color.
Every toy here is graded by its maker, and the grade matters more than the color. Most push mowers are made for ages two to four, when a child walks steadily and can reach the handle. The Little Tikes Gas 'n Go starts at 18 months, though one reviewer found the handle tall for younger toddlers (Mother & Baby). For a one-year-old, a ride-on that converts to a push mower later, like the VTech Get Growing Tractor, fits better. VTech grades its mower mode from 24 months and warns that the toy isn't a walker.
Toys meant for children under three can't contain small parts that fit a choking-test cylinder, under a federal rule (CPSC: small parts). Toys sold in the U.S. must also meet the ASTM F963 toy safety standard and carry a certificate from the maker (CPSC: toy safety). The same toy can carry different grades at different stores: John Deere's own toy catalogue grades the Tomy John Deere Electronic for two and up, one U.S. farm store lists it at three and up, and the bubble mowers vary the same way. Go by the grade printed on the box, and keep a three-and-up toy away from a younger sibling.
Batteries, Bubbles Or Neither
Toy mowers fall into three groups. Mechanical ones, like the Little Tikes Gas 'n Go and the CT Sports XT-30018, make their noise with gears, beads and a pull cord. With no circuit board, there's little to break beyond the plastic, so they tend to last longer.
Electronic mowers, like the Husqvarna HU800 AWD Toy and the Tomy John Deere Electronic, add lights, engine sounds and a voice. They run on AA batteries, which aren't always included. Look for a compartment closed with a screw, and keep spare cells away from small children.
Bubble mowers blow bubbles as they roll. Push-powered ones, like the John Deere Bubble Mower and the Maxx Bubbles Bubble-N-Go, need no batteries but do need solution, and spills make hard floors slippery. They're the most fragile group: wands clog, wheels crack and output fades, especially on cheap unbranded models. Treat them as outdoor summer toys, and rinse the tank after use so the solution doesn't gum up the works.
When Kids Can Help With A Real Mower
A toy mower is the right way for a toddler to join in. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that children be at least 12 before using a walk-behind power mower and 16 before driving a riding mower, and only once they show the judgment and strength the job takes. Children should never ride along as passengers on a riding mower or garden tractor (HealthyChildren.org: lawnmower safety).
Dale Jarka, MD, of the orthopaedic surgery section at Children's Mercy Kansas City, said in a June 2015 hospital article that many accidents involving children happen when they "fall off a riding mower while sitting on grandpa's lap." The same article singles out a store ad that showed a boy with a toy mower following close behind a man pushing a power mower (Children's Mercy: lawn mower safety). So while an adult mows, keep little ones indoors or well away from the yard, and pick up toys, sticks and stones first, since a blade can throw them. A toy mower belongs on a lawn that isn't being cut, never behind a running machine.
How we researched this
We compared about 20 toy lawn mowers and kept seven, reading Little Tikes' Gas 'n Go instruction sheet, the one linked from its product page, and VTech's 27-page Get Growing Tractor & Mower Ride-On manual, plus VTech's warranty policy, Husqvarna's toy mower page and John Deere's 2019 Australian toy catalogue for the Tomy mower; the CT Sports and both bubble mowers have no maker documents online, so they rest on store listings and owner reports. Safety guidance comes from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the CPSC's small-parts and toy-safety rules. A search of the CPSC and Health Canada recall databases on Nov. 5, 2026, by brand and for toy and bubble mowers, found no toy mower recall; the Little Tikes, VTech and Tomy recalls on file are for other products.
Sources (14)
- Gas 'n Go Mower product page
- Gas 'n Go Mower instruction sheet (PDF)
- Get Growing Tractor & Mower Ride-On product page
- Get Growing Tractor & Mower Ride-On manual (PDF)
- Warranty policy
- Toy Lawnmower product page
- 2019 Australian toy catalogue (PDF)
- Mother & Baby: Little Tikes lawnmower review
- CPSC: small parts for toys
- CPSC: toy safety
- HealthyChildren.org (AAP): lawnmower safety
- CPSC recalls database
- Children's Mercy Kansas City: lawn mower injuries and safety tips
- Health Canada recalls and safety alerts
Frequently asked questions
Do toy lawn mowers cut grass?
No. None of these has a blade. Some make it look like cutting, with spinning plastic grass or a clippings window, but they're pretend toys and safe to push over a lawn.
What age is a toy lawn mower for?
Most are graded for ages two to four. The Little Tikes Gas 'n Go starts at 18 months, and the VTech Get Growing Tractor starts at 12 months as a ride-on before it becomes a push mower.
Do toy mowers need batteries?
Some do. The Little Tikes, CT Sports and both bubble mowers here are push-powered. The Husqvarna and Tomy mowers need batteries for their lights and sounds, and the VTech takes two AA cells.
Can a bubble mower be used indoors?
It can, but spilled solution makes hard floors slippery and leaves a film. Most parents keep bubble mowers outside and use a battery-free sound mower indoors.
At what age can a child use a real lawn mower?
The American Academy of Pediatrics says at least 12 for a walk-behind mower and 16 for a riding mower, and never as a passenger. Younger children should stay well away while someone mows.
