The one thing with wheels that every family needs

My 8-year old has been selling Girl Scout cookies out of our plastic Radio Flyer wagon this month. I get a little hit of that delicious pride-of-parenting feeling each time she says, “Have a nice day!” to a customer. But there’s another emotion, too. I feel deep consumer satisfaction from having owned this wagon for ten years and gettingÂ so much use out of it. Everyone needs a wagon, and it’s a perfect first birthday gift.

A one-year-old can climb in and out of it as an activity that might occupy the better part of an afternoon. In and out. In an out.

A willful two-year-old can attempt to pull a favorite doll around. Yes, a doll stroller is more agile, but a wagon is for those who dream big. Like your toddler.

A three-nager who is SO OVER the stroller is more likely to concede to getting in the wagon. I’ve seen many preschoolers riding around the county fair in one with a sun-protection canopyÂ (evenÂ napping on-the-go!).

Foldable wagon of awesome capacity with canopy found here.

When they were little, I definitely put both my kids in the wagon to walk over to a playground. And at 8 and 11, they still tryÂ to convince me to pull them both in it.

Value priced wagon that holds two kids, probably through adolescence.

When I chose a wagon like the blue one above, I wanted a plastic one that would not rust and could be hosed down. It does fit into the trunk of my SUV, but would not be easy to take somewhere in a Prius. My children loved putting items in the storage compartments and climbing out through the door.

Newsflash! A collapsible wagon is the latest trend in wagons, and it’s strong, spacious, and easy to transport. It folds up like a pack-n-play when you pull from the center, and becomes slim, like a stroller. This fits in any trunk.

Costs more-wagon, but carries more, steers better, and stores like a stroller.

BLUE wagon on crazy sale at Amazon>

And it’s not just our family that uses it. Friends borrow our wagon for camping every year — a convenient way to carry a bunch of stuff from the car to a campsite — and our neighborhood association relies on it to deliver items around our block.

For the baby who has everything? Consider a wagon.

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Whitney

RookieMoms.com co-founder Whitney lives with her husband, son, and daughter in the San Francisco Bay Area where she writes about parenting, crafts, and activities that moms can do with babies in tow. She and Heather also publish 510Families.com, a site for East Bay parents.