Little Tikes made a ride-on truck from 100% recycled materials — it includes accessories that inspire my kids to engage with nature

• Toys made from recycled materials are gaining popularity with parents and kids.
• With the eco-friendly Go Green! Cozy Truck with Trailer from Little Tikes, my kids are enjoying the same easy usability and fun design I did in the original red and yellow Cozy Coupe.
• The ride-on toy is made from 100% recycled materials and includes accessories that inspire kids to engage with nature.

My kids are 5 and almost 2 years old, which in some ways means they are worlds apart: Their communication skills are wildly different, as are their literary interests and how well they use silverware. Playing outdoors, however, is a great equalizer. They make up games at the water table, they love racing on their scooters, and now they play together with the Go Green! Cozy Truck with Trailer from Little Tikes. The company sent us a complimentary sample to test for this review.

Made in the US from 100% recycled materials (including the packaging), the Go Green! Truck with Trailer is the perfect opportunity to introduce my kids to earth-friendly habits through play. Plus, I love that this is an updated version of the classic automobile of my childhood, the red and yellow Cozy Coupe.

Design and specs

The bulk of the truck is a lot like what you remember from the car of your childhood. It includes a door on one side that actually latches, a seat that's the perfect size for toddler tushies, and two front wheels that can spin all the way around for little ones to maneuver it around more easily. This is no easy feat considering that, with trailer included, the whole thing clocks in at 28 pounds.

One major difference is the color. Instead of the classic red and yellow, the truck is shades of green. Additionally, it boasts a removable floorboard (more on this later), a shovel and rake that hook onto the sides, a drop-down tailgate, and of course, the detachable trailer.

What it's like to use

The thing that stands out the most when using the truck is how well it is designed for one of kids' top five favorite things: carrying other things around. Between the built-in cup holders, the small trunk, and the detachable trailer, the possibilities are practically endless. Further, the truck itself holds two tools on either side: a shovel and rake. The truck and trailer would be particularly cute if you do garden work and your little one has been itching to help.

We pushed ours a block or so to a local park recently to help my 5-year-old find leaves and flowers for a nature-based self-portrait for school. She was delighted to have so many options for carrying the supplies back to our home.

Also important is the flexibility offered by the removable floorboard. This provides two options for transporting the vehicle: Your older child pushing it on their own with their feet on the ground, a la Fred Flintstone, or installing the floorboard so your younger child can be moved around with their feet safely tucked in the truck.

The handle incorporated into the top of the truck allows those tall enough to do the pushing. This detail is particularly important since the truck is meant for the wide age range of 18 months to 5 years. Pro tip: It seems like letting your big kid push the littler would let you reap the benefits of someone else doing the work for you, but I would only recommend this if you have no interest in reaching your destination.

What makes it stand out

The truck and trailer are made from 100% recycled materials, and the whole thing can be recycled itself. It also comes with a handful of stickers that add to the experience for your little ones: adorable headlights, taillights, dashboard details, and more.

Plus, my kids really are able to use it on their own when they want. Even if they're in a spot where it's tricky to push, like on grass, there are lots of scenarios readily available for a stationary vehicle. My kids have pretended to be stuck in traffic multiple times and used the trailer to collect flowers and recyclables.

The cons

Unfortunately, another item on the list of top kids' favorite activities is sitting on something they're not really supposed to. In addition to the main car seat, there are multiple places for kids to attempt to sit, such as on the roof, dangling from the tailgate, and in the trailer. This serves more as a PSA than pointing blame at the manufacturer.

In the same vein, I could not recommend this truck to a fellow city dweller. We are beyond lucky to have a garage and driveway at our disposal so we at least have access to places to drive and park it. But it is bulky and loud and the times we have worked up the nerve to push it to a nearby park, it attracted a lot of unwanted attention.

The bottom line

If you have space and your kid loves carting things around (of course they do), then this is a great purchase to encourage their hobbies and support the environment. If you don't have space but are still interested in helping your kid carry dirt and things from one place to another, consider something smaller like a wagon. The Step2 Wagon also has a little door, cupholders, and an option for an add-on trailer (sold separately). It's also a little less expensive.

Pros: Great for imaginative play, encourages kids to choose environmentally conscious activities like gardening, gathering, or just stopping to smell the flowers.

Cons: Bulky, loud, may be difficult to store