Pop Up Bus

People on the Bus Go Up and Down

Do you need a good gift for a first birthday? I’ve given this Pop Up Bus toy to young toddlers for many years and it delights kids and parents alike. We received one for my eldest child’s first birthday, and he loved it so much we immediately bought a second one and gifted it to a friend.

The wooden bus has four holes for seats. Each seat holds one wooden stick person painted a different color. You push down on the person once they sit in the holes, and a spring causes them to pop up into the air and out of the bus. My kids couldn’t stop laughing about it. I spent hours watching them entertain themselves because their pure delight enthralled me. It can be used a vehicle to drive around as well, though we never got further than loading and unloading it.

My eldest chewed several of the people, and the dog did his part as well, so we eventually only had three people left. By the time my daughter turned one, they had a sportier bus version. It came upgraded from the standard box shape with stripes matching the stick people that pop up, and we used the old people with the new bus in addition to the included ones. That meant I rarely had to go hunting for any missing people who had rolled under furniture or been stashed away by the dog, who mistook all wooden toys for chew sticks.

They eventually outgrew the joy after they mastered popping the people and putting them back in, but I’ve never forgotten how much they loved it. The current design has new colors and more detailing on the turning wheels.