This article was originally published on WHerMoments
Strollers can be lifesavers for parents. Not only do these magic carriers allow your little one to rest their legs — and probably eat a snack — they can also hold unknown amounts of bags, balls, toys, and other child essentials. But that's not all. No, no. There are literally dozens of secret ways that a stroller can lend you a helping hand. And because it takes a village to raise a child, we've rounded up the best hacks to make the most out of your stroller. You can thank us later.
1. Zip Ties for Traction
It’s hard enough going out for a walk on your own in icy weather. Add a stroller into the mix and the chances of an accident are even higher. Not if you have some zip ties to hand, though.
For a much better grip tie these around the wheels of your stroller and you’re far less likely to send your little one flying.
2. Use Luggage Tags
You might not be planning a trip, heck, you might not even own a suitcase! Yet the trusty luggage tag can still come in handy if you have a little one.
Reduce the chances of your stroller getting mistaken for another by placing a tag with your name on its handlebars. Just don’t put your address or any other confidential information on there, too!
3. Increase Handlebar Grip
Handlebars looking like they’ve seen better days? Well, you don’t need to think about getting a new stroller just yet. Simply buy a handlebar grip and yours will look as good as new.
Opt for a colorful one and your stroller will also be much easier to recognize if you need to leave it somewhere.
4. Get a Stroller Costume
Not every stroller hack has to be a particularly practical one, of course. This one, for example, is purely about making your walk just that little bit more fun.
Yes, if you and your little one share a cheeky sense of humor, then why not get a costume to drape around your stroller?
5. Stop Your Stroller From Tipping
Hit the supermarket a little too hard and now have bundles of shopping to take home with you?
Then you may run the risk of toppling your stroller over if you attach too many bags to the handlebars. An easy solution for this is to wrap its legs with some ankle weights.
6. Cool down with a fan
The weather can be one of the biggest obstacles when it comes to taking your little one out for some fresh air. If it’s baking hot outside then it will be baking hot inside the stroller.
But there’s an easy way to cool your tot down: simply install a fan of the battery-operated kind to the front.
7. Protect It With a Bike Lock
You don’t need a BMX or any other kind of cycle to make use of a bike lock.
They can also come in handy to ensure that your stroller doesn’t get thieved by an opportunist. Just make sure you don’t forget the number if you get the combination kind.
8. Plant a Flag in Your Stroller
Leaving your stroller behind while you head into the playground? Make sure yours truly stands out from the crowd by planting a flag at the top of its canopy.
You could go patriotic by opting for the Stars and Stripes kind, or you could go for a novelty one if you want to show off your sense of humor.
9. Avoid spillages with an elastic leash
So you’ve poured some juice into a sippy cup, which will at least ensure that your tot doesn’t cause a spillage on your stroller journey. But how can you stop them from throwing the cup to the ground?
Well, all you need to do is attach an elastic leash to said cup and you never have to worry about losing it ever again.
10. Protect It With a Pool Noodle
Who knew that one of the staples of a fun swimming party could also be useful when it comes to the stroller?
Yes, the pool noodle can be used to protect your little one if they enjoy leaning on your baby carrier’s poles. Just make sure the noodle has dried out first.
11. Attach Your Stroller to a Door Hook
Strollers can be cumbersome things. And if space is at a minimum in your home they can be a nightmare to store. But there’s a way to avoid it clogging up your hallway.
Place a hook of the strong and solid type on your front door and suddenly you’ll find yourself with plenty of room to spare!
12. Use a Cooling Pad
If you don’t want to fork out for a battery-operated fan, then there’s a much cheaper way to keep your little one cool in the summer months.
All you need to do is place a cooling pad on your stroller’s seat. You can also use an ice pack, although be aware that these will eventually melt.
13. Install a Toy Bar
So you’ve thought of how to keep your kid cool/warm, fed and watered, and most importantly of all, safe. But how do you keep them occupied during a lengthy walk?
Keep those tears of boredom at bay by installing a bar at the front of your stroller which dangles their favorite small toys.
14. Get Color-Coordinated
Some strollers appear to require a degree in physics to construct properly. To make the task of folding and unfolding yours that little less arduous, then, write yourself a step-by-step guide on different colored stickers.
Then place these on your stroller so that you always have the instructions to hand.
15. Create Extra Shopping Space
Hitting the supermarket with a stroller in tow can make for a difficult consumer experience. You certainly can’t push a shopping cart at the same time, that’s for sure.
But there’s a handy way you can make sure you head to the checkout with all the items you wanted. Simply place a carabiner on your stroller’s handlebars and the amount you can take home with you will increase ten-fold.
16. Use a clip-on umbrella
There’s nothing worse than being halfway through a walk when the heavens open out of nowhere.
Make sure you and your little one don’t go home soaked to the bone by attaching a clip-on umbrella to your stroller. This can also help protect your tot from any major gusts of wind.
17. Get a Drinks Holder
It’s always a good idea to take some fluids out for both yourself and your tot when heading out on a walk. But how do you store your drinks of choice safely without spilling them all over the place?
Well, instead of placing the containers in the basket underneath your stroller, buy a holder specifically for that task.
18. Make yourself visible with reflective tape
This is a particularly useful tip for when the nights start drawing in.
Yes, if you can only go out for a walk with your tot during the evenings in the winter then you need to make sure that any nearby drivers and passers-by can see you coming. Just mark your stroller with some reflective tape and you’ll feel much safer navigating the dark.
19. Extend Your Handles With PVC Pipe
You don’t need to bin your existing stroller if the handles aren’t long enough: as long as you don’t mind a trip to the hardware store and a bit of DIY, anyway.
With the aid of some elbow joints and PVC piping you can quite easily fashion an extension.
20. Convert It Into a Shopping Basket
You don’t need to get rid of your stroller once your children are old enough to walk themselves. Yes, you can repurpose what you already have in a number of ways.
One such idea is to turn your stroller into a makeshift shopping cart by stripping it down to its bare bones and then attaching some baskets.
21. Use a Head Strap
It’s easy enough to prevent your little one’s head from flopping around while you’re carrying them in your arms; less so when you’re ferrying them around in a stroller.
But a failsafe way to avoid any moving from side to side is to position a head strap that keeps your tot’s skull firmly in place.
22. Make a sunshade with binder clips
You’re far more inclined to head out for a walk with your tot when the sun is shining. But the good weather can cause just as many problems as the bad, of course.
To further protect your little one from the glare of the sunlight, attach a breathable blanket with clothes pegs or binder clips to your stroller’s canopy.
23. Convert to a Jogging Stroller
Having the time to fit in any workouts when you’re the parent of a young one is almost impossible. But this handy life hack essentially kills two birds with one stone.
Convert your stroller to a jogging one with some relatively simple DIY and you can combine childcare and exercise with ease.
24. Use a Cell Phone Holder
Okay, so you’ve got somewhere to store your beloved mobile phone. But how about making it easier to use while you’re taking your tot out for a walk?
Attach a holder specifically for the device to your handlebars and you can walk and talk like you’re in a prestige TV drama.
25. Provide Snacks
No matter how hard you try to stick to particular meal times, your little ones are still likely to get hungry in-between. And they will sure let you know about it, too.
Install a snack tray at the front of your stroller to reduce the chance of any food-based tantrums.
26. Protect Your Wheels With Shower Caps
If you’ve been out and about with your stroller in the rain or mud then the last thing you want to do is traipse all the dirt into your home or car.
To avoid spreading muck where it’s not wanted, simply repurpose your shower caps. Place them over the stroller’s wheels and your interiors will stay as clean as they were before.
27. Provide Extra Comfort With a Buggy Board
If you’re heading out into the open with both a baby and a toddler then this tip can be a godsend. Attach a buggy board to your stroller and both can be wheeled around.
Its easy access means that your older kid can choose to use their feet, too, whenever they like.
28. Add Colorful Lights for Extra Safety
Simple reflective tape not razzamatazz enough for you? Then there’s a far more colorful way to ensure you and your little one can be clearly seen when out in the dark.
Adorn your stroller with some dazzling lights and your evening stroll will soon start to resemble a moving disco!
29. Use Bungee Cord to Store It
Unless you happen to like throwing yourself off bridges on a regular basis it’s unlikely that you’ll have this particular stroller accessory in your house. But bungee cords are relatively cheap to buy.
And they can be a valuable tool when you need to store your stroller in the backseat of your vehicle.
30. Create Your Own Buggy Board
Thinking of adding a buggy board to your stroller, but having trouble finding one that’s compatible with your existing model? Well, fear not: you don’t have to miss out!
If you’re something of a handyman or a handywoman then you can always make your own by following some simple DIY guidelines.
31. Install a Tablet Holder
There’s no greater sign that we’re in the midst of a technological revolution than the baby tablet. Yes, even those who haven’t even started kindergarten yet are now able to navigate a computer screen.
And to keep them entertained on a long walk, why not install a tablet holder? Then they can watch their YouTube favorites to their little hearts’ content!
32. Attach a Skateboard
Who knows, maybe this is how the legendary Tony Hawk first got the extreme sports bug?
If you want to make your stroll that little more adventurous for your young ones, then why not fit a skateboard to the underside of your stroller? This will not only keep them amused but will also boost their fitness levels!
33. Convert to a Double Stroller
Have two little ones under the age of four that you need to head into the outdoors with? Well, you don’t necessarily need to buy a special double stroller to suit your needs.
You can make do instead by attaching a couple of lightweight strollers together with some simple connectors.
34. Make Your Own Parent Tray
If your stroller of choice doesn’t already come complete with a parent tray, then you don’t have to make do without. With just some simple fabrics and a few Velcro straps you can make your own.
You can then keep everything from your phone and keys to money and lip balm in one convenient place.
35. Install a phone carrier
No doubt that all your pockets are stuffed with wet wipes, snacks, and all kinds of babycare accessories whenever you head out for a walk.
So where do you store the device that not only keeps you connected in the case of an emergency, but can capture the moment for posterity, too? Well, all you need to do is attach a mobile phone carrier to your stroller and you’ll be reachable and photo-ready throughout.
36. Tie a Scarf Around Your Stroller
If flags, colored stickers, or costumes aren’t for you, then there’s another way that you can make your stroller easily identifiable — and it’s probably the classiest way, too. Simply place a scarf around the handle of the stroller.
Just make sure that if you’re heading out in the winter months to take another one to actually wear!
37. Make Use of IKEA Bags
Alongside the meatballs, one of the best things about going to IKEA is taking home one of those giant blue bags that looks like it could fit practically the whole store in.
And you can make use of it while out walking with your tots, too. Place it on your handlebars and you instantly have extra storage for all your babycare needs.
38. Use a Comfort Cushion
The good old comfort cushion can be a godsend for us whenever we’re taking a long-haul flight. And it can also serve a similar purpose for a short stroll.
Place the cushion behind your little one’s head and they will have extra support for whenever you’re walking across any bumps.
39. Create Your Own Drink-Holders
Strollers aren’t exactly inexpensive items. So if you don’t want to spend any more money on babycare accessories, then why not make your own drink-holders instead of buying them?
If you already have a shoe organizer, then simply cut it to the required size and attach the handlebars of your stroller to it using zip ties.
40. Install Bug Nets
Making the most of the glorious weather and taking your little one out for a stroll? You might have thought of the sun cream and the portable fan. But what about the bug spray?
Well, you won’t need any if you cover the front of your stroller with a mesh bug net.