Help Finding a Good Walking Stroller for an Active Toddler

We found that a great thing to entertain our girl when she was little was so simple. A pair of kids binoculars that we got at Wendy's!!! She still has them and still uses them and she's 6 now. You could also keep her busy with a book that she likes. Keep her in conversation with you about things that you see, birds, flowers, animals. Stroller, go to ksl.com and search the classifieds there. I would find a few strollers that I liked on other websites (online shopping sties) and THEN go to ksl and buy the one you want, gently used and for OH SO MUCH CHEAPER!!! ~V.

I'm a big fan of graco strollers, and I use the quatro tour deluxe. I never got into the joggers since I liked the 'turnability' of the 4-wheelers. It has a large visor to shade from the sun. It's not as lightweight as a travel stroller, but it still is lighter than many others.

On the bike trailers...I like using mine, but my kids end up hot and sticky and miserable when we're done with our ride even if the windows are rolled up. It's not very spacious inside for 2 kids (touching, pushing...) and snacks or drinks never stay put. I much prefer strollers for walks where you want to keep everyone happy for as long as possible.

If you go to babiesrus.com they have customer ratings and comments. I use this for EVERY kid-purchase I make, whether I actually buy it from the store or not.

Good luck!

i have a 3 wheeled jeep stroller. the handle bar is higher than most, so it's nice to jog with. it handles rough terrain no problem, even has bike like wheels and it's own pump. it has a collapsable sun visor, drink holders, base tray, 5 pt harness, and snack tray. i think that covers everything you asked for? i'm actually selling mine, but i don't think it'd be cost effective for shipping.

I have an 18 month old and an eight year old (who also rides his bike along with us). I love my jeep jogging stroller. It has the three wheels (front wheel pivots), snack tray, canopy and little storage compartment bags on the side in addition to the undercarriage basket. It has a stering wheel that beeps or plays music so she entertains herself with that when she's not sleeping because it's super comfy. It also has an outlet to plug in your mp3 and amplify the sound for the baby to hear also which is additional entertainment for her.

We have two boys, 4 and 2, and a newborn, and we love our Joovy Caboose stroller. We're on the trails a lot too and this has worked out great for us. The seat area in front is great for them to sit in, but the infant seat also can attach. The back "caboose" area allows them to either sit or stand, and we've found that we can even have all three kids ride by having one boy stand on the footstand in back while the other sits on the seat in back. It allows them to climb on and off by themselves, which is great for those who like to walk for awhile but then need a break. It has a snack tray, and for about $20 we bought a set that snaps on that includes a water bottle holder, cup holder, two snack cups, and a net for storage. There is also some storage under the back seat area.

I have also found that doing a sort of a scavenger hunt with our kids helps pass the time. We look for flowers of different colors and will let them pick a petal or two to sniff when they find one, we look for butterflies, birds, berries, pinecones, etc. They seem to like it. We also sometimes find an open area along the trail where they can get out and race. They do a couple races along a straight grassy stretch and then climb back on for a "rest" and drink of water.

B.... I am not sure about the best stroller as I have a 2 1/2 yr. old also and will be looking for one too. I work in the education field so I know alot of activities to do with your child that are not only fun but educational too. As you take the long walks you can talk about all of the things that you see. (ex. colors, animals)I do that with my child and he gets excited about the things around him. It also is enhancing his learning for the future.

This past season on PBS's Everyday Edisons, they created a stroller for kids to stand in called a Kineta stroller. It's pretty cool concept. Unfortunately, I don't think it's on the market yet (but I haven't researched it completely). Here's the show link: http://www.everydayedisons.com/karenLynn.html

If you like to take your son on his bike, why not invest in bike trailer? This way the little one can "ride" along. We have a Burley D-lite that I just love. You can strap her in and she can not only have her snack with her, but some books, small toys, stuffed animal, etc. Plus you'd be going faster than you would if you were walking, so that alone may keep her attention or even put her to sleep. She would be fully protected from sun, rain, wind, anything. Any if you buy the srtoller attachment, then you can using it for walking too. You can even fold it up and throw it in the trunk if you want to travel to other trails, etc. Our oldest loved it and we'll be using it this summer for our newest addition. Well worth the investment in my opinion! Good luck to you!

sing kids songs to keep her occupied or play games like i spy . and my almost 3 yr old really surprised me with his bike-riding abilities, he has much more endurance than i thought. give your daughter a chance you might be suprised!

Try the lightweight JEEP stroller at Wal-Mart (or the website). It's about $50 and even comes in pink & gray for the girls!

My 2 year old does better if I put him in a back pack and it gives me a much better workout. For my jogging stroller I use a bike trailer by schwinn, which is the same company as instep. They have some singles that aren't too costly. It doesn't have a snack tray but they can protect from everything. If it is rougher terrain I would get a regular stroller, the jogging strollers don't stear as nice, I use just our regular graco stroller whenever we are on bumpier paths.

I know that every child is different...but we have a really active now 3 year old girl. Our older daughter who is 4 loves her bike...so we got our then 2 1/2 year old a small bike with the training wheels...and she loved it too...almost got better than my older daughter. My husband and I would then jog along side them both. We haven't had a stroller for her since she turned 2. (it turns into some really good naps then when we get home).

I agree with vikki--buy a bike trailer. I had one when my kids were little and I loved it! Mine also converted to a pushing stroller. I used it until my oldest was 7 and youngest was 4, so it is very sturdy.

Also, when they got to the age they were riding a small bike and were too tierd to go further, they could get in the trailer, and I would lay the bike on the bars, and off we would go all of us happy!

I miss those days! Enjoy them, they are gone too fast:(

One thing that usually keeps my 3 year old occupied during long waits or rides is playing "I Spy". It took her a little while to really get the hang of it, but we use it almost every time we are waiting now. I try to keep it simple by using colors and objects that are familiar to her. I started using it one day while she was whining and was surprised at how well it works. It probably works a little better at 3 than 2 1/2, but it could be worth a try!