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View Full Version : How can I get all 5 kids out for a walk?



Marie
03-14-2012, 12:48 PM
Now that it's getting so much nicer out, I am wanting to go for walks with my group. My problem is I'm not sure how to get them all out by myself. I have a 3.5 month old who needs to be in an infant car seat attached to a stroller, a 20 month old, a 21 month old, a 14 month old (doesn't walk) and a 4 year old. If anyone knows of some sort of stroller or something to get all kids out that would be great! The 4 year old can walk but the others would tire quickly. And the 14 month old doesn't walk yet so she would need to be sitting also. I'm hoping to find something that's not way too heavy to push or pull and also not crazy expensive.

Sandbox Sally
03-14-2012, 12:56 PM
Foundation squad will take your carseat and the other three little ones, and the 4yo can walk :)

Marie
03-14-2012, 12:58 PM
Thanks Alphaghetti! I've never heard of this so I'll have to Google it. :)

Marie
03-14-2012, 12:59 PM
Foundation squad will take your carseat and the other three little ones, and the 4yo can walk :)

Do you know who makes this? When I google it all I see is athletic teams of some sort.

Marie
03-14-2012, 01:01 PM
Found it! :)

Cocoon
03-14-2012, 01:06 PM
It is actually, Foundation quad :) Here is the link http://www.foundations.com/quad-stroller.html

jec
03-14-2012, 01:12 PM
I have my Choo Choo and love it. The older kids yell out 'chugga chugga choo choo' as we go by people. Each kid has their own seat with seat belt.
http://www.step2.com/p/Choo-Choo-Wagon

sunnydays
03-14-2012, 01:24 PM
I don't know if any of you have a Foundations quad, but I have heard that they are heavy and hard to push and don't work for winter. I just bought a used Bye Bye Buggy that seats 6! i am so excited to try it out, but I need to fix or replace the seatbelts first. They are normally around $1500, but I got it for $300 and it's in good shape other than the belts.

jec
03-14-2012, 01:29 PM
Oh wow kanga ~ where did you get that at such a great price!!! I would love one of those!

Sandbox Sally
03-14-2012, 01:31 PM
Haha sorry...Typo

Sandbox Sally
03-14-2012, 01:34 PM
I am getting a Foundations Quad if it ever gets here...lol

I have heard that they're pretty good to push (both online reviews and other dcp's who own them), and I won't be using it in heavy snow myself.

Rangersangel
03-14-2012, 01:37 PM
I have a 4 pod choo choo wagon and I loved it for walks. Its great depending on the weight/age of the kids. My DCKs range from 14 months to 3.5 years and 4 out of 5 kids are at least 30pounds. Plus l/o need to be able to sit up in it.

I'm saving for a Runabout for the fall. Its mostly for school runs. I have heard it does the best in snow if you are planning on walking then. Plus it has a rain cover which the other quads don't have.

jodaycare
03-14-2012, 01:39 PM
I have the six seat Runabout. I love it!

playfelt
03-14-2012, 01:40 PM
For all little ones my favourite is a wagon. I have a large one from this company from when we lived in London - www.toywagons.com

What I would do is put them three to a side with legs crossed in the middle or alternate legs out - mine is 24 x48 for the bed so plenty of leg room. I used the walking harnesses to make seatbelts putting the harness on each one and then the rein part wound through the slats to prevent standing. For the 3 month old you could use a carrier or use their carseat and put it across the front of the wagon and the others behind. The oldest should be walking just to get the exercise too.

I have the foundations quad bought from a caregiver closing down. It is ok but then I am used to the wagon and my daughter's wheelchair and used an older double stroller most of the time my own kids were little so don't find it that bad to push. Don't bother going out in the snow cause it is just too hard on the old wrists to pull or push anything I don't have to as in no school runs anymore. What I don't like is the safety brake bar as you have to hold the handle and the brake bar - thin metal strip at the same time as the brake comes on as soon as you let go. Great for safety but annoying for pushing because instead of holding on to the handle and a leisuring stroll you have to grip this thing tight the whole way - solution was to tie it to the handle so I don't have to hold it. Means no safety brake but around the block on a flat street isn't an issue for me.

sunnydays
03-14-2012, 01:44 PM
Kijiji...a daycare centre was selling it! If you look long enough you can find good deals. would ahve loved a Runabout, but couldn't afford one even used.

Marie
03-14-2012, 01:44 PM
I don't know if any of you have a Foundations quad, but I have heard that they are heavy and hard to push and don't work for winter. I just bought a used Bye Bye Buggy that seats 6! i am so excited to try it out, but I need to fix or replace the seatbelts first. They are normally around $1500, but I got it for $300 and it's in good shape other than the belts.
Can the Bye Bye Buggy hold an infant car seat?

sunnydays
03-14-2012, 01:52 PM
Marie...good question...I don't think so! Maybe the Foundations is better for you. Either that or if you can wear the infant in a carrier on your front or back until he/she is big enough, that is what I would do. I am pretty sure the Bye Bye Buggy is for about 8 months and up...the seats don't recline. But, if I remember right actually, there is an infant insert you can buy for it...don't remember how much it is.

fruitloop
03-14-2012, 02:19 PM
Foundation squad will take your carseat and the other three little ones, and the 4yo can walk :)


Ditto to this. They're expensive but well worth the money imo. If you order it out of the states it might be a bit cheaper for you. I paid $530 for mine and that included shipping, exchange, duty, etc.

Inspired by Reggio
03-14-2012, 02:50 PM
Please watch out for your backs ladies - I herniated my disc pushing a bye bye buggy the repeated pushing of so much weight weakened my back and one day while out with it I did not see a pothole and the wheel dipped and the whole thing started to TIP and the jerking motion of grabbing all that weight to avoid the kids being hurt was too much for me :(

We only have ONE body treat it with care.

I am a no more than two kids under two person so only have a double stroller and single stroller - everyone else walks and wit he under twos once you are steady on your feet you start training to walk too .... In centre care we took 15 fifteen to 24 month olds out for walks all the time - we used a safety rope to keep em together and they just learned to be safe if they wanted to get to the park or what not ... It is amazing how capable little legs truly are cause my 22 monh old walked 3 km last week to get to the OEYC and than after two hours of playing he walked back ;)

Spixie33
03-14-2012, 02:53 PM
I have a runabout quad. I know you can get a runabout with an infant seat adjustment. They are a but pricey but you can get one that is a triple formation or quad maybe.
It is great cutting through the snow because it has thin high tires. Anything with wide tires is hard to get through the snow.

I have also had someone this week tell me about a turtle bus. I had never heard of it but it was another daycare provider telling me she had just ordered one for around $1200 (for a six seater). I looked them up and they look pretty cool http://www.a-winther.com/pages/turtle_kiddy_bus/turtle_kiddy_bus.php

The cheapest and best option is the Choo Choo wagon that someone mentioned. You can get them new at sears and cheap but it wouldn't work for your under 1 year old

Skysue
03-14-2012, 03:17 PM
For all little ones my favourite is a wagon. I have a large one from this company from when we lived in London - www.toywagons.com

What I would do is put them three to a side with legs crossed in the middle or alternate legs out - mine is 24 x48 for the bed so plenty of leg room. I used the walking harnesses to make seatbelts putting the harness on each one and then the rein part wound through the slats to prevent standing. For the 3 month old you could use a carrier or use their carseat and put it across the front of the wagon and the others behind. The oldest should be walking just to get the exercise too.

I have the foundations quad bought from a caregiver closing down. It is ok but then I am used to the wagon and my daughter's wheelchair and used an older double stroller most of the time my own kids were little so don't find it that bad to push. Don't bother going out in the snow cause it is just too hard on the old wrists to pull or push anything I don't have to as in no school runs anymore. What I don't like is the safety brake bar as you have to hold the handle and the brake bar - thin metal strip at the same time as the brake comes on as soon as you let go. Great for safety but annoying for pushing because instead of holding on to the handle and a leisuring stroll you have to grip this thing tight the whole way - solution was to tie it to the handle so I don't have to hold it. Means no safety brake but around the block on a flat street isn't an issue for me.

My amazing neighbour just gave me this wagon can you tell me where you bought your harness for seat belt.

Cheers,

Sue

jec
03-14-2012, 04:29 PM
We only have ONE body treat it with care.

I agree ~ I'm climbing up in age although my mind is still back in my teens :laugh: I wear a back brace to help give me support!!

Momof4
03-14-2012, 06:34 PM
It's hard when you have a group of really young ones and I've just gone through that for a few months with 3 children under age 2. However, as soon as children are walking well at about 18 months, especially if they are a larger sized child, not a teeny little thing, I start them walking beside the stroller for practice up and down the sidewalk. I have the 'toddler restraint systems' that I bought at Walmart with ponies and puppies and an Elmo that I put on them and attach with the string (not leash!) to my wrist.

I have a 22 month old who is already so great at this with just a few months of practice that we can travel huge distances again with just my double stroller again. Pulling my wagon and trailer with 3 heavy babies hurts my shoulders or pushing my triple stroller hurts my back so the quicker they can walk the better.

lilac
03-14-2012, 08:35 PM
I had a runabout....love love loved it!

Have a friend who had the turtle bus, and although she liked it, found it difficult in snow as it would build up under the break at the wheel the wheel would get stuck. And was impossible when the snow was particularly wet or slushy!

playfelt
03-14-2012, 10:38 PM
My harnesses came from walmart - they are a blue nylon ribbing. A lot of the ones they have now have a silly animal thing on the front of them so people don't feel like they have a harness on their kids - hopefully those are removable or you can find the plain ones. ToysRus probably sells something similar too. Mine are of course over 15 years old and still usable so worth the investment. I used them to tie my special needs child to a regular chair when out and about for awhile and use them on our swingset instead of infant swings - we have a wooden set with the middle pair replaced by a bench swing. I can tie them onto the slats on the back and swing 3-4 at a time.

Errbear
03-15-2012, 06:16 AM
I have a Smitty's L'il Hauler wagon too, plus the pup trailer and I use luggage straps from the dollar store to keep my kiddies contained. They despise it, but it totally works. It's a heavy wagon on it's own, so I only pull everyone all at once if I really have to. There's no reason why the walkers can't walk around my neighbourhood. Especially with all this beautiful weather we're getting

Skysue
03-15-2012, 12:42 PM
I have a Smitty's L'il Hauler wagon too, plus the pup trailer and I use luggage straps from the dollar store to keep my kiddies contained. They despise it, but it totally works. It's a heavy wagon on it's own, so I only pull everyone all at once if I really have to. There's no reason why the walkers can't walk around my neighbourhood. Especially with all this beautiful weather we're getting

Luggage straps? I will check that out tonight~