I take the clips out and use one of my sons old dental elastics from when he had braces to make a pony tail on top of the head looks like a whale spouting water most of the time. The dental elastics are designed to stretch a lot so almost impossible to break but you can still manipulate them with your fingers easily around a couple times. They are really tiny. Often I send them home with pony tail in but clip back in at the front.

Alternately take out for play but put back in for eating so hair is out of the face/food and then remove again.