BabyStrollerZone.com

If you live in a small town, like I do, no doubt you attend many parades. Parades are fun to watch. But they are even more fun to participate in. Whether planned or not, a rolling contingent usually forms made up of young children on bicycles and parents pushing baby strollers. Some towns have bike and stroller decorating contests.

Decorating a stroller can be as simple as or complex as you like. First choose your theme. My town has parades for:

Memorial Day and Fourth of July - Patriotic Red, White and Blue theme or summer themes.

Halloween - Anything goes!

Christmas - Secular and religious themes are popular.

Some general baby stroller decorating tips:

1. Most important. Know your baby. If they are at the everything in the mouth phase, be sure to fasten decorations securely and not have any small pieces handy for baby to grab off.

2. Dollar Store. Your local dollar store will have a plethora of decorating materials. Especially look in the front of the store for seasonal items. For summer you will find luaus, blow up pool toys, flags and bunting.

3. Think outside the box. This is the most important tip. If you are participating in a decorating contest, originality counts big.

4. More is more. This is not the time to be subtle. Over the top and downright gaudy is called for. It's easy and fun when you let your imagination go.

If you are old enough to remember The Honeymooners television show, or have seen the million reruns of it, think of the episode where Ralph designs a Halloween costume from things around the house. Okay you may not want to take the door off the refrigerator but you could attach a white box around your stroller, cut out the front for baby's view, add a handle and tacky glue on refrigerator magnets, children's art, calendars and notes. Voila! Stroller refrigerator.

Or build a box to look like an old time television. Cut out the front and the show is starring your baby. Add rabbit ears to the top and dials to the sides. Save a couple baby food jar lids and wrap them in foil for the dials.

Have you seen those big cardboard cutouts at the discount stores? Mount a palm tree to the back of your stroller and a blow up dolphin on one side, cardboard flamingo on the other. If it is warm enough, dress baby in swimwear and shades. Instant beach. Add a bunch of leis and you have an instant luau.

Just how many Christmas lights and balls do you think you can attach to your stroller?

If you're really crafty, cut Mary and Joseph side figures (you've seen these kinds of cut outs on lawns) and attach them to either side of your stroller. Add some stuffed animals around the sides and you have the Lord in his manger. Don't forget the Christmas Star.

Easter Parade? How about a silk flower garden. Or find a really big straw hat to mount on top of your stroller. Decorate the hat with sik flowers, ribbons and bows. Find a recording of "Easter Parade"... "in your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it..." and play it from your stroller. Adding music to your stroller decoration will score you big points.

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo by cutting a pinata in half and attaching each side to your stroller sides. Take the Easter Bonnet straw hat apart and add it to the top of the stroller as a sombrero. Hang some confetti and toss wrapped candies to the crowd. Actually pinatas can be used as the base to decorate for many seasons as they come in an endless selection of characters.

Halloween, you can go spooky again hitting up the dollar store. How about a big spider web behind the stroller? And a tape of spooky sounds. Don't forget your local crafts or sewing store. I have even seen commercial sewing patterns for stroller decorating.

Gather some pretty pink sheer fabric in a bunch at the top of your stroller. Drape the fabric down the sides. Give baby a magic wand for a genie. A tiara for a princess.

Hopefully I have given you some ideas to get your creative juices flowing. Don't have a stroller decorating contest in your town? Organize one! It doesn't even have to be a whole town, your neighborhood can host it's own contest. Or your Gymboree class or Mommy & Me group might want to host a contest and stroll thru the local mall. Good publicity for Gymboree or Mommy & Me. Fun for everyone. Hey, maybe the mall will want to host a stroller parade!