Are snack trays NEEDED?

[gloworm32]

I just bought a stroller withOUT a snack tray, and now I'm seeing all these posts on snack trays. How often do you use the child snack tray? When do you no longer need one? I'm wondering if I should find one for my stroller....

[Mommyto2]

Just depends. For some people the are important. I don't really have my kids eat in the stroller. When they are older 17-18 months maybe, but I just put the snack in a baggie and they hold it. Even then it is a rare thing. For others it is something they use all the time.

[Starlight]

For our family, yes, they are a requirement. :D

[broken4u05]

i don't have a stoller with one on it and i have not missed it. The boys can use plastic bags like vanessa said. Or the snack trap cups are good too

[TechnoGranola]

None of my strollers have snack trays. I figured I needed one, so I bought a few different ones that velcro onto the front bar. We NEVER use them and DD is almost 2 now. We use Snack Sacks (http://www.thesnacksack.com/) for her snacks and her water bottle just goes in the basket and I hand it to her when she needs it.

My DD actually spends more time pushing the stroller herself than she does IN the stroller, but when she gets in, she wants to climb in herself and a snack tray would just be in the way. It's pretty easy for her to climb over a bumper bar (which I'd remove entirely and leave it at home, but she likes it when she is actually in the stroller!).

[Morganthe]

They're not NEEDED by everyone. Some like them, some don't. I never did. :shrug-shoulders:

The only stroller I had with a snack tray was the first Infant bucket/Stroller combo I had. I only used the stroller 2 or 3 times after she outgrew the seat and sold it soon after. I don't think we ever used the tray. :scratcheshead:

I went through 5 more strollers -- two had removable bars, but no more snack trays. The rest -- nada. DD used either a small sippy cup that fit into a stroller bag or mommy's reusable water bottle. Food -- never an issue. She'd eat it, then hand it to me when she was finished. Her toys? They were usually secured with all sorts of plastic chains. She had a ball tossing them over and reeling them back up again.

So no, I think snack trays are just one more hassle that I easily did without. :D It's up to you whether or not you feel it's NEEDED in your situation. :)

[adamsmommy]

My son sat in a stroller for 2 years without a complaint.

[gloworm32]

My son is 10 months old.....so I think I'll wait before a buy one and just see how it goes. He's never eaten in a stroller yet.

[Rosey]

They are certainly an opinion thing. I love having one for when they are 6-12 months and just getting good at eating food. It was nice to drop a handful of cheerios down and buy myself some more time. But once they are past that and WANT to hold their whole cheesestick, or whole banana, or own cup of crackers it isn't a big deal. I hand the sippy when asked or she shoves it next to her in the seat. Toys can be secured with linkadoos with or without a tray.

I say wait and see if you miss one, but $10-25 isn't a huge investment to have one on a long day out.

[mimieliza]

I've never used one. I don't miss it. We're not big snackers, but when we do have snacks, it's something she can hold onto.

[lil96]

strollers here don't have them (that I have seen). I don't miss not having it either. A lot of strollers the child faces away from the parent and I feel eating wouldbe dangerous that way, the chld could be choking and the parent never sees it (althought that could happen w/ or w/out a tray) but by the tme they are older they want freedom and the tray keeps them trapped in, which can be good or bad depends on how you look at it.

[lovemybabies924]

i have one stroller w/a tray and the other one dosnt....when i have the tray i use it all the time..but when i have the other stroller i hand feed him...so if ur gonna have a snacking baby all the time a tray is a good idea...but if ur just wanting a place to store the bottle or a baggie get a universal cupholder like the valco baby or something and attach it near the seat..thats what i did on my bugaboo for the fair!

[emandbri]

I haven't had one with a snack tray for years and didn't miss it. The more I think about if the kids had snacks while out (which was rarely) they would have string cheese, peperoni, fruit snacks, apples, etc all stuff that can be eating without a tray.

[bobbysgirl7103]

I have always had snack trays on our strollers, but we rarely use them. The one we have now doesn't even fit DD's sippy well so she has to hold it anyway. I think I have only put snacks on the tray maybe 3 times. It was helpful those times, but we could have gotten along without it.

[Holly]

I like having a tray, but not for snacks. My kids like to rest their hands on them.

I've used them a few times for snacks too, when Hannah was 11-15 months I had to take her with me to the OB every month when I went for prenatal appointmnts with Abby. I kept her in the stroller with toys and snacks so she wouldnt be all over the place during my appointmetns.

[Patriot201]

I don't have a tray on my stroller and I don't miss it at all. :)

[Niea]

I hate snack trays. They (along with the rest of the stroller) gets dirty and I couldn't imagine putting food directly on them. We don't snack in the stroller often, but when we do I just give DD a baggie. My requirement for strollers these days is that DD be able to get in and out herself and a snack tray definitely impedes that.

[MissAllyLou]

1 year old Maggie has to have a snack tray .... she uses it as a foot rest, and plays peek a boo with her Nuk, by sticking it in the cup holder, covering it up with her blankie, then 'surprising' herself with it. LoL. It's a very important piece to her happiness :p