Last summer I wrote a post extolling our new bike seat, the WeeRide Kangaroo Child Bike Seat.

I thought I'd post a few pictures of what we look like using this rockin' seat and an updated review. I wasn't posting personal pictures last year, but they're pretty cute ones, and I'd hate to have them go to waste. :)

Besides the WeeRide Kangaroo Seat, other front-mounted seats (there aren't many) include the iBert, the Discovery 101 by Swedish company Hamax, and the Pulse by Kettler Bingo Front Mounted Bicycle Child Carrier. I checked the competition out before choosing the WeeRide, and these are the reasons why I like our choice, as well as what I would change.

ETA: I forgot to be clear about this, but our little guy is almost 3 years old now, and he had just turned 2 when the pictures were taken last summer. He is and was about 37 pounds and 3 feet tall so on the high end of the seat's limits. I believe the seat is intended for children over a year because the child needs to be able to sit up confidently and the neck must be strong enough to hold up a helmet for long periods. You can use your judgment about when that is. The foot rests adjust for smaller babies (shorter legs), but we have them in the position that allows for the longest legs. The weight limit is up to 40 pounds.

Pros of the WeeRide Kangaroo Seat

• The reason we chose a front-mounted seat in general, rather than a rear-mounted seat or bike trailer, is that it allows our child to have an adult-eye view of the bike trip. I can keep an eye on him without being distracted from my biking. His weight is well positioned so it won't throw off my balance. I also felt like this type of bike riding, with my toddler centered between my arms, was the most like babywearing. It just felt right to me!

• A big reason we chose the WeeRide Kangaroo Child Bike Seat in particular is that it's one of the cheapest options, particularly since it's eligible for Amazon's free Super Saver Shipping.
• The WeeRide had the highest weight limit of the front-seated models (40 pounds), a must for our chunky monkey!
• The WeeRide seat is pretty comfy for the kid, with a nice back rest and somewhat longer foot supports. Since we're using it for a toddler, I appreciate that it's nice and upright so he can see what's coming ahead. There's also a deluxe padded version of the WeeRide in case you want to upgrade.
• There's a nicely padded handrest for your toddler's little pudgy mitts. It's been fairly easy to train Mikko to rest his hands there rather than trying to steal the handlebars from me.
• The WeeRide is easy to remove in a moment if the adult wants to ride alone. You keep the bar attached and just unscrew the seat itself from a big hand-operated screw. Assembling it onto my bike in the first place wasn't too challenging, either. Front-mounted seats don't work with drop handlebars, fyi, but it fits fine on my bike.
• I was worried that biking around the seat would be awkward, that I would be in an exaggeratedly bowlegged position, but that's not the case. I definitely have to turn my legs out a little wider than if the seat weren't there, but it's only a slight adjustment to riding normally, and I'm 5'9". Hopefully you can see the angle in the picture up top. No biggie, yes?
• I haven't had any problems balancing with the child's seat attached and child within, even though Mikko's a hefty 37 pounds. It helps that the seat's weight is so well centered.
• Everyone will smile at you when you have a cute baby in a front-mounted seat. The happiness is contagious.

Cons of the WeeRide Kangaroo Seat

• A con of all front-mounted seats is that they're intended for smaller babies than our guy. As I said, the WeeRide has the highest weight limit, but even so, my toddler's long legs have to fold rather sharply for him to fit his feet into the shoe rests. I wish the foot supports were even more adjustable downward to give his legs room to grow. Note that I haven't found a front-mounted seat that has more room, though; I just wish one did!
• I'm annoyed that the seat's harness slips off his shoulders as we ride. There's no good way to keep it secured except through my own devices — generally a hair clip. I don't know how unsafe this makes the seat, but we ride only along a well-marked and paved trail, during the day. (We're not very adventurous; what can I say?)
• This isn't so much a con as just a note. If you have multiple children or expect to, you might find a different biking configuration is more affordable or convenient. For instance, there are bike trailers that are built for two kids, or you could get a Dutch Bakfiets, which allows for multiple children. If you expect to have a toddler or preschooler along with an infant, though, I could see putting a front-mounted seat like this in front for the younger child (who is at least old enough to sit up and wear a helmet) with a rear-mounted seat behind for the older child. For even older children, there are tandem bike attachments that keep the bicycling learner safe while practicing the pedals, or of course there's always the option of having an older child ride a bike alongside you.
• The added 37 pounds of child weight plus the seat means that I don't go all that quickly, and hills would be a chore. Fortunately, I'm able to ride along a nice, level stretch of waterfront. I don't know if a trailer would be a lot easier or not, but presumably so, because of the benefit of added wheels. I also try to be very cautious when putting Mikko into the seat not to rely on the kickstand to hold him and the bike up but always to steady the bike myself until I get on.

I bought our WeeRide Kangaroo Child Bike Seat at Amazon (affiliate links galore, natch), my bike and helmet at Costco, and Mikko's helmet at Walmart, I think? Amazon also has toddler bike helmets if you know what size you're looking for. We actually had to graduate Mikko to the 5-year-old version because of his unusually large skull (a family trait!), and I'm thinking this summer he might be moving on up to the 8-year-old model. So you might want to try on helmets in person before deciding, but I couldn't find a deal on the seat anywhere that was better than on Amazon (and I did look).

But, you can often find bikes and bike accessories, including various seats and trailers, for free or low cost by asking around or checking out groups like Freecycle or Craigslist for your area. Also check consignment and thrift shops. Just make sure that whatever you get is in good working order for safety's sake, and add in the essential safety gear depending on your riding habits (bike helmets for all riders for sure, plus lights and reflectors in case you're out after sunset, and a bell to warn pesky pedestrians on the bike path that you're coming through with your cuteness).

But, most of all, happy trails to you and your little one! Enjoy your bicycle (re)built for two.

Two bike helmets are a must when bicycling with your toddler.
Matching sunglasses and tough-guy glares are optional but recommended.

P.S. Enjoy today's coordinating Wordless Wednesday at HoboMama.com.

This giveaway is now closed. View the winner here! Thank you all so much for entering!

I'm sorry to suspend this giveaway, but it's come to my attention that Simplisse might be affiliated with a company I cannot support due to violations of the World Health Organization's code with respect to advertising breast milk substitutes and feeding instruments.

I have tried to be professional and courteous and have been in contact with the company over this, but it has now been over a week since Simplisse last responded to my inquiries. I will post more when I find out further information. Till then, I'm closing the comments.

So that this has not been a waste of my lovely entrants' time, if the giveaway ends early, I will select a winner from among those of you who have already entered. If any of you who have entered wish to opt out of the contest in light of this new information, please contact me: mail {at} HoboMama.com. Please note that the issue is not with the quality of the products reviewed in this giveaway but with the advertising practices of a second (bottle) company that may or may not be related to Simplisse.

I apologize for the inconvenience and confusion, and I'll let you know when I find out more.

This giveaway is now closed. View the winner here! Thank you all so much for entering!


Our newest treasure is a Melissa & Doug wooden ABC puzzle from Gummy Lump Toys! And the best news? You can win your own choice of wood puzzle from GummyLump.com!

Read on!

Gummy Lump Toys is one of those wonderful online toy companies that carries only toys you'd be proud to have your children own. The toys are creative and educational and multi-purpose to spark kids' imaginations. They tend to be made from natural and durable materials, mostly wood, and they're the type of toys that win awards for excellence.

So when Gummy Lump wrote me and offered me a Melissa & Doug wooden puzzle to review, I jumped at the chance. I have other Melissa & Doug puzzles so knew it was just a matter of choosing the right one to keep Mikko amused.

Boy howdy, did I choose right!


Witness the ABC Peg Puzzle!

Intended for ages 2 years and up, this sturdily built wooden puzzle features nice little pegs that little fingers can grab. The images on the pieces are the letters of the alphabet, and underneath — surprise! — there's a corresponding picture that starts with each letter.

The puzzle builds matching, reading, memory, and manual dexterity skills. That's just from my observations alone!

But don't take my word for it. Here's a video to see my alphabet whiz in action:

You get to hear him want to eat all the food pictures in the puzzle. It seems all virtuous until he clarifies that he wants a Schokolade (chocolate) egg, not one of those regular nutritious ones. You also get to hear him exclaim with unfeigned delight over a W that's actually an M, but who can correct him when he's being such an adora-toddler?

Mikko loves this puzzle. He asks for it by saying he wants to "play letters!" Within a few days, he memorized what picture was under which letter, even though some of them were unfamiliar to him: "insect" for I, "nest" for N, and "yarn" for Y. (Clearly I need to get out my knitting more…)

This is one of those puzzles where the parent feels good because it seems all educational and stuff, and the child feels good because he has no idea he's Learning Something Useful.

Is there anything I would change about the puzzle? Well, there's nothing I can't live with. Some of the letters fit a little loosely, so sometimes Mikko thinks a piece is in the wrong space or turned the wrong way when it's not. Some of the images they chose are a little obscure, but that's actually turned out fine, since it's taught Mikko new vocabulary ("jump rope," for instance). The images have to fit within the confines of the letter shape, so some letters were probably easier to match words to than others.

As far as my experience with Gummy Lump Toys, I have nothing but good to say about their fabulous response and shipping times and the great shape the puzzle came in. I even appreciate their story of why they're called Gummy Lump.

We've really been enjoying playing with this puzzle at home and on the go. It's the kind of activity that can entertain a toddler while adults have some conversation time. (No, really! Actual conversation!) The only downside is that the pieces of course end up in a big pile in your bag. Does anyone have a solution to this? One of my favorite Melissa & Doug items is actually their travel puzzle sets for easy transport reasons. And, there are some puzzle storage solutions for keeping puzzles organized at home or school, but what do you do when you travel with puzzles? Seriously, if you leave a good solution, I'll give you an extra entry!


Gummy Lump Toys wants to offer you the chance to win your very own wood puzzle, up to $12. You can choose based on the age and interest of your own kidlet(s).

For instance:

• For babies, there are jumbo knob puzzles that are perfect for palm grasping.
• For toddlers, there are chunky puzzles where the pieces can actually stand up and be played with as little figures!
• For sensory fun, I've gotta say I love the idea of these touch-and-feel puzzles.
• For preschoolers figuring out emotions and storytelling, there are dress-up puzzles.
• For kids like Mikko who love surprises hidden under pieces, there are hide-and-seek puzzles.
• Kids who like making silly pictures would enjoy these mix-and-match peg puzzles.
• For older kids (3 years old on up), there are wooden jigsaw puzzles with 12, 24, or 48 pieces.
• And, not even joking, they have puzzles that play a matching sound when the piece is fit into the right slot.

That's right: The hard part is picking your favorite!

BUY IT!

You can find ours and similar wood puzzles at GummyLump.com for very reasonable prices or on Amazon! For instance, the Melissa & Doug ABC Peg Puzzle I received is currently on sale for only $6.39, and there's a whole (jam-packed!) category of toys under $10.

Besides puzzles, Gummy Lump Toys carries all sorts of quality creative and educational toys from respected companies like Melissa & Doug, Guidecraft, Haba, KidKraft, Citiblocs, and more! You can shop by age, category, or brand. The fact that they've subdivided their site into so many helpful categories makes it really easy to find something that suits your kids or a gift recipient.

Gummy Lump offers free U.S. shipping on orders over $75.

WIN IT!

For your own chance to win a wood puzzle from Gummy Lump Toys, up to $12 in current price, enter in the comments below! Contest is open to U.S. only (sorry, my dear international friends — you know I would mail to you if I were doing the mailing).


MAIN ENTRY: Head on over to GummyLump.com and tell me what glorious wooden puzzle (up to $12) you would choose!

Leave an email address in at least one of your comments if it's not clearly visible on your profile or linked web page so I can contact you if you win. (You can write it like this to foil spambots: mail (at) hobomama (dot) com or similar.)

BONUS ENTRIES, to increase your chance of winning (leave a separate comment for each so I can count them all):

• Tell me what lovely little one(s) will enjoy this puzzle if you win!
• Tell me what kind of puzzle your little puzzler(s) would prefer (you can see my list above for types such as jumbo knob, chunky, peg, jigsaw, etc.).

• Poke around GummyLump.com and tell me what other toy catches your eye!
• Follow or subscribe to the Gummy Lump blog.
• Follow www.HoboMamaReviews.com publicly through Google Friend Connect, or subscribe to the Hobo Mama Reviews RSS feed in a reader or by email.
• Follow www.HoboMama.com through Google Friend Connect, or subscribe to the Hobo Mama RSS feed in a reader or by email.
• Follow @GummyLump on Twitter and leave your Twitter name in the comment.
• Follow @Hobo_Mama on Twitter and leave your Twitter name in the comment.
• Tweet this giveaway. This may be done once daily for still more entries. Leave the direct URL, which can be found by clicking the time stamp under your Tweet. You can create your own text or copy/paste this: Win your choice of an adorable Melissa & Doug wood puzzle from @GummyLump and @Hobo_Mama! http://bit.ly/9rQ7Yv {5.12}
It is entirely possible to wear a kicky hat while completing your puzzle.
• Become a fan of Gummy Lump on Facebook.
• Become a fan of Hobo Mama on Facebook.
• Follow Hobo Mama on Networked Blogs on Facebook.
• Enter another of my current giveaways (1 extra entry per giveaway).
• Do something lovely for this post, a post on the Gummy Lump blog, or a post on Hobo Mama (StumbleUpon, Twitter, Facebook, Digg, etc.) and let me know what it was and which post in your comment. There is a Share button below each post on Hobo Mama. You can gain 1 extra entry per share, up to 3 extra entries total.
• Fave me on Technorati and leave your user name.
• Put my Carnival of Natural Parenting button on your website for 2 extra entries. The HTML code is in the sidebar. Leave your site URL in the comment.
• Include this giveaway in a post on your own blog for 3 extra entries. Leave the direct link in your comment. Feel free to use this code or craft your own (and here's a tutorial on pasting html code into a Blogger post and one for WordPress):
  <!-- BEGIN CODE --> <center><a href="http://www.gummylump.com/f_product.php?id=1980" target="_blank"><img src="http://images.hobomama.com/a_1980peg-puzzle-see-inside-alphabe.jpg" border="0" alt="Gummy Lump Melissa & Doug alphabet wooden puzzle for toddler -- see inside ABC letters" width="350" height="262"></a></center><p><img src="http://images.hobomama.com/gummy-lump-puzzle-pictures.jpg" border="0" alt="Gummy Lump Melissa &amp;amp; Doug wooden puzzle for toddler ABC letters" align="right" width="250" height="375"><a href="http://www.hobomamareviews.com/2010/04/giveaway-melissa-doug-wooden-puzzle.html" target="_blank"><strong>Hobo Mama Reviews</strong></a> is giving away a <strong>wooden puzzle of your choice</strong> (up to $12) from <a href="http://www.gummylump.com/f_category.php?id=278" target="_blank"><strong>Gummy Lump Toys</strong></a>.</p> <p>Choose <strong>based on your child's age and interests</strong> — jumbo knob puzzles for the littlest tots, chunky puzzles that are sure to delight the terrific twos, or wooden jigsaws for preschoolers on up — in <strong>a variety of themes</strong>, from adorable farm animals to realistic dinosaurs to twirling ballerinas to flashy trucks.</p> <p><strong>Melissa & Doug puzzles</strong> are well-made, colorful, educational, and imaginative, and <strong>GummyLump.com</strong> is an online toy store selling only the best in creative, high-quality toys.</p> <p><strong>Enter at <a href="http://www.hobomamareviews.com/2010/04/giveaway-melissa-doug-wooden-puzzle.html" target="_blank">Hobo Mama Reviews</a> by May 12</strong> for your chance to win!</p> <p><em>Open to U.S. addresses only.</em></p><!-- END CODE -->

RULES:

• Contest open to U.S. ADDRESSES ONLY. (Sorry, everyone else!) Shipping is by UPS, so a street address is required (no P.O. Boxes).
• Leave each entry as a separate comment so I can count them all.
• For actions like following and subscribing, if you already follow or subscribe, just let me know in your comment.
• For tasks that garner you multiple entries, say something like "I blogged [link here] #1," "I blogged [link here] #2," etc.
• You don't have to do any of the bonus entries, but you do have to complete the first mandatory one.
• I will pick the winner through random.org after the contest closes and send an email notification. Leave an email address in your comment if it's not clearly visible on your profile or linked web page so I can contact you if you win. If I can't reach a winner or don't hear back within a couple days, I'll draw a new name.
• Any questions, let me know: mail {at} HoboMama.com