apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I think the greenest you're going to get with an exersaucer is to buy one second-hand, which works on several levels, including the fact that the kid only plays with it for a couple months and then it's just taking up space in the attic waiting for you to procreate again.

We do not and will not own an exersaucer. It is too big, ugly and expensive. I really don't think it's necessary. My 10 month old has done just fine without it, and he's practically walking already.

I read somewhere that recent research seems to indicate that spending a lot of time in exersaucers can make kids walk later. Something about not being able to see their feet, I believe. I haven't decided if I'm going to use one or not. They certainly are useful for keeping babies happy and out of trouble.

Forget sustainable, are there any that aren't fugly?

I held out on getting an exersaucer for awhile, and when I finally gave in to mom's wishes, my little girl couldn't have been happier. She loved her ugly circus-themed saucer. It folded when not in use, so didn't take up too much space, and we sold it when she outgrew it, getting 1/3 of our money back. We'll probably buy a used one for baby #2, but I certainly wouldn't pay the hundreds of dollars that a "sustainable" wood one would cost.

they are soooooo ugly. Someone has to make an attractive one soon. My solution was to use hand me down exersaucer, and then I kept handing it down to other moms in need. At least that way we felt we had spared the planet 8-10 huge honkin' ugly pieces of plastic. In the end I think it ended up at a church in the playroom so it's getting a lot of use.

Who cares if they're fugly? They keep my boys happy for 10-15 minutes at a time, and that is priceless with multiples. If I only had one baby, maybe it wouldn't be such a big deal.

For what it's worth, the ones (yes, we have two) we have are hand me downs. Fugly hand me downs, but hand me downs nonetheless.

My twins' saucers were secondhand, and then I gave them away. I could not have made it without them. A pretty one would have been nice...hmmm...maybe that's how I'll make my first million!

When walkers became illegal I seem to remember super plain saucers that were plastic but not covered in all of the bells and whistles. I tried to find one for son and could not and ended up not buying anything. Too bad everything like that has to be so ugly!

our house is too small to have an exersaucer so we never bought one. my substitute was a johnny jumper and our daughter LOVED it! i liked that it was super easy to move from room to room and super cheap ($20). it grips to the doorway on the molding. plus, i was able to borrow it, so i didn't have to purchase a new one. it was my saving grace while trying to take a shower and cook dinner!! now, she just plays with pots and pans while i cook. showers are another story! having a small space really forces you to find new ways to entertain a child!

the powers that be forgot to tell my daughter she would walk late if she spent any time in the exersaucer and she began walking at 11 months. whoop!
i'd humbly suggest finding a basic one second hand and pimping it with your own fabric on the seat and your own toys creatively tethered on.
and we did love the johnny jumper but the doorway wasn't always so accessible.

Three cheers for Johnny Jump Up! My son has a great time in his. We splurged for a Jumperoo thinking he'd really enjoy the toys all around him. But he likes his Johnny Jump Up the best.

My son started using an exersaucer at about 2 month old. He hated tummy time but had enough neck and head strength to use the exersaucer, so my ped. told me to get one. It is ugly, no doubt about it. But he liked it and will thank me when he gets older and loses his hair because he will have a nicely shaped bald head! Once he started to crawl, he wanted nothing to do with the exersaucer. He walked at 10.5 months. Exersaucers, Johnny Jump Up, high chairs and other items like this can delay walking but it is if you let children stay in them for hours. Buy second hand if you can. Somethings aren't going to look great in your house but it is only for a couple of months anyway.

@theaisforannie: remember that not all parenting families have procreated or have any plans to do so!

I think the most green solution is not to have one in the first place. In my work in a clinic for children 0-3, I've not encountered a reason where I'd recommend one. Except for kids who need specialized custom-fitted physical equipment, we recommend the most simple methods of providing nurturing and learning. Yes, kids benefit from sitting up and manipulating things with their hands. They can sit on your lap, in front of you on the floor, in a simple infant seat, or in a highchair. They can learn by manipulating things like blocks, cups and spoons, fruits and vegetables, etc. The quality of learning and interaction are generally higher when the caregiver has actually put some thought and effort into providing the environment and interaction, and it's just wonderful on many levels to not need to buy kids a bunch of unneeded crap.

Umm, what are they for anyway? By looking at it, I don't see the difference between putting your baby in front of TV or in these ADHD inducing stimulation stations.

I have a 2.5 year-old and never used one, so obviously it's not a must-have item.

I have to agree that this isn't must-have by any means... our generation didn't have these and my son doesn't have one. (Too ugly, too plastic, too much stimulation.) I just think there are just so many other ways to let a small child learn, play, and interact with things...

Not a must-have. We never had one, never missed it. Could never have given up the floor space.