37 Random Products Parents Might Actually Find Super Useful
Because parents need all the help they can get.
We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, BuzzFeed may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.
1. A pack of toy straps for the children who have turned tossing toys from their stroller into an Olympic event. This brilliant contraption will save you from back pain now that you don't have to bend down to pick up toys every 30 seconds.
Promising review: "This is a simple concept, but something that you would not normally think you need. After losing a few toys off the side of the stroller, I felt there had to be a way to keep toys and bottles from falling over the edge. I found these and took a shot at ordering them. The straps come with snaps at differing lengths to accommodate anything from Sophie the Giraffe all the way to our large Tommee Tippee bottles. I have not lost a toy since getting these nor has a bottle fallen on the ground. The strap dries out easily when she may have some excess 'droolage.' I think I might start giving these as a shower gift." —Kay
Get a four-pack from Amazon for $7.49+ (available in eight colors).
2. A silicone placemat in beautiful subtle hues that actually blend into your decor while keeping your tables mess free. When your little one is done eating, just wipe it clean and you're both good to go!
Plus, you can also get the matching bib!
Promising review: "Biggest fan of all things Mushie. Love the neutral colors, cutest prints, and clean products. I already own several placemats (floral print, rainbow, and a pretty mauve/blush color) but I had to get this gray one too. Totally gender neutral, smooth, chic, and worry free because it is clean, nontoxic, and made by a real mom. Happy to support a woman/mama-owned business." —Paul Kwon
Get it from Amazon for $14.99 (available in 17 colors).
3. An ingenious sandwich cutter and sealer with the ability to transform a regular PB&J into an exact replica of those Uncrustables sandwiches your kid loves. It also helps spice up the everyday humdrum of making lunch!
Promising review: "These have been a GAME CHANGER in this house!! My son has always begged me for Uncrustables but my wallet didn’t agree with them. I LOVE being able to make them at home and customize them to exactly what they would like them filled with! I make two weeks' worth of sandwiches at a time and store them in sandwich bags in the freezer so in the morning during the school year we can just grab and go! Love them!" —Katherine Smaczniak
Get a set of three from Amazon for $19.96.
4. A glitter bottle you'll want to keep handy for the times your kid is feeling anxious, cranky, or impatient. It takes about three minutes for the glitter to settle at the bottom, so your kid can focus on this to help them calm down.
The water bottles are plastic and shatterproof and even have a soothing auditory element to them, since the glass beads on the inside make a slight crackling sound.
The Calm Mom is a Connecticut-based small business established in 2020 that specializes in soothing sensory glitter bottles in various colors and sizes for both kids and adults.
Promising review: "Bought the larger one for both my daughter (approaching teen years) and my preschooler. Funny how it is helpful for both ages! Beautiful and settles clear The contrast is amazing! Love it!!" —Connie Cohn
Get it from The Calm Mom on Etsy for $14.79 (psst — this item ships for free!).
5. Drop Stop car gap fillers (as seen on Shark Tank!) if your kid (or you!) has a habit of dropping french fries and Goldfish crackers in that pesky gap in the car.
This gap filler is made from a neoprene material that provides the universal perfect fit for any car — just attach it to the seat belt catch once (it has a built-in slot) and it'll be set! You'll never have to worry about removing or readjusting.
Promising review: "This product has saved countless french fries from the dark and scary abyss that is the void beneath my seat. It also prevented my daughter from hiding daddy's cellphone under his seat when she's doing something on it that she's not supposed to. So if you've got devious kids or a love of french fries, I would strongly recommend this product." —Duster
Get a pack of two from Amazon for $24.99.
6. A magnetic visual timer for any kiddo who asks "ARE WE DONE YET?" during cleanup, homework time, bathtime, you name it. Now they can look at how much color is still left on the timer and answer the age-old question themselves!
Promising review: "This is the perfect size and NO BATTERIES REQUIRED. It does the job well. I bought it for my son. Now that the classes are virtual I needed to be able to measure the time between the classes so my son knows how long he has in the classes/break time. In addition, it can be used for other things, such as in the kitchen. Being able to move this around with you as you need it really makes life a whole lot easier." —Rvargas
Get it from Amazon for $20.99 (available in three colors).
7. A squirting spoon with a squeezable silicone pouch to make on-the-go feeding time a breeze. It's great for the times you take your baby out to lunch with you — it gives you the freedom to feed yourself with one hand and them with the other!
This comes with a hard plastic lid so you can seal it up and save it for snack time.
Promising review: "This product is amazing!!! I now have kids in sports/activities and I am always on the go. I put my baby's food in one of these and take it to-go in my diaper bag. It comes with a spoon cover that is hard plastic that covers the hole where the food comes out. The body of the spoon is a soft silicone that you gently squeeze to get the pureed food out. The spoon itself is a hard plastic but we had no issues. It is easy to clean and comes apart in two pieces. Seriously, this is the best gadget ever! This is coming from a mother of four who has probably owned and purchased every gadget out there to make life easier!!" —castgirl
Get it from Amazon for $7.99+ (available in three colors).
8. A sensory swing that's not only super fun to play in, but it's also a great way to help kids develop better balance and motor skills. It also has a special spring at the top that'll let your little one bounce up and down...how fun!
Tamar Rozman created these useful hammocks for her small business as a way to give parents "an extra pair of hands" both for entertaining older kids and for safely holding babies. The shop has baby hammocks that'll safely snuggle your baby and provide the necessary muscle support in early infanthood. The larger versions are designed for creative play with older kiddos. All products are made from soft, organic materials.
Promising review: "My kids love it! This swing is the best! It is very well made and so much fun! It is a stretchy fabric but strong. The stretchy fabric makes it fun for the kids to swing as well as bounce and get really creative with movement. My kids wake up to swing and want to swing before bed even now a month after installing it! It's the best! Such a great buy, worth the money! I highly recommend it. My kids are about 40 (5yr) and 55 (8yr) pounds and I can confirm it's great for that weight range." —Lauren Cardenas
Get it from Rest Nests on Etsy for $93.50 (available in 10 colors).
9. A drywall repair kit because how many times has your toddler chucked a toy at the wall and left behind a nice little dent? The limit does not exist.
Promising review: "This spackle is so handy! Much easier and faster than opening a regular container of spackle, then finding a putty knife to use and sandpaper. Everything you need is right there. I filled probably close to 50 small holes and nicks from kids throwing toys, etc. in less than 15 minutes. Would definitely recommend this." —Michelle Smith
Get it from Amazon for $5.98.
10. A rubber ducky bath spout cover to protect your precious kiddo's noggin from getting bumped and bruised on the faucet. Plus: They'll love being greeted by Mr. Ducky during bathtime!
11. A set of kids' bamboo travel utensils so you and your mini-me can still live that environmentally friendly lifestyle even when you're eating out. They're designed to fit small hands and mouths, so your kid will feel confident as they proudly feed themselves.
Wild Minimalist is a family-owned small business based in San Rafael, California, that specializes in creating cleaning and kitchen products with low-waste, plastic-free packaging.
Get the set from Wild Minimalist for $9.99 (available in three carrying case colors).
12. A pack of vomit bags to keep on hand if your little one is prone to motion sickness in the car. It has a twist and seal design on the top to keep everything...contained...until you reach your next pit stop.
Promising review: "I ordered these again at a stop light after I handed my child the last of my initial stash. They are a lifesaver to have in the car. They have saved many a car seat and hours of cleaning. And they've saved us from that dreaded smell. Oh, that smell. Get them, stash them everywhere, and save yourself from that smell!" —Emily Sullivan
Get a pack of 45 from Amazon for $16.99.
13. A bug bite suction tool especially handy when your kid comes in from playing outside and they're covered in mosquito bites. It literally sucks all the venom out of their skin so they won't end up scratching all day.
This works best if you use it as close to when you were stung as possible. Also, make sure to only apply light pressure to avoid bruising of the skin.
Promising review: "Amazing! I am in complete shock at how well this worked. My son got stung by a wasp as you can see in my photo (above). After we did the suction he stopped complaining about it hurting!" —Angela z
Get it from Amazon for $9.95 (available in two colors).
14. A robot vacuum because as a parent, you're running around doing a million things during the day, and sometimes vacuuming just doesn't get done. Anything that can do a chore for you is truly priceless!
Promising review: "We switched from a $600 Roomba that didn’t work all that great to this beast. The cleaning is so much better! We run this in about 1,000 sq ft (kitchen, living room, kids playroom, and dining room) every night. It goes from carpet to hardwood to tile to rugs with no issues at all. It gets under the couch, around the table, and does a great job with the dried Play-Doh that seems to be everywhere (toddlers!). We have a cat, dog, and three kids and our floors look great every morning (and a wreck every night...)." —Jessica-CO
Get it from Amazon for $199.99 (also available in white).
15. A pair of safety straps — kids are prone to bumping into furniture and climbing on bookshelves, and you can rest assured nothing will topple over when you have these installed.
Promising review: "I was so happy that I bought these! They are super strong and secure and easy to install. I have a 1-year-old and a 5-year-old who both run around and bump into everything, not to mention climbing on stuff, and these give me peace of mind as a father. Definitely a great value and much cheaper than a trip to the emergency room. A definite must for any parents wanting to babyproof their home. I will continue to buy these for any future televisions I may have because I don’t like to mount my televisions to the wall. These are perfect for anyone living in an apartment as well, that way you don’t damage the walls." —Jamie Arredondo
Get it from Amazon for $8.99.
16. A password book if your third grader has a habit of forgetting their passwords for all their school assignments every single week. It appears "I forgot my password" is the new "My dog ate my homework."
Promising review: "While I understand that if this falls into the wrong hands I'm SOL, I do love this for me. I try to keep a variety of passwords, so I'm constantly forgetting them. I have them saved for my phone and computer but periodically, they are lost or wiped for one reason or another and this has been a lifesaver! Right now, I just keep it in a drawer in my office or bedroom but I will probably upgrade to a safe in the near future." —Layla West
Get it from Amazon for $7.95.
17. An adjustable closet rod to instantly add another layer of hanging space to the closet. Reviewers say it's especially helpful for kids' closets because their clothes are so small and don't take up much hanging space vertically.
Promising review: "This product is amazing. My kiddos are going to share a closet and this was the easiest way to get all of their things in there together. It doubled the hanging space and I was able to hang my daughter's things and move my son's items to the bottom hanging addition. How low you want it to hang is adjustable so it could go even lower if you had adult-sized clothing to hang. Would definitely purchase again." —Jeanette Fite
Get it from Amazon for $16.87.
18. A hilarious dinosaur-shaped taco holder for serving dinner in a prehistorically playful way. Place your taco in the T. rex's "spine" and your kids will have a blast chomping away!
This can hold two tacos, and reviewers say it holds hard-shell tacos the best.
Promising review: "My kid and husband love this!!! My 5-year-old wants tacos a lot more often now, and he doesn’t act like it’s such a chore to eat dinner now. Fun, durable, easy to clean, and works exactly like we wanted. Now we want the other dinosaurs so that everyone can have one at dinner!!" —Cari
Get it from Amazon for $23.99 or a triceratops-shaped taco holder for $18.99.
19. A cradle cap comb to get rid of all that dry skin on top of your baby's head in such a gentle way, they'll keep on cooing and babbling along as you're using it.
Promising review: "The pictures posted here are legit. It makes removal so much easier and gives more consistent removal than my previous method of washcloths or just scratching the cradle cap off with my fingernails. It’s amazing and gross and wonderful. My babe doesn’t even flinch when I spend 10 minutes clearing his scalp of all the goo. It seems to be soothing to him. I just apply baby shampoo, then brush a little with the blue brush. Then I slowly start to comb in sections all in one direction. Then I go back and forth in multiple directions. It’s shocking the amount of dead skin that comes off. I’ve even used it successfully in his eyebrows (he gets some cradle cap there too). This is a KEEPER!" —ZMomUtah
Get it from Amazon for $4.99.
20. A pack of corner guards so you can babyproof literally anything in your home. It's fascinating how many sharp corners you discover once you have a baby who's starting to walk!
Promising review: "I needed this product to babyproof my house for our 6-month-old as he is going to stand and walk soon. This protects us too from getting hurt from the corners. I have a desk in my living room that has sharp corners and a dining table with sharp corners. These corner protectors were easy to install. There's a small adhesive sticker that you place inside the corner protectors before sticking them to the corners. When I applied them, they stuck immediately. I was surprised by how unnoticeable they were on the corners of my desk." —Tushar
Get it from Amazon for $9.99.
21. A two-in-one silicone feeder pacifier that's a great way to introduce your baby to solid foods. It's also a fantastic way to provide them relief when teething — fill it with frozen fruit or veggies and they'll be soothed by the cold feeling as they suck on the pacifier.
The set contains two feeders, two large silicone teats, two medium silicone teats, and two small silicone teats.
Promising review: "This is amazing!! I am such a germ freak, so the mesh ones were not going to fly with me. The fact that this entire thing comes apart to sterilize is wonderful. Then add the different size heads for it is great for those just starting foods. My little one has two teeth and absolutely loves this thing. We use frozen cut-up fruit and veggies and he goes nuts. Keeps him occupied for hours!! Definitely recommend 😀" —Danielle Fox
Get a set from Amazon for $13.99 (available in two styles).
22. Or this silicone teether if you're trying to wean your baby off of breastfeeding, but regular pacifiers aren't doing the trick. Reviewers say the unique alien-like antennas work perfectly at keeping their babies soothed!
Promising review: "Oh em gee. I LOVE this. I breastfeed and my baby won’t take ANYTHING but a boob; not a bottle, not a pacifier, nothing. EXCEPT for this alien-looking thing! It gives my boobs a much-needed break and it keeps her happy. Dog hair and such does stick to it very easily but, I mean, it’s silicone, what do you expect. You can just blow it right off or rinse it and it’s good as new. The downside is the rubber squeaking noise, definitely terrible but not enough for me to even dare take it away and risk becoming a pacifier again. Thank you thank you to the mom group that introduced this to me." —Jason English
Get it from Amazon for $6.99 (available in four colors).
23. A pack of six reusable sandwich bags to fill up at the beginning of the week with all your kid's favorite snacks. Now you can just grab and go when you're packing their lunch for the day.
Promising review: "I really like these. They are perfect to keep my diaper bag more organized and keep messy items contained. They open and close easily but with a good hold. Tested to hold water perfectly. The stand-open design is very useful and will protect items well. The presentation was nice, too, and would make a good gift." —Mrs.Krahn
Get them from Amazon for $8.99.
24. A car trash can if your car floor is starting to resemble the bottom of a dumpster. Now your kid will have a dedicated space to throw away all their snack wrappers, dirty tissues, and any other messy bits and bobs.
Promising review: "This is the most useful little item I have EVER placed in my car for litter management. It's easy to use, easy to empty, AND it doubles as a spare cup holder when needed. I've ordered more for our other cars. The kids have really improved their management of basic tidiness in the car with this in our family vehicle. My husband has managed to keep the passenger seat easy for me to join him in his car, and now our teens will enjoy an uncluttered life in the 'teen mobile.'" —DW
Get it from Amazon for $5.99.
25. A turning cabinet lock to keep everything in your cabinets safe from curious little fingers. It's especially great for those lower cabinets in your kitchen — no more finding your kid playing drums on pots and pans!
Promising review: "These work! I know a lot of us struggle finding good child protective locks/straps but these worked on my 3-year-old. Five minutes after installing he noticed them on the bathroom cabinet and they did not budge! I recommend before you peel and stick these to make note of measurements and clean the surface where you will install. They set up and install in less than 10 minutes! A++" —jennifer beaulieu mcgill
Get a set of four from Amazon for $8.99.
26. A set of bed bands for the kids who toss and turn constantly at night and wake up with their sheets all bunched up. This will keep your fitted sheet safe and secure on every corner.
Promising review: "Our kids' bed regularly would last only a day or three before the sheets, which are full size, would be off the corner of the mattress (also a full size) where the more active, playful kid would bounce around getting into or out of bed. With this product installed on all four corners, I haven't had to reset the sheets since. The only difficulty is that two of these are on the side against the wall, underneath the bottom mattress of a bunk bed. Not the easiest thing to get to! However, these do work, and once they're on, they hold." —Amanda R Dennette
Get a set of four from Amazon for $12.99 (available in three colors).
27. Baby detergent pods free of scents, dyes, phosphates, and all that other icky stuff that can irritate your baby's delicate skin. This plant-based pod might be small, but it's mighty strong at cleaning your baby's clothes.
Dropps is a small business based in Philadelphia that produces eco-friendly cleaning products, and their shipping process is 100% carbon neutral.
Promising review: "These are great! They seem to clean really well and don't leave behind residue. Also, my kids have sensitive skin and haven't had any issues since using this." —Emma N.
Get at 64-count of pods from Dropps for $24 (also available in packs of 160 or 240).
28. A laundry hamper perfect for storing all your kid's loose toys so you're not stepping on them and letting out an expletive that isn't safe for kids' ears. It'll also blend into your decor so much better than those plastic bins that stick out like a sore thumb.
Promising review: "I absolutely love this basket. I was looking for a good basket for my kids to put their shoes in and this was perfect. The only problem I had with this was initially trying to get the basket to keep its shape. After filling the basket with a few pillows for two whole days it kept its shape and was great to use. I’m going to purchase a few more for toy storage for my kid's playroom." —Sarah
Get it from Amazon for $25.99 (available in three colors).
29. A hanging closet organizer to help your kid plan out their outfits for the week — just fold up all of the day's clothes in each shelf so they can just grab the stack and get dressed in the morning!
This attaches at the top to your clothing rod in your closet, and it can hold a weight of up to 50 pounds. There are also two side pockets for holding odds and ends.
Promising review: "We use closet organizers like these in our kids’ rooms so they can plan their outfits for the week. We previously had a cute Hello Kitty one and used it for years, but the shelves started sagging so we opted to upgrade. This was a bit more than I wanted to spend. However, after receiving the product I can already tell we’re going to get a long life out of it. The shelves are of nice sturdy material and they should resist sagging." —Amy E Mesko
Get it from Amazon for $26.99+ (available in three sizes and four colors).
30. A set of Gorilla Grip Adhesive Grippers so your rug doesn't come up on corners and end up tripping your kid as they run around. Anything that can help you avoid a crying fit is a win for parents everywhere!
Promising review: "So I am going to point out things I was wondering about before I bought these for myself. Do I think these will be great for removing, cleaning under, putting back? Probably not. Not surprising to me since it's basically just a very strong tape. I put mine on tile and have no intention of moving them. I'll clean around them. Secondly, the adhesion is crazy. I don't expect to need to replace these any time soon. Six months to a year maybe? But what you need to know is that they will NOT work for all floorings. If you're adding a rug to carpet, these strips will likely remove carpet fibers and possibly leave a sticky residue you'll never get up. If you have laminate or vinyl, it could very well pull up the design of your floor. If you're adding to a wood that isn't very well lacquered, you could end up damaging the floor trying to get the adhesive off. So, I might limit the use of these to tile or concrete. This also means you might want to be careful what rugs you attach them to. If they're cheap, the strips may very well rip off the backing. All in all, I'm extremely impressed with them. For what I needed them for, they're perfect. I will buy again once these inevitably get pulled up and dirty by my filthy children." —Stephanie
Get eight pieces from Amazon for $11.99.
31. A water-resistant smock designed to protect your kiddo's entire ~lewk~ from messy mealtime or arts and crafts. It's much easier to wipe this down than have to change their whole outfit.
Promising review: "These things are a life saver! It took my son a little while to get used to them but he never really minded them much. They completely cover him from his shoulders to his lap and I love that if he drops food into his lap the pocket catches it. I no longer have to worry about him getting food all over himself or his clothes! He’s a messy self-feeder but it’s not a problem anymore thanks to these bibs! I also especially love that I can easily just wipe them down after meals so I only have to wash them once they start looking slightly stained. Then I just throw them in the wash and they come out good as new! I bought three and I’m so glad I did! If your kid is exceptionally messy, I highly recommend these!" —Alicia Briggs
Get it from Amazon for $9.95.
32. A toilet safety seal so your baby doesn't mistake your toilet bowl for a swimming pool and decide to start splashing around.
Thankfully, this lock is super easy for grown-ups to use: to unlock, push the button and rotate the long arm with a single hand. To relock the toilet lock, press the button.
Promising review: "So far I really like these. My toddler likes to put things in the toilet so this works perfect for keeping him out, and isn't a pain to use like some other toilet locks we've tried." —smaldon
Get a set of two from Amazon for $13.98.
33. A three-tier metal utility cart to store all your kid's craft supplies in one place so you can encourage their artistic aspirations without having all their paints, brushes, and colored pencils scattered around the house.
The cart comes with three bins you can hang on the side of the trays as well as removable tray dividers to keep things more orderly.
Promising review: "I bought two of these to organize my twins' arts and crafts, and they are adorable. I've never seen my kids keep something so clean and put things back where they belong before but I have to say the organization I initially set up is so far holding. They look great in our kitchen and den, where they do their crafts, and we can wheel them from room to room, which was my desire. Overall so far, so good." —Reena Factor
Get it from Amazon for $34.99+ (available in three colors).
34. A plastic storage bag organizer so you can easily grab whatever size you need while packing lunches or storing leftovers from dinner. No more fumbling with those bulky cardboard containers they usually come in!
Each unit is made of solid birch wood. If you order the unassembled version, the seller recommends using wood glue to put it together.
SouthernMissDesign is a small business based in Spartanburg, South Carolina, that specializes in handmade wooden signs and custom vinyl monograms.
Promising review: "Love how this makes my drawer so clean and organized! No more fiddling with boxes! Fast shipping and wonderful package presentation!" —Jamie Lynn
Get it from SouthernMissDesign on Etsy for $32.50+ (available assembled or unassembled).
35. A sock organizer because kids' socks are so dang *small* and can often get lost in the process of doing laundry. Just clip all their socks onto this *before* throwing them into the washing machine so you can actually find each sock's partner when you're sorting the dried clothes.
Promising review: "These work. They are of good quality construction. I had a sock problem, and these have stopped the unexplained disappearance of socks. Obviously, the sock monster can't swallow the Sock Dock full of socks, only single socks." —A.D. Burnette
Get it from Amazon for $16 (available in five colors).
36. A set of cloth diaper fasteners if you're thinking about making the switch to cloth diapers and would like some extra help keeping them in place.
Promising review: "Snappis are amazing! I'm new to the cloth diapering world and wanted to try every style of diaper to see what I liked best for my baby. So I bought these to hold together my flour sack towels and they work perfectly. They stay in place even when it is soaked!! For the price and the quality you couldn't get any better than the Snappis. I would recommend this product to anyone interested in the more 'old school'–style cloth diapering system." —victoria88
Get them from Amazon: five-pack of Snappi fasteners for $13.95 and 10-pack of Gerber cloth diapers for $13.99.
37. An absolutely essential Denman Hair Brush that helps detangle, separate, shape, and define curly hair. The soft bristles are gentle enough even for your kiddo's sensitive scalp — you won't hear any complaints you're tugging their hair!
This brush is great for 3c/b hair!
Promising review: "I purchased this awesome lil' thing for my granddaughter who has thin coils. It works PERFECTLY for my daughter and granddaughter. It cut combing time in half. Which cuts down on fussing and crying and get-aways 🤣🤣🤣" —Na Na’s Lola
Get it from Amazon for $17.95+ (available in three styles and four colors).
You might not believe it now, but one day, your kids are going to thank you for all the hard work you put in raising them and, you know, keeping them alive.
Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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