The Baby Ladder

Now the baby ladder isn’t really the name of what’s captured in this image. In fact, no one has ever had to put a name to this wood box on top of a ladder originally strapped down by bungee cords. Some people call it the Mardi Gras ladder. You can find these creations all along parade routes in New Orleans decorated all different ways. And you won’t find any adult sitting in this. Nope — it is designed for a toddler to sit in or a “bead baby.” When parades go by, those throwing beads from the floats look out for these ladders and the screaming toddlers in them reaching their hands out for beads. The bead throwers try to get beads into the box they sit in. You are most likely to get the best beads and the most beads when you have a bead baby in a box on top of a ladder. And there is usually some sort of storage pouch for the kids to put their beads in. If your goal is to get a lot of beads, don’t stand by one of these. You can’t compete with cute kids and a high target!

These ladders have now become a business. From the DIY bungee cord ladder to a manufactured good, you can buy the custom built crow’s nest box that you can bolt onto a ladder yourself or buy the entire ladder already built. Usually, the boxes are personalized with the child’s name or the family last name. Others, like in the image here, have motivational words. They also sport kiddie wheels and a safety bar. In fact, there are now ladders that can seat up to 4 children at a time! Some online websites that you can purchase these ladders on are Etsy, Pinterest and paradeladders.com.

The ladders emerged in the 1960’s in response to wanting to provide children with good views of parades. I am sure it was also a response to the parents who were carrying children on their shoulders and were desperate for a solution to save the integrity of their upper bodies.

There has been a history of laws and regulation since the invention of these ladders, but they are rarely enforced. The laws were put into place for two major reasons. First and foremost, a child fell from a ladder in 1981 and was crushed to death during the Krewe of Orleanians parade on St. Charles Avenue. While the description of these ladders seem dangerous, the children are not left to their own devices. A parent is always up on the ladder behind the child supervising them the whole time.

Secondly, parents were connecting multiple ladders together forming a wall or barrier that would block ground level parade goers from seeing the floats or being able to go up to the floats for beads.

The law that was passed by City Council in 1985 required that ladders needed to be placed in neutral ground, which was determined by the city marking over 1,000 neutral spaces, and they needed to be at least six feet from the curb.

While these laws aren’t aggressively enforced like I mentioned earlier, I have seen first hand that people use common courtesy and respect using the ladders and the kids are happy and entertained trying to out scream their nested neighbors to see who can get the most beads.