Baby gyms help your baby to develop motor coordination. And if it has lights and sounds, your baby's visual and auditory acuity become well developed. It keeps your baby busy, which frees you to attend to other things in the house. There are many kinds in the market today which would confuse you as to which particular type to buy. If you are looking for one, read my reviews below.
Products | Weight | Dimensions | Editor's rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Fisher-Price Rainforest Melodies and Lights Deluxe | 3.6 pounds | 29 x 23.3 x 3 inches | ||
Fisher-Price Kick and Play Piano | 1.8 pounds | 17.9 x 27 x 3 inches | ||
Infantino Twist and Fold, Vintage Boy | 3 pounds | 5.5 x 29 x 10.8 inches | ||
Baby Einstein Caterpillar and Friends | 4.8 pounds | 25 x 2.5 x 23 inches | ||
Tiny Love Gymini Super Deluxe Lights & Music Play Mat | 2.7 pounds | 30.5 x 23.2 x 2.2 inches |
1. Fisher Price Rainforest-Melodies and Lights Deluxe Review
It's a colorful and lively product that mimics the wild, complete with leaves, a spinning buffalo, hanging monkeys and a giraffe on the side. The hanging toys are adjustable so you can make them reach just the right height for your baby to reach. They are firmly attached, though, to avoid them coming off and choking your baby.
It also comes with a baby-safe mirror to help your baby with self-awareness. A variety of musical tunes and nature sounds to entertain your little one to the fullest. It's easy to wash and to setup too. Because of the lights and the sounds, the batteries might drain too quickly, and you will find yourself having to replace them all often.
2. Fisher Price Kick Play Piano
It plays notes every time your baby hits the piano keys with their feet, which is quite an entertainment for him. Included too are hanging toys for your baby to grasp and improve on motor skills. The hanging toys are not fixed, you can pull them down to the mat to be within reach of your baby if there's need to.
It's the music that delights babies the most with this product, and you will find them kicking about and rolling. Which is why the mat should be a bit bigger in size. It's too small for the baby to turn and crawl freely, which is a disadvantage.
3. Infantino Twist and Fold
It comes in different themes, and you get to choose the one that appeals to your taste. It's suitable for babies from birth upwards. It features four hanging toys for your child to play with and build muscles and motor skills. The baby-safe mirror it comes equipped with entertains and helps your baby to develop self-awareness. The tummy- time pillow cushions your baby from the hard ground when he lies face down.
It folds into a small size that's easy to carry when on the go, and you will have no reason to leave your baby's best plaything behind.
The only problem is the lack of music or sounds, which an make the baby playing with it to become bored.
4. Baby Einstein Caterpillar and Friends
It's a large enough gym that features several entertainment activities for your baby. There are music, lights and a mirror for your baby's self-awareness. It also has dangling stuffies to keep your baby grasping at them and building motor coordination and muscles.
Being large, it becomes a problem when you want to fold it to a compact size. It means on many occasions, you will have to leave it behind when traveling.
5. Tiny Love Gymini Deluxe
It has the best of musical tunes for your baby. You get to choose between Mozart and some nursery tunes. You baby causes the notes to play when they kick about, and once they know this, they will keep doing it and feeling entertained. It comes with a mirror that's safe for your baby to use to discover himself. It folds into a flat, compact size making it easy to carry along when out of the house. If your baby is between the age of from birth up to 12 months, you would want to consider buying this gym; it'specifically meant for this age bracket.
When using this baby mat, the only thing that should be of concern is having to change the batteries often; they drain too quickly as a result of the heavy power requirement of the sound mechanism.
How to buy
Most gyms are made for babies as young as a few days after birth. At this age, your baby's visual and motor abilities are still simple. Avoid choosing anything that's too colorful and with loud, harsh sounds. Sweet musicals and rattles are better. The hanging toys should be adjustable so you can lower them to your baby's level.
But if your baby is a litter older, perhaps several months old, a complex one is fine. Buy for them a colorful theme with a variety of sounds and music that will develop their visual and auditory senses. If they can sit up, something with dangling toys would be the best. Gyms that make sounds when the baby presses some keys are especially entertaining and good at developing motor skills in your baby.
Most products nowadays come equipped with mats alongside the arched toy supports. Make sure the mat is adequately padded for your baby's comfort. Foam types are better than other materials such as fabrics; they grip the floor better and last longer. Also, look for the ones that have mats large enough for your baby to play freely without slipping off it. Mats with differently textured and colored surfaces are better; they help your baby with motor coordination and color recognition.
Make sure the dangling toys cannot choke your baby. They should be firmly fixed and too big to fit the baby's mouth. And because your baby will always try to suck at them, they should be made from safe materials. This should be assured by the manufacturer, and most toys are safe, although checking is always better. Look for products with LED lights; they stimulate and entertain your baby. They are a favorite with older babies whose visual sense have somewhat developed because they will help to develop it further.
Whichever choice you make, it should entertain and to develop your baby's motor and other skills. And at the same time, it allows you time to attend to other things as your baby is kept busy playing. Which is why gyms with many features and fun activities are the best.
