Baby Play Gyms & Activity Centres
Babies and infants just love the thrills and excitement that a play gym serves up – and they get plenty of essential cognitive and motor sensor skills development into the bargain.
So mum and dad can get a welcome break as their little one gets down to some play-time action on their feature-packed gym – all the while knowing the play thing is helping to nurture their baby boy or girl’s mental and physical development at the same time – how cool is that?
A play gym creates a wonderful animated environment for any baby and the surroundings of bright colours, fabrics and hanging toys make it a perfect setting for your little one in your home.
Here are a few top-selling baby gyms at Amazon which have proved a popular choice with UK parents.
Fisher-Price DFP08 Rainforest Gym, Baby Playmat with Music and Lights, Suitable from Birth for New-Borns
(7474)
Tiny Love Gymini Deluxe, Musical Baby Play Mat and Newborn Activity Gym, Suitable from Birth, 0 Month +, 88 x 78 cm, Into the Forest
(6083)
Fisher Price 3 In 1 Musical Rainforest Infant Activity Gym CHP85
(4363)
Bright Starts Disney Baby Mr. Ray Ocean Lights Activity Gym & Play Mat
(2943)
MiniDream Baby Musical Jumbo Playmat Activity Gym - Beige
(804)
Bright Starts 5-in-1 Your Way Ball Play, Mat & Activity Gym with 35 Balls, 12 Toys and 20 Minutes of Lights and Music, green
(8227)
Fisher-Price BMH49 Kick and Play Piano Gym, New-Born Baby Play Mat with Activity Centre, Music and Sounds, Suitable from Birth
(7494)
Baby Play Mat, Playing with Hanging Toys for New Born to Ball Pit for Toddler, The Only Activity Gym Mats for Babies – by BaryB
(95)These little dens of activity are large enough to allow a baby to wriggle around, explore and reach out for the toys and other play things hanging in the arched area above their heads.
Activity play mat gyms come with an extensive range of accessories and features which are all geared to providing an exciting play area for a baby or infant – rattles, crushable pieces of material with different textures, mirrors, teethers, hanging toys, jingle bells and squeezy shapes are just some of the things available to help with a little boy or girl’s learning and personal development.
A play gym is only really suitable for a newborn who is past the swaddling stage, which is normally around one to two months. Play gyms really come into their own for babies in the two to six months period – this is when they are just starting to discover themselves and a gym can really help to develop their sense of self awareness.
There are some excellent baby activity gyms for sale at OnBuy.com, including popular products from leading brand names including Tiny Love, Bright Starts and Fisher Price.
Babies of this age can only see objects within around 30cms of them, so a toy bar over the top of a gym is just about the right distance to capture their attention.
They will happily gurgle with joy and smile as they reach out to touch and squeeze the little toys hanging overhead – and when they start to lose interest in that, it’s time to turn them over for a spot of tummy time which is great for developing their tiny muscles and body movement co-ordination.
When a baby gets a bit older and reaches the infant and toddler stages of life where they start to crawl and become more mobile, a traditional foam play mat – with a colourful theme and lots of little accessories – is a more suitable choice for the floor of a room in your home.
It’s essential to buy a baby gym that’s easy to clean – babies regularly dribble, burp and bring up reflux – and of course there can be little leakages from nappies … so mum will want to get everything looking fresh, clean and hygienic with the minimum of fuss and effort.
Comfort is also a key factor in choosing a baby play gym – so try to buy one with plenty of child-friendly soft padding and cushioning. Also remember to check that the gym meets all the necessary UK safety standards.
It’s also worth checking that a gym you may be thinking of purchasing is light to carry and can be folded down easily if you want to move it to another location or take it away from home when visiting friends.
A cheap baby activity gym will cost around £25 to £40 but prices can be much higher for a luxury gym, such as those with built-in battery-operative music players which play soothing melodies and nursery rhymes.
Leading brand names for best-selling play gyms include Baby Einstein, Bright Starts, Mamas & Papas, Fisher-Price, Inside Out Toys, just4baby and Ship Hop. Check out our article on choosing a baby play gym for more tips and advice.