Are Play Gyms Good For Babies?
Baby play gyms are just as safe as any other activity product on the market, provided you keep an eye on your baby at all times. Your baby encounters a wide range of experiences from the very start. Some examples include grabbing, pulling, and throwing objects. Play gyms help you kick-start these, which otherwise would have been learned at a later stage.
Benefits of Play Gym For Babies
One look at a play gym and all you can think of is "fun," but let me remind you there’s more to it than meets the eye.- A play gym can provide your baby with limitless ways of developing their fine motor skills. They feel excited and curious by the different sensations of touch they come across with the different types of toys in them. Most play gyms come with an assortment of toys that require different methods to grab them. These help them exercise their tiny little fingers and improve dexterity.
- Most play gyms have musical toys that light up; these can greatly help with their cognitive development as they stimulate the brain with bright colours, textures, and lights. Using the toys also helps them improve their hand-eye coordination as some of these require your baby to use spatial understanding.
- If your baby needs to be nudged a lot for tummy time, then all you need is a play gym. Since a play gym has a lot more space than your regular crib, which encourages more movement and tummy time. This in turn helps strengthen the muscles for crawling, sitting up, and walking.
How Do We Choose These Play Gyms
The BabyG team conducts thorough research on all the products recommended in the list through their personal experience as parents and experts and the community experience of over 300k parents who use the BabyG early development app. During the research process, we looked at reviews around real usage of the product, quality, rating, pricing, safety, and overall value as per the use cases of different parents.
To choose the best play gyms, we further detailed our research to look for sturdiness, the activities your baby gets to do in it, the variety of toys, material, and pricing. We also looked at the ease of storage, assembly, and cleaning to ensure maximum convenience.
By doing so, our team has ensured that we provide our community with reliable and high-quality product recommendations. Our mission is to ensure that our parenting community always makes informed, expert recommended and well researched decisions to give the best development and products to their little ones.
Top Rated Baby Play Gyms in 2022
1. Best Themed Play Gym: Disney Baby Mr.Ray Ocean Lights Activity Play Gym
There is almost no baby who isn't enthralled by anything Disney. This is the perfect play gym for all those babies who get excited watching Nemo and Dory. The play gym is filled with soft, multisensory stuffed toys with the theme of the magical sea. The entire top part of the product is shaped like Mr. Ray, which lights up on usage. You also have the option to switch off the music and only play the lights on the play gym. Apart from this, it is also very easy to assemble.
Specifications: 81.28 x 91.44 x 45.72 cm; 1.17 Kilograms
Pros: Easy to clean, added pillow for tummy time
Cons: The structure can be shaky if tugged too hard
Rating:4.7/5
2. Best for Interactive Toys: Cable World Musical Keyboard Gym Mat
Is your baby in a kicking frenzy? Then we have just the play gym for you. This product has piano keys that play music upon kicking and can be the perfect entertainer for your little one. Your baby might be curious about the big mirror that hangs from the play gym bar while they play with the many cute, interactive animal toys that are attached to it. These toys are also 100% safe and non-toxic. The soft and comfy mat is also completely washable, and all parts of it are easy to assemble since it is very lightweight.
Specifications: 46 x 32 x 8 cm; 82 Kilograms Suitable for: 0 months and up
Pros: Four different jingles, Colourful
Cons: The structure can be shaky if tugged too hard
Rating: 3.9/5
3. Best Value for Money: DearJoy Baby Play Gym Bedding Set
This product gives your baby comfort, safety, and fun—all at a budget-friendly price. The best part of this play gym is the attached mosquito net with a zipper. No more worries about your baby getting mosquito and insect bites. The base of this play gym is thick which is made of quality materials to make a cosy bedding. It also has a thick base and is made of quality materials that have undergone strict testing. The stuffed toys are made of soft cotton, which would spark your little one's interest in wanting to pull on them. This also allows them to engage more in tummy time. It is very easy to fold and store which makes it more convenient. Your baby is sure to get long hours of sleep as well as funtime.
Specifications: 65 x 65 x 70 cm; 540 Grams
Pros: Washable, includes replaceable toys
Cons: The quality of the zipper may vary
Rating: 4/5
4. Best for Musical Toys: Fisher Price Rainforest Music & Lights Deluxe Gym
They say the more the merrier, and that's absolutely true in the case of this play gym. The musical toucan that goes on top of it is the best part about this play gym. Some jingles in this play gym are melodies while some are peppy for every kind of mood of your baby. The jungle-themed play gym has animal stuffed toys such as snails, tigers, and butterflies, which will keep your baby entertained for longer than you can imagine. The big giraffe can definitely strike interest in your little one. They can rattle and also be replaced with any other toy of your baby’s liking. The bars on the play gym are very easy to assemble.
Specifications: 77.47 x 82.58 x 69.85 cm; 2 Kilograms
Pros: Washable, easy to store
Cons: Batteries aren't included
Rating: 4.8/5
5. Best Nature Themed: Skip hop Treetop Friends Activity Gym
The nature-themed design makes this baby activity gym a good option for babies who are excited at the sight of animals and birds. 13 separate hoops in the gym can be used to hang a variety of 5 plush animals and birds. Such a gym with various fabric textures is excellent for assisting children in multisensory play at various stages of development. The sturdy arches and matching pillow are attractive to look at and encourage babies to enjoy tummy time.
Specifications: 91.44 x 48.26 x 91.44 cm; 1.36 Kg
Suitable for: 6 months and up
Pros: Mirror, linen, and patterned arches.
Cons: The in-built sounds may stop after some time.
Rating: 4.8/5
6. Best Foldable Play Gym: Infantino 4 in 1 Twist & Fold Activity Play Gym
Look no further because this play gym is perfectly portable and you can take it almost everywhere. The entire play gym is easy to assemble and can be taken apart with minimum effort and time. The play gym comes with detachable rattle toys, some of which are also stuffed. Each of the soft toys are pillowy soft and cushiony. It also includes a musical monkey toy with jingles. The hanging mirror is another feature that sets this play gym apart. Your baby would love to spend more time on it, as a mirror is a very fascinating thing for babies. The pillow can be fitted onto any other baby support item, like a car seat, to attach toys that can ensure comfort and fun at the same time.
Specifications: 61 x 8.9 x 47 Centimeters
Pros: Washable and portable
Cons: Assembling may need some practise
Rating: 4.8/5
7. Best with a Mosquito net: R for Rabbit First Play Gym Mat
Insect bites are a major health scare for babies. With this play gym, parents can rest easy knowing that it has been specially designed to prevent them. This is possible due to the mosquito net on this play gym. It is made of fine mesh, which is very soft. The bedding of the play gym is quite thick, making it a soft play gym for babies. Your child will love the attractive colours of this play gym. The toys that are on it are also extremely engaging. The play gym is compact, making it very travel-friendly. It can be put together in a couple of minutes with minimum effort and hassle.
Specifications: 78.74 x 78.74 x 53.34 cm; 250 Grams
Pros: Perfect option for gifting as it is budget-friendly
Cons: No concerns
Rating: 4/5
How To Choose The Best Baby Play Gym?
Choosing a play gym is quite simple but look out for these few things- Sturdiness of the play gym: This is quite important because if your baby tugs too hard on the arches, it can come toppling onto them. So make sure it can withstand some pressure. The safety of your baby is our utmost priority, and an unsturdy play gym risks it all.
- Washable mats: A washable mat equals stainless-steel hygienic mats, which can last you for way longer periods of time and save you money. It's best if the play gym is easy to clean.
- Toys: Small toys and their loose parts are sure to end up being chewed on. Avoid them as they could become a choking hazard for your baby. Apart from this, pay extra attention to the material of the toys. Bid goodbye to BPA or phthalate toys, as these are full of harmful toxins for your baby. Even chipping paint can be toxic for your baby. Detachable toys are best because you can attach different toys to keep your baby entertained for a long time.
- Colours: Babies don't have clear vision up until a few months, which is why picking a play gym with contrasting colours is an absolute necessity. This allows them to get a lot of visual stimulation.
- Bedding: Babies hate bedding that would cause them to break out into rashes. Soft and comfy bedding will keep them comfortable and fuss-free.
- Easy assembly: Parents hate products that are both complicated and time consuming to put together. Choose your play gyms accordingly unless you're up for a challenge. An easy to assemble play gym also allows you to carry it to a place of your liking with no extra effort.
Conclusion,
Although there are other options for your baby to develop his fine motor skills, there’s nothing that can match the level of entertainment and comfort a play gym can provide. They are very safe under your supervision, while babies enjoy the freedom to move, play, and explore on their own. So put that indecisive mind to rest because play gyms for your babies are definitely something BabyG recommends!
Wondering how to stay on top of all your munchkins' developmental needs? Head on over to your BabyG App today, and get complete access to 1000+ Development Activities, Milestones and Growth Reports, Meal Plans, Recipes, Bedtime Stories, Tips and a Global Community of like-minded parents.
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