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Playmats and baby gyms - where to begin the thought process?

30 replies

MrsMcJnr · 02/11/2007 16:28

So - which ones do you have and why and do you use it a lot? does anyone have pets (cats) and how does it work out with them around? Thanks

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yomellamoHelly · 02/11/2007 16:42

Bought a Tinylove playmat with ds1. Was invaluable until he started sitting as he LOVED batting at the huge array of stuff we attached to it (still loves watching things spin). Ds2 is not that kind of baby though and much prefers his toys strewn around him in an arc so he can grab whichever one he fancies and chew to his heart's content. He does like his bouncy chair for periods of time so I bought an ELC ring for him thinking that might be of interest to him, but he's much happier lying flat tbh and keeps wriggling until he is. It is nice to contain the mess and it makes for easy tidying come 6 o clock (it all gets chucked back on mat and folded away.
No pets I'm afraid.
Tbh you won't need one for the first 6-7 weeks so you could just ask for one as a gift, or see what you db is like and take it from there.

goingfor3 · 02/11/2007 16:44

I used a tinylove one for my DD's and it is great. Everyone I know with babies has that too. Someone passed a galt ring on to us for dd2 and she didn't like it. So really I'm saying the same as yomellamoHelly .

claireybang · 03/11/2007 11:00

Mine was a tinylove one too (I think). Basically the mat needs to be easily washed as it gets dribbled/sicked on a lot (some of the extra padded ones are more difficult to wash). And check that the toys look good from underneath (ie to babies lying on the mat)rather than looking good and interesting from an adult perspective.

DD loved hers and it got daily use. It even got her first smile and coos
We had cats at the time and tbh they were mostly scared of dd so didnt go near the mat, but if they do then again, being easy to wash is a bonus.

Tangle · 03/11/2007 21:39

We got this TinyLove one for DD when she was about a week old. To start with it was just somewhere to put her, but from about 2 weeks she'd quite happily stare at herself in the mirror for 5 or 10 minutes - just long enough for me to grab lunch . She's now 7 months and is still getting use out of it. We don't have any pets.

In addition to the washability factor, go for something with
-bright, high contrast colours
-toys that are low enough for a little baby to reach
-a range of different textures/sounds to investigate.

Happy shopping

becklesparkler · 04/11/2007 15:28

this is the one I am looking at getting for my LO. I like it because it can be changed for when baby can lie on it's front.

Not sure about the cats, I think this one folds up so I when not in use I can put it behind the sofa where my cats can't lounge on it!

CantSleepWontSleep · 04/11/2007 15:36

We had the lotty ladybird one from Mamas and Papas. We wanted the thick padding on it because we have all wooden floors. The down side of this one is that the toys were very high, so couldn't be reached easily when dd was very tiny. (The plus side of them being high being that it lasted longer).

Tbh, I think you'd do as well to just use a blanket folded up on the floor as the base, and get one of those plastic arches to go over the top. Will see if I can find a link to the sort of thing that I mean. Would make washing much easier, as you could just wash the blanket whenever you wanted, without having to detach anything.

CantSleepWontSleep · 04/11/2007 15:39

This is the sort of thing I mean.

flowerybeanbag · 04/11/2007 16:01

We have this baby einstein one. It did really well in reviews and it's fantastic. Fairly flat so when DS got to rolling stage he could do so easily. Toys above and on sides, music and lights, he loves it and I highly recommend. You can bung the mat in the washing machine as well.

flowerybeanbag · 04/11/2007 16:03

And the mat detaches easily.
WRT pets we have trained our dog that he is not allowed on the mat. Means he normally lies as close as possible while not technically on it, and tries it on occasionally.
Obviously I have to sit there with DS if dog is there, or shut the door so dog can't come in.

deaconblue · 04/11/2007 18:49

some of the really beautiful activity arch things are too high for a baby to reach. We had a fisher price one which wasn't as nice to look at as the m and p one but ds could reach the toys from a few weeks old and got a lot more out of his than his friends with fancier gyms got. So my advice is get one with low toys

Bodkin · 04/11/2007 19:32

Hi Mrs! I'm starting to think you are actually compiling a book, with all this research you are doing

We've got a ELC one that my sis gave me - it's very basic, just 4 toys that rattle, jingle etc. but it's been brilliant for both my DDs. The toys are just on rings on the arches, so you can slide them up or down depending on how far your baby can reach. She spends a lot of time on it with her nappy off (much more content that way), so it goes through the wash all the time (whenever I do a load of nappies basically) I really ought to get a second one actually, for while it's in the wash!

I personally feel (call me old fashioned) that the ones with music, lights etc. could well be over-stimulating for a very young baby (under 6 months), and is really no substitute for being talked to, sung to, played with etc.

flowerybeanbag · 05/11/2007 11:50

Not sure anyone was suggesting these are a substitute for being talked to etc

And most babies show when they are overstimulated so you would obviously not leave them under one of these very long at all when they are tiny.

DS is 5 months and loves anything with noise, lights etc. I agree for tiny babies, just a few weeks old that kind of thing might not be appropriate.

Bodkin · 05/11/2007 12:02

No, I didn't say they did - I just said that was my personal feeling. She has asked for people's thoughts on baby gyms and I have given mine. That's ok isn't it?

CaraLondon · 05/11/2007 12:03

A vote for the Tiny Love mat here. It is great - folds away easily and you can attach so many toys to it - the rings to attach new toys are quite easy to get hold of. Also it is very bright and colourful. I used it from two weeks onwards just to put dd down and she could look at the toys - didn't start batting them for a while. She loves the mirror and it has flaps and squeaky bits for when she's on her front. The wind-chimes kick toy can be bought separately and are a great - and don't make too tinny a sound which some can. The tunes are three nursery rhymes and a mozart piece which are annoying, though, and I don't use them, but you can't make the lights go on without the music. HTH
www.tinylove.com/toy.aspx?toyId=32&state=toyTypeId=1@elementId=0@ageId=0

mummymagic · 05/11/2007 12:27

Although it maybe wouldn't have been my choice, Dd loved the Tiny Love mat which was a present (and you can adjust the height of the dangley things - tip: plastic shower rings work well as extra hooks). She also had a Tiny Love arch which went on her bouncer - she reached for a toy from that at 5 weeks so def think it worked for her
She has just found it from under the sofa in the last couple of weeks and it has found a new lease of life as a swing for dolly and she likes to jump on the squeaky thing...

I also got her another one off ebay - the Fisher Price Aquarium mat which she had from 10 weeks (and could reach where the toys were but they were fixed height) it had a octopus with a reasonably pleasant tune which she liked. Bonus is that the mat converted to a tunnel for crawling - which she still uses now (at 18mths).

claireybang · 05/11/2007 12:43

Oh yes my dd loved the kick chimes too! They were great for when she started getting frustrated at not being able to roll etc

rmadley · 05/11/2007 13:21

I had the same one as Tangle for my ds - which he loved. My sister-in-law has just bought the same one for her new baby. I was at her house last week with my ds (he'll be 2 later this month) and when he saw the mat he started crawling all over it, and demonstrating to his cousin just how all the bits worked!

MamaMaiasaura · 05/11/2007 13:24

Hi there MrsMc

We are either getting tiny love gymini or baby einstein discovering water. Both from John Lewis.

einstein

gymini

MrsBadger · 05/11/2007 13:52

whatever you get, get some spare rings [http://www.elc.co.uk/toy-41946?&category=531&age=none&price=0-10&els=none&filter=filter&parent_cate gory_id=531 thus]] or similar for attaching other toys to it - I found they got fed up of the few that come with the gym fairly fast so we rotate themwith ones that are different colours / make different noises etc.

MrsBadger · 05/11/2007 13:52

thus or similar

mummymagic · 05/11/2007 15:05

Or just go to the pound shop and get a shower curtain that comes with plastic rings. The rings do the same job as the links above, and you can use the shower curtain as a splash mat under the highchair/or for water play etc

becklesparkler · 06/11/2007 14:44

My Fisher Price Miracles and Milestones 3 in 1 baby gym arrived today! It folds in half when not in use and the mat can be easily removed and washed if the cats do happen to get on it or baby is sick on it. Have also discovered that you can buy extra toys which can clipped onto it or plaued with by themselves! The extra toys are very cheap too.

becklesparkler · 06/11/2007 14:44

played with by themselves

MamaMaiasaura · 09/11/2007 11:23

right, my opinion on playmats has now changed as goen and seen them in the flesh. Am now going for lottie ladybird.

MrsMcJnr · 09/11/2007 12:58

Thanks ladies the tinylove seems to get lots of love

That?s a good point youmellamoHelly (interesting name! ) I guess I may have more of an idea what the LO is like by the time he/she arrives

Thanks Goingfor3 and CaraLondon

Claireybang ? LOL that the mat got the first signs of affection from your DD! good points about the need to be washable and the fact that the cats will probably be too scared. My two nephews came to stay at the weekend (4 and 18 months) the 9 year old cat was unfazed by them both but the younger ones were terrified and stayed under the bed that said DN2 is a shrieker!

Love the colours on that one Tangle

Beckle good point about it folding up out of use so pussycats don?t think it?s their turn!

That?s a good idea about the arch and blankets Cantsleepwontsleep we have wooden floors or tiles too.

That looks fun too flowerybeanbag

Shoppingbagsundereyes low toys it is then!

LOL Bodkin I nearly did after planning my wedding ?.

Interesting about the crawling mat conversion mummymagic

Love that discovering water one Awen, would quite like to play on that myself why did you change your mind?

Good thinking MrsBadger

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