Lamaze Spin & Explore Garden Gym

Lamaze Spin & Explore Garden Gym Review

Lamaze Spin & Explore Garden Gym Feature

• Provides an innovative and fun platform that encourages exploration
• Develops upper body strength and lower leg development
• Unique shape and rotating motion
• Play mat can be enjoyed after "tummy time" has passed
• From birth and above

Designed for use from birth up to 24 months, the award-winning Lamaze Spin and Explore Garden Gym introduces a new format for tummy time, one of the key developmental phases of a newborn. Developed in conjunction with pediatricians and child development experts from Yale University, this colorful mat encourages baby to spin and explore the world on their tummy, which helps them develop the muscle strength necessary for sitting up and crawling.

The Lamaze Spin and Explore Garden Gym: Features rotating, removable platform that encourages tummy time play and exploration Helps develop both lower and upper body strength Prepares baby for sitting up and crawling

Remove the bolster and the Garden Gym make a great play mat. View larger.

Enjoy Tummy Time With Your Little One
Tummy time is an important developmental activity for newborns. During the first months of life, babies learn how to move their bodies and gain the necessary physical strength for rolling over, sitting up, and crawling. Besides the physical benefits of tummy time, giving your infant playtime on his belly will help minimize any flat spots on his head that may have come from sleeping on his back.

The Spin and Explore offers both you and your baby a soft and safe space to make tummy time a pleasurable part of everyday activities. Baby can gently and comfortably spin around on her tummy, stretching and strengthening her upper and lower body while enjoying lots of squeaky, crinkly, tactile fun. After your baby can sit up on her own, you can remove the spinner and let her take advantage of the other visually and physically stimulating features, like the peek-a-boo leaf flap and mirror.

Fun, Innovative Design
Winner of Redbook's "Hottest Toys of the 2007 Holiday Season," and a Toy Insider 2007 Top 20 pick, the Spin and Explore provides an innovative platform with a unique shape and rotating motion to encourage exploration and give babies the confidence they need to try new things. As his coordination grows, baby is more likely to want to attempt new skills--like twirling around on his tummy to visit his garden pals for tactile play, interaction that motivates him to hold his head up, use his legs, and spin on his stomach.

The Spin and Explore can be used with or without the platform and also includes little loops to attach other toys to the play mat. It measures 28.0 x 5.5 x 28.0 inches (WxHxD) and comes with a garden-theme play mat, spinning platform, and ladybug platform cover. It also includes a 90 day limited warranty.

The Red Bird pulls out of his nest and squeaks!

Baby will love seeing her self in the mirror.

Peek-a-boo leaf flap with crinkle will delight baby.

Tethered bee rattles.

3-D butterfly wings with crinkle.

About Learning Curve
The creative force behind hundreds of award-winning toys, Learning Curve created the Lamaze Infant Development System by working in tandem with parents, babies, and childhood experts. Learning Curve understands that what matters most to parents is keeping their children healthy, happy, and safe. The company's goal is to help parents do just that by offering products for every stage of a child's development--from feeding to playing to sleeping. Learning Curve's thoroughly researched developmental toys engage children, and provide parents with peace of mind. And their care, safety, feeding and soothing products give you solutions to day-to-day needs at mealtime, bedtime, at home and on-the-go.

What's in the Box
Garden-theme play mat, spinning platform, and ladybug platform cover.
The Spin & Explore Garden Gym introduces a new format for one of the key developmental phases of a newborn. Spin & Explore Garden Gym provides an innovative, fun platform for encouraging exploration, developing upper body strength and lower leg development through a unique shape and rotating motion. The unique rotating tummy time spinner design encourages physical development as baby works to strengthen upper and lower body muscles. Employing a colorful playmat with varying texture and layers, baby will be visually and physically stimulated by the fun developmental features. The playmat acts as a "grow-with-me" feature as baby will continue to enjoy exploring the multiple textures long after her tummy time development milestone has passed.. Measures 28"L x 28"W x 5.5"H.

Fisher-Price Little Superstar Step N' Play Piano

Fisher-Price Little Superstar Step N' Play Piano Review

Fisher-Price Little Superstar Step N' Play Piano Feature

• Spinning seat with plenty of playful activities for 360 degrees of fun
• Sliding seat lets baby "walk" back and forth
• Each step that baby takes is rewarded with music and lights
• A combination of fun songs, sound effects and lights play along as baby interacts with the different Instruments
• Seat removes so toddler can play and even create songs note by note

Not only does the Little Superstar Step ’n Play Piano have toys to keep baby’s hands busy, it also rewards baby’s feet with every step on the keys, there’ll be fun music and dancing lights to encourage baby’s natural stepping motion. It starts out as a musical activity station for baby with plenty of toys to help entertain and develop skills. It’s also a self-contained walker with a seat that lets baby walk back and forth and spin all around in one safe area. As baby grows into a toddler, you can remove the seat to create a fun musical play space for your little superstar to perform! Requires 2 AA batteries (not included).

Tiny Love Tummy Time Fun Activity Mat, Frog

Tiny Love Tummy Time Fun Activity Mat, Frog Review

Tiny Love Tummy Time Fun Activity Mat, Frog Feature

• Friendly frog design
• Tummy-time pillow
• Engaging mirror
• Soft and washable padded mat
• Teethers and squeeze horn

An activity center designed to encourage extended tummy time lifting and is highly portable. The Tummy Time Fun Frog Pillow and Mat includes a comfortable padded play mat, a cushioning pillow designed with baby?s physical build in mind and a mirror. Measurements: 18" x 21" x 3".

Fisher-Price Disney's Lion King Gym

Fisher-Price Disney's Lion King Gym Review

Fisher-Price Disney's Lion King Gym Feature

• Deluxe gym that features the beloved characters from Disney's The Lion King
• Adorable Lion King design
• 20 minutes of playful music
• 6 playful toys
• Musical mirror with lights

The gym brings the magic of the Lion King to baby with fun activities and 20 minutes of music. Repositionable toys include a Zazu flutter wheel, Pumba roller ball, plush Nala with clackers, linking Timon teether and overhead mobile with 2 butterflies. Additionally there is a Simba tummy time wedge and a mirror toy with lights and music that can be moved around the gym or used on-the-go. The large mat has a quilted Lion King scene and is surrounded by a satin border. Areas on the mat for baby to explore include a peek-a-boo leaf. Mom can also link toys to any of 3 link points on the mat as well as to any of 5 link points overhead for a total of 11 places to link toys for baby. The gym features a popular Lion King song along with a variety of other playful tunes and fun sound effects.

Infantino Merry Monkey Gym

Infantino Merry Monkey Gym Review

Infantino Merry Monkey Gym Feature

• Super plush travel gym entertains baby through sight, sound and touch
• Toy bar detaches to become the perfect crib activity center
• Cute monkey pattern has bright colors and various textures
• Interesting sounds and music capture baby's attention
• Zips into convenient travel bag

With the Infantino Merry Monkey Gym, your baby has a fun, captivating outlet for learning, exploring, and developing his senses and coordination. From the moment they're born, babies are little learning machines, and since this toy is designed for newborns, your baby can start using this play gym right away.

What We Think Fun Factor: Durability: (what this means) The Good: Compact activity mat provides tummy-time fun and plenty of exciting sensory stimulation for young babies The Bad: Compact size is convenient, but it doesn't provide as much play room as some other larger activity mats In a Nutshell: Versatile activity mat provides plenty of fun, developmental stimulation for newborns and older babies At a Glance Ages: Newborn and up

Babies will love pulling on different shapes and textures. View larger.

The activity mat zips up for quick and easy storage. View larger.

Activity Mat Features Variety of Tactile, Auditory, and Visual Activities
The Merry Monkey Gym features a plush, softly padded mat that appliquéd with an oversized, adorable monkey. Baby can pull its ears, which make a crinkly sound that babies like, and feel its nubby nose, as well as explore the other soft textures on the mat. And because babies are fascinated with bold, contrasting imagery and with facial features, your infant will also like looking at the monkey's big, black-and-white eyes.

Your baby can lie on the mat on his back to interact with the activity arch above. It features three bright, interesting, and interactive toys, including a plush zebra, a baby-proof mirror that gives baby the opportunity to discover his own face, and a cute monkey that plays a short melody when you pull its tail.

When you and your baby are finished playing, you can easily zip up the mat to store it away. The activity arch detaches easily and can be quickly installed over your baby's crib, making for more versatile use.

A Toy to Grow with Your Little One
The Merry Monkey Gym offers plenty of opportunity for growing and learning. We especially like that the characters on the activity bar are angled to make important "eye contact" with the baby, which isn't always the case with activity mats. This mat also encourages the "tummy time" that pediatricians recommend for infants for strengthening neck and arm muscles. Unlike some other mats, the Merry Monkey provides enticements for your baby to spend more time on his tummy with its interesting colors, textures, and fabrics.

The Merry Monkey is designed to grow with your little one through several stages of his early development: as a newborn he'll love just looking at the characters and watching you interact with the toys -- but before you know it, he'll be reaching for them himself with his hands and feet, and rolling over on his own to play with the monkey's ears.

Finally, this activity mat's compact size and relatively inexpensive price tag make the Merry Monkey an economical choice. It is a bit smaller than other activity mats on the market, which give your baby a bit more room to play, but its compact size makes it easy to store and carry without sacrificing fun or educational quality.

Infantino Merry Monkey Gym

Big fun awaits with this entertaining and skill-building gym. It's the perfect playtime mat for little learners, with engaging colors, textures and sounds that help engage baby and stimulate their developing senses.

• Product Dimensions (inches): 38 (L) x 23 (W) x 8 (H)
• Age: 0 to 12 months

Cariboo Activity Gym, Mahogany

Cariboo Activity Gym, Mahogany Review

Cariboo Activity Gym, Mahogany Feature

• Sustainable New Zealand Radiata timber
• Comes complete with a set of Cloud B toys
• Size: W24 x H19.5 x L31 inches

This practical accessory to the Cariboo bassinet has multiple uses; not only does it secure to the top of all Cariboo bassinets, it can also be used as an activity gym on the floor extending the life of the product long after baby is out of the bassinet.

Fits on top rails of Classic Bassinet, Folding Bassinet or Gentle Motions Bassinet.

Elegant design allows the activity gym to sit well beside adult furniture.

Attaches with double action straps providing a safe secure place to hang toys.

Made in New Zealand from sustainable New Zealand Radiata pine timber and child friendly finishes.

Fisher Price Perfectly Pink Musical Fairyland Gym

Fisher Price Perfectly Pink Musical Fairyland Gym Review

Fisher Price Perfectly Pink Musical Fairyland Gym Feature

• Provides Stimulation for Baby
• Features Dancing Lights
• Sweet Music
• Fun Sounds

The Musical Fairyland Gym by Fisher-Price is a delightful and versatile gym that provides appropriate stimulation as your little girl grows and develops. Adjust the play modes to suit baby's age and activity level. Overhead Gym mode places arches over baby's head where you can place the 4 soft toys and mirror in different ways. As little hands bat, the toys move and bounce! For Tummy Time, place baby on her tummy and position the toys to encourage head movement, reaching and grasping. Sit & Play mode allows baby to sit on the comfy quilt, exploring toys and enjoying the music and lights. The flower-shaped quilt is constructed with different fabrics and textures baby will love to touch. The birdhouse, with peek-a-boo birdie and springy friends, features dancing lights, sweet music and fun sounds. A power/volume switch lets you adjust the sound level to just right. Adult assembly required.

Fisher-Price Discover 'n Grow Open Play Musican Gym

Fisher-Price Discover 'n Grow Open Play Musican Gym Review

Fisher-Price Discover 'n Grow Open Play Musican Gym Feature

• Comfy mat contains plenty of linking spots for repositionable toys, which encourages tummy-time play
• Kick-at monkey with a roller ball spin at baby's touch, activating the light-up pinwheel and musical ditties
• Promotes physical development, coordination, strength and balance
• Bright colors and smiling faces offer visual stimulation
• Machine washable mat

Fisher Price Discover n' Grow Open Top Musical Gym

The Open Top Musical Discovery Gym has a large, square machine-washable mat and four corners loaded with activities: There is a tall tree with satiny leaves, a tall softgoods giraffe, an elephant mirror with bouncing bee in front of him and a musical kick-at monkey with a roller ball that activates his light-up pinwheel and musical ditties. All four areas contain plenty of linking spots for repositionable toys and both the elephant mirror and the musical monkey can be removed from the Gym for floor play. Included with the Gym are also lots of fun toys: a large soft zebra bolster pillow to support baby during tummy time, a spinning penguin, a paddle bird, a lion with beads and a butterfly teether.

Product Dimensions: 30 x 30 x 19

Recommended Ages: 0 months - 18 months

Playgro Tunnel Gym

Playgro Tunnel Gym Review

Playgro Tunnel Gym Feature

• Vibrant padded mat has a tunnel with a peek-a-boo window to encourage interaction; features a fun squeak button
• 3 developmental toys include detachable characters and rattling teething rings will keep your baby amused
• Bright teething toys jiggle around as baby moves, while the contrasting textures encourage tactile development
• To assist in storage and transport, the tunnel gym has detachable arms

Playgro stage-1 toys are about stimulating baby's senses. Playgro stage-1 toys have sounds and music patterns with contrasting bright colors. The senses of sound and smell are almost fully developed at birth. As your baby comes to the world, vision increases and attractive mobiles above bassinettes and changing tables catch baby's full attention.

Tiny Love Super Deluxe Lights and Music Gymini Activity Gym

Tiny Love Super Deluxe Lights and Music Gymini Activity Gym Review

Tiny Love Super Deluxe Lights and Music Gymini Activity Gym Feature

• Stimulates baby with music and lights
• Immediate feedback based on baby's actions for cause and effect learning
• Large mirror for tummy time play
• Classical music will engage the baby
• Mat is machine washable and folds up flat for travel

Activity mats are a staple baby item in most households. They provide a safe, fun, and educational environment where your little one can lie or sit, and play. Tiny Love's award-winning deluxe mat depicts a riot of happy animals. Elephants, monkeys, giraffes, and even birds will charm your baby who will love the round mirror, squeaky bird, crinkly elephant ear, and pullable giraffe tail. Also included are four plastic rings that can hang from the crossbars, each one with a different plush animal attached to it providing more stimulation and activities. Hidden in one corner of the playmat is a small plastic box housing a switch and speaker. Move the switch to Mozart to hear 10 continuous minutes of music and to light up the three flowers on the mat. Switch to Nursery Tunes for shorter snippets of three popular songs. The mat and its arches fold up nicely, and the entire gym snaps together and travels easily. --Pam Lauer A newborn will be content lying on her back, gazing into Mommy or Daddy’s face. And that doesn’t really get old for a long time. But baby’s brain and muscles and skills are developing, and after a while she would like a wee bit more entertainment, if you don’t mind. The award-winning Gymini Super Deluxe by Tiny Love is a classic, sure to provide, well, minutes, but they add up to hours, of amusement! And parents know that even 10 minutes of uninterrupted time to make dinner or throw a load in the wash can be a blessing, even aside from the myriad benefits the Gymini play mat gives their little one. And what are those benefits, you ask? The list goes on and on, but here’s a start.

First, a Brief Description
The Gymini folds out into a 32- by 32-inch soft mat, virtually swarming with colorful illustrations of jungle flora and fauna, most notably a giraffe, zebra, lion, and elephant. Overhead two padded arches cross, from which dangle more critters, as well as a large mirror and a plastic bead rattle. Hidden below, baby will eventually discover, is a music box that plays Mozart and several nursery tunes. Textures, colors, sounds, and lights abound, and baby has the power to make all these objects squeak and jingle and jitter and flash, as soon as she can figure out how to make those hands and feet and mouth of hers connect with her heart’s desire. Herein lies the developmental potential.

Shake, Rattle, and Roll
Whether she’s waving her limbs around; aiming specifically for the goggle-eyed, smiling monkey overhead; or rolling over to find the source of that I.Q.-enhancing classical music, baby will be hard-pressed not to advance her infant skill set on the Gymini Super Deluxe. From the monkey with springy leg to pull to the vibrating, jitterbugging elephant to the mirror she can see if she just lifts that heavy head a bit higher…everything on the play mat has a mission: to make baby learn. Cause and effect is a biggie: when she bats at the giraffe, it rattles. When she pokes one corner of the mat, music and lights seem to emerge from the fabric flowers. When she rubs the elephant ear on the mat, it makes a fun crinkly sound. Those large muscles are getting a real workout, too, resulting in improved large motor skills: reaching, kicking, rolling over, pushing up. Many babies don’t particularly enjoy their necessary daily "tummy time," but the Gymini encourages baby to lift and turn her head to see the mirror and find the flashing lights. Tummy time is fun again! And don’t forget the fine motor skills! Those little fingers have to meet if baby wants to grasp the zebra’s mane or the parrot’s crackling wings.

Details, Details
Plastic rings hang from the many holes in each arch; dangling from each is a plush animal or toy, providing still more stimulation. Additionally, parents can easily switch out the toys for variety, simply detaching the included toys from the rings and looping other baby-safe toys on. A hidden music box in one corner of the mat includes an on/off switch with two musical selections: 10 minutes of Mozart or three short fragments of popular nursery tunes. The music is a bit plinky, as is the norm with most baby toy music, but not at all offensive. When the music stops, all baby needs to do is press anywhere on that corner of the mat to start it up again—she is further encouraged to do so by the flowers that light up when the music plays. A hidden squeaker in one of the birds, peek-a-boo with the elephant ear, flap-flap-flap with the butterfly wing, tug-of-war with the giraffe’s tail…the play potential is limitless, whether she’s sitting up or lying down, one week old or 8 months old.

For Mom and Dad
The mat and arches fold up flat, and the entire Gymini snaps together and travels easily, which is a good thing because you won’t want to be without it on your next trip to Grandma’s. The padded mat is machine washable (read instructions first—the music box and mirror don’t take kindly to machine washing…). Three AA batteries required for the music box (batteries included are for trial only and should be replaced). --Emilie Coulter

Lamaze Playhouse Gym

Lamaze Playhouse Gym Review

Lamaze Playhouse Gym Feature

• Cushioned play mat folds to create an engaging environment with soft side walls
• Customize the play experience for a variety of developmental phases- from newborn and tummy time to sitting up and imaginative play
• Tummy time mirror for self discovery
• Double sided mat for twice the play time fun
• Baby activated sun- lights and music are perfect for visual tracking

This playhouse gym grows with baby and transforms to fit the developmental stages 1, 2, and 3.

• Lights and sounds sun is baby and parent activated
• Soft boy and girl characters for imaginative play
• Shape characters for color and shape matching
• Reversib Product Measures: 36 x 15 x 21 Recomended Ages: 0 months - 24 months

Chicco Duo Gym Activity Center

Chicco Duo Gym Activity Center Review

Chicco Duo Gym Activity Center Feature

• Helps to develop baby's coordination and movement skills
• 2 playing positions lying on the tummy or on the back, and an activity to stimulate the movement of baby's feet
• The ladybug and flower activate merry melodies and an entertaining light display
• Central electronic activity panel features various activities that stimulate baby's manual, audio and visual abilities
• It can also be fixed to a suitable crib side
• Recommended for ages 3 months

Chicco Duo Playgym

Features:
-Modifies from a lying-on-the-tummy position to a lying-on-the-back position
-Attaches to your baby's crib
-Melodies and sound effects to stimulate musical and audio skills
-Light effects and other features to stimulate visual skills
-Multiple features that target motor skills - even activities for your baby's feet

Chicco's Duo Playgym is an electronic toy that will keep your baby busy. The Duo Playgym will stimulate your baby's musical and audio skills with its melodies and sound effects while also stimulating your baby's visual skills with features like the revolving sphere and the light effects. The Duo Playgym targets babies’ motor skills with the swinging detachable toys, the revolving sphere, and other manual activities. It even has activities to stimulate your baby's feet movement. The Duo Playgym easily modifies from a lying-on-the-tummy position to a lying-on-the-back position. You can even attach the playgym to your baby's crib.

For children ages 3 - 18 months
Requires: 2 x AA batteries (included)