Baby gyms may not be a necessity for parents to purchase, but you will want to have one as your baby gets older. Baby gyms help the development of their motor coordination. If you purchase one of the best baby gyms with lights and sounds, your child’s visual and auditory skills develop and increase. Plus, laying your baby on a baby gym gives you a few moments to get a few chores done or just to have a moment without a baby in arms.
Companies sell dozens of choices for parents to consider for their baby. You can find budget choices and baby gyms with fancier features. Let’s take a look at the best baby gyms based what parents think!
The 8 Best Baby Gyms
Infantino Grow-with-Me Activity Gym
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A top-rated choice for parents is the Infantino Grow-with-Me. It is a 2-in-1 baby gym that will entertain your baby for quite some time. What makes the Infantino baby gym unique is that it transforms into a ball pit, including 40 multicolored balls. If you don’t want to use the ball pit, you can store all of the balls in the turtle’s head. The Grow-with-Me is ideal for young babies and toddlers as well!
- Comes with five activity toys with different textures and sounds.
- Features a pop-up mesh side that creates the ball pit or surrounds your baby during playtime.
- Hanging toys encourages your baby to reach, bat, grab and kick.
- Built-in storage for the 40 multicolored, soft balls.
- Turtle makes a fun, enticing crinkle sound when kicked.
Fisher-Price Rainforest Music and Lights Deluxe Gym
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Fisher-Price is one of the best-known brands in the parenting world. Despite the higher price tag, the Rainforest Deluxe Gym is loved by parents and babies. There are over ten activities that will encourage your baby’s attention. Your child can use it in three modes: lay and play, tummy time, and take-along. Fisher-Price thought of everything, including crinkle leaves for fun textures. Your baby will love triggering the music, sounds, and lights with his movement.
- The giraffe detaches and can be removed for separate play time.
- Borders feature soft satin and ribbons to attract attention.
- There are music and lights that come in short-play mode.
- Can play for 20 minutes in long-play mode.
- Folds up for easy storage or take-along play.
Infantino Twist and Fold Activity Gym
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Infantino created another great baby gym. The Twist and Fold come in multiple themes, so you can find the one you like the best and appeals to your taste. Parents can use the Twist and Fold from birth upwards. It features four hanging toys that encourage your child to bat and play, building muscles and crucial motor skills. There is also a baby mirror; babies love to observe faces, even their own. Infantino also included a tummy-time pillow for when you lie your baby face down.
- Avoids overstimulation and doesn’t feature lights and sounds.
- Infantino uses bright colors and patterns to attract your baby’s attention.
- Allows your baby to be comfortable during tummy time.
- Folds up securely with a strap for easy storage and transportation.
- Opens and closes with one hand.
Skip Hop Baby Treetop Friends Activity Gym
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Some parents prefer baby gyms featuring gender neutral and natural colors. The Skip Hop Treetop Activity Gym is done with natural shades of browns and greens, along with multi-colored leaves. It is an extra-large mat that offers your child plenty of space to play and roll. Skip Hop also included a tummy time pillow to strengthen your child’s neck muscle while being comfortable.
- The dangling toys encourage batting and grasping, along with different motor skills.
- It is easy to put together and setup.
- Different fabric texture encourages your baby’s interest.
- There are crinkly leaves, a squeaky flower, and a built-in mirror.
- Skip Hop is perfect for modern yet simple families.
Tiny Love Gymini Super Deluxe Lights and Music Baby Gym
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The Tiny Love baby gym is a highly-rated choice, with thousands of parents pleased with their choices. There are five hanging jungle animals and a baby-safe mirror. Along with these exciting features, Tiny Love also added classical music that will keep your baby’s busy. The arches feature different patterns and colors, along with padding for safety. The Tiny Love is well-made and will last for years (and babies) to come.
- You can toss it in the wash for easy clean-up, a perfect feature for babies who spit up!
- It folds up compactly for storage or travel.
- Tiny Love offers a great selection of musical tunes, from Mozart to nursery rhymes.
- Notes play when your child kicks his legs.
- Meant for babies between birth up to 12 months.
Baby Einstein Caterpillar and Friends Baby Gym
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Baby Einstein creates dozens of products, along with well-known DVDs, which encourage your child to learn. While their products do tend to be a bit more expensive, you can trust that the Caterpillar and Friends Baby Gym encourage learning and fun. Baby Einstein even includes flash cards with different imagery. A plush star, located at the top of the baby gym, is motion-activated, flashes and plays multiple classical tunes.
- Eight different, attached toys encourage your child’s attention and motor skills.
- A soft teether is attached to the mat for tummy time.
- You can fold it without removing the padded bars.
- However, this baby gym is not small. It is larger than most on the list, which makes it harder for portability and storage.
Bright Starts Charming Chirps Activity Gym
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Some parents might need a budget-friendly choice for a baby gym. Three different styles and patterns might appeal to your choices. Aside from being budget-friendly, the Bright Starts Activity Gym folds up for storage and easy portability. However, the Charming Chirps doesn’t include many activities to attract your child. It is a basic, yet encouraging, baby gym.
- Several hanging toys encourage your baby to bat and play.
- The fabric loops allow you to add more toys to the gym.
- It is lightweight and easy to transport; folding is easy.
- On top, an owl toy hangs down closer to your child.
- The owl is removable and can play melodies. You can attach it to cribs or a car seat.
- A self-discovery mirror lets your baby stare at herself while she plays. Babies love to see faces.
- It is machine washable for easy cleaning.
Lil’ Jumbl Baby Play Mat Gym
If you want another choice for a gender neutral and natural baby gym, the Lil’ Jumbl is a combination of soft grey, tan and brown. The entire baby gym is soft, made with plush material that is gentle on your baby’s skin. One unique feature is the non-slip grip material on the bottom of the mat to use on wood or tile floors. Some parents might worry that the dull colors aren’t engaging, but your baby might love it!
- There is a handy, travel bag for easy portability.
- The toys are at a perfect height for your child to bat at with his hands and feet.
- However, you cannot put the baby gym into the washing machine. The top fabric is cotton and easily wiped.
- Cute nautical design with images of a lighthouse, an anchor, fish, dolphin and more.
What Features Matter in a Baby Gym
Most baby gyms have nice features. Chances are you can pick any one of these on the list and love the choice. However, you might want to consider a few of these features.
- Adjustability: Are the hanging toys adjustable? If you plan to use the baby gym from birth, you can adjust the toys lower for your baby’s eyesight.
- Durability: One of the most important factors is the durability, as well as ease of use. You want your child to be comfortable, but you want to purchase highly durable baby items. Ideally, it will work for your baby and any feature babies, making it worth your money.
- Size: You have to consider the size of your space. Some parents have large areas, so the size of your baby gym doesn’t matter as much. If you live in a compact house, you want to check the size of your baby gym to ensure it won’t take too much space. Babies will grow throughout the first year of life. The baby gym should provide plenty of space for your baby to grow and roll.
- Machine Washing: Babies are notoriously messy. It might be spitting up one day, and a diaper blow out the next. Sometimes, a washcloth can do the job, but not always. In those cases, it is nice when you can toss the mat into the washer.
- Textures and Fabrics: Aside from lights and sounds, babies love to look at different fabrics. Bright colors do matter, but different patterns will attract your child just as much. The best baby gym offers a wide variety of textures, from soft satin to crinkly ribbons, to a variety of polka dots and stripes.
- Lights and Music: Babies enjoy lights and music, and it can give you more peace. It isn’t necessary that your baby gym have too many lights; you want to avoid overstimulation. A small flashing light is effective. Music is also great! It might be a button for you to click, or the music might play based on your child’s movement.
- Engages Multiple Senses: The baby gym you want encourages multiple senses. As your baby gets older, he will want to reach and bat at the toys hanging above his head. Tummy time encourages head and neck strength. Exploring different textures and colors teaches your child about his current environment. Music and lights help to stimulate brain activity and imagination.
- Colors: The last thing to consider is the color. Some parents prefer gender neutral or dull colors that won’t stand out in the living room. You might want a bright, colorful baby gym. There are choices for every preference!
When to Use a Baby Gym
You might think that baby gyms are only for older infants, and you would be wrong. Most baby gyms are made for babies who are just a few days after birth. Directly after birth, your baby doesn’t need a lot of visual stimulation nor is he working on developing complex motor skills. If you plan to use it directly after birth, you want to make sure you opt for a baby gym that isn’t too colorful, loud or bright. Overstimulation is real, especially for newborn babies.
Parents have to remember that, even though your new baby isn’t mobile, he is learning about his new environment. A baby gym encourages your baby to interact and learn from his environment. It will encourage multiple senses. From motor skills to imaginative play, a baby gym encourages senses the whole time.
Conclusion
Baby gyms are a great investment for parents. You might think that it isn’t necessary, but they give your baby the opportunity to explore his environment. Babies are constantly learning and examining their new surroundings. Even if your sweet new baby cannot yet move around, he can observe the colors, patterns and fun toys dangling above his head. It will ignite his curiosity and imagination.
The best baby gyms come in a variety of colors, sizes, and features. You have to decide what features matter the most for your family. Some prefer to have everything, from a variety of music to flashing lights. Others just want a simple mat for their baby to enjoy throughout the day. No matter your desires, you can find it. Baby gyms are available in every price range, so don’t fret. There will be a choice perfect for your family and baby.
As we conclude this discussion on the best baby gyms, remember that there’s a wide array of options available to suit every family’s unique needs. Parenthood is a journey filled with discovery, and by embracing the diversity of options, you can find the perfect fit for you and your little one, and in this case you can consider exploring the comprehensive list below for additional recommendations. Happy parenting!
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