You want to buy a baby gym for your newborn but are you questioning yourself what should you look for in a baby gym?
I imagine you fell overwhelmed by thousand of information, confused or unable to decide because, even if there is a common definition for what is a baby gym, not all baby gyms are the same.
In this article, I have highlighted several points that you should consider when finding the perfect baby gym.
When should you start to use a baby gym?
While babies can use a baby play gym from day 1, infants between three and six months of age gain the most benefit from using it. At this point in your child’s development, reaching out for hanging toys is a fun thing for them to do. Also, this is when they learn to use develop their motor skills, movement, coordination, and sharpen their senses.
Does this mean that after six months is useless? Not at all! Child development is something that depends and not all babies are the same. You can use baby gyms as long as your baby enjoys playing with it!
What to consider when finding the perfect baby gym?
#1 – The size and the structure of the baby gym
You may simply choose a smaller baby play gym, but your infant will soon get too tall for that. Pick one that is just a little bit larger so that it will enable your infant to use it for a long period of time. Consider the height of the gym when purchasing a more sophisticated baby gym, and make sure it isn’t too big and bulky.
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Cherieswood Baby Gym Dino Series$169,00
Also, your baby gym should be placed flat on the floor. What do I mean by this? Mainly for safety reasons: to prevent the baby from falling or suffocating.
Free-standing structures or baby gyms with cushioned flat mats are great options, versatile and allows your baby to start moving freely and or start to play tummy time under it.
#2 – Select a baby gym with detachable toys
Your baby will soon be able to bat, swipe, and grasp at the hanging toys in the baby gym as the days go by. So, having the ability to adjust the aim to keep things exciting and developmentally appropriate for your child is essential. Being able to reduce the number of hanging toys in your gym at any point is a fine feature for a baby gym. This makes it easier for your child to concentrate and improve their fine motor skills.
In addition to this, change and offer different toys is an easy way to prevent babies from getting bored.
#3 – Look for a baby gym that isn’t overly complex
Most of your child’s play during the first few weeks will be based on looking and wriggling.
As babies are born color-blind and nearsighted, would be good to choose in the first months high contrast color objects. If you are curiose to know more about this, here you can read all the benefits of black and white for newborns.
Saying so, if you consider that the majority of baby gyms, especially the plastic ones, are full of objects, bright color and they produce loudly sounds, I would suggest you a more simple and easy baby gym because the reality is that your baby doesn’t need all this things the first months.
You can consider a wooden baby gym with a simple and plain playmat in order to keep your baby focused on one activity per time.
#5 – Ensure the material are non-toxic
As babies wants to discover everything around them and they tend to “taste” everything, ensure that all materials of the baby gym are non toxic and in line with certification of your country.
#6 – Easy to clean
When you have a baby the number of washing machines increases exponentially. As the gym and its playmat are always at your baby’s reach, make sure that the whole baby gym is easy to clean.
#7 – Multiple use and sustainable toys
At Cherieswood we would like to create something that can last longer and can be transformed.
We create Italian handmade baby gyms made by wood and felt, build to resist and studied to help your baby to focus on one activity at time, but not only this!
Our baby gym structure can be use and transformed into a bookshelf or a busy board that could last longer in your baby’s nursery without occupy precious space in your house!
Do you have other suggestions related to how to choose the perfect baby gym? Let us know in the comment!
Ciao,
Elisa
