Next up on my registry series: Activity!
I’ll admit, I was skeptical of all these baby holders while I was pregnant. I understood the need for a swing, but did I need a swing, a bouncy seat, a play gym, AND a lounger pillow? Now I’m finding that for us, the answer is yes. Our baby has about a 15 minute attention span (usually), and while awake Baby Markers only likes to be in one spot for a short amount of time. Days at home with a newborn are long, and I’ve been really happy to have these options!
1. Baby Einstein Musical Motion Activity Jumper – We haven’t used this yet, but I think Baby Markers is going to love it when she’s ready! She already loves to be held upright and kicks her strong legs to stand. As soon as she has better neck control, we’ll test this out.
2. Boppy Newborn Lounger – I liked this pillow a lot, especially in the beginning. I would put her next to me on the couch while we watched tv or on the bathroom counter while I was getting ready. If Baby Markers can see us and we’re talking to her, she’s happy to hang out on the pillow for as long as we need. As she’s getting older and starting to move around more (not rolling yet but I fear she will soon!), I’m using the pillow less and less. For the tiny newborn stage, it was great.
3. My Little Snugabunny Cradle and Swing – For the first 7 or 8 weeks, Baby Markers wasn’t a huge fan of the swing. Huge bummer, since it was really the only place we could set her down safely, other than her bassinet. But we kept trying, and around 8 weeks she started to enjoy spending more time in there – and even started falling asleep for her naps. In the beginning, I think she was too tiny and it swallowed her up, and she couldn’t yet see the mirror or mobile. As she got older, she fit into it better and could finally see more to be entertained. Now, it’s one of our favorite items and she naps in there at least once a day.
4. Fisher-Price Discover n’ Grow Kick and Play Piano Gym – I mentioned Baby M’s strong legs – she loves to kick! My mom got her this kicky-piano for her house and she also likes this one quite a bit. I think it’s great because it adapts as your baby grows and will be just as much fun once she can sit up on her own.
5. Skiphop Activity Gym – We just started using this and Baby Markers loves it! Especially when she can see herself in the mirror. We have to be sure to keep the dog from lying on there and stealing the toys, but other than that it’s a great spot for Baby Markers to play or do tummy time.
6. Sassy Go-Go Bugs – For long car rides or a day full of errands, Baby M likes to have something to look at while stuck in her carseat. My mother in law picked these up and Baby Markers has just started to swat at them this week!
7. Fisher-Price Infant to Toddler Rocker – We got this as an alternative to the swing when Baby Markers was around 6 weeks. She seemed to be able to see the toys on the activity bar better and she likes the vibration of the seat. This is a great alternative because you can move it from room to room, which you cannot do with the swing. She usually hangs out in the rocker while I’m taking a shower or making dinner. Now that she loves her swing, we probably could have skipped it, but it’s still nice to have.
8. Baby Einstein Take a Long Tunes – Since she was only a few weeks old, music has been very calming to Baby Markers. I keep this toy in the diaper bag – she loves the music and the lights.
How do you keep your infant entertained? If you used any of these items, was your experience positive like mine?
Mrs. Markers’ Visual Guides part 5 of 5
1. Mrs. Markers' Pregnancy Essentials by Mrs. Markers2. Mrs. Markers' Newborn Essentials by Mrs. Markers
3. Favorite Baby Gifts: Personalized! by Mrs. Markers
4. Our Registry: Gear by Mrs. Markers
5. Our Registry: Activity by Mrs. Markers
Mrs. Marker’s Registry part 2 of 2
1. Our Registry: Gear by Mrs. Markers2. Our Registry: Activity by Mrs. Markers
grapefruit / 4671 posts
The Snugabubby swing was incredible for us. My baby took the most incredible naps in it and often slept there overnight in the early days.
She loved her babygym too, and the Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes is still a huge favourite at 10.5 months.
guest
We are of the camp of limiting time in “containers” and spending as much time as possible with the baby on the floor. But in the very beginning the bouncy chair was his favorite (lucky, bc that is the only item we have) and he would hang out there while we ate a meal or if I needed to get a chore done that couldn’t get pushed off until his nap/bed time. Amazing how many options are out there!
clementine / 958 posts
We have the FP infant to toddler rocker, and my 18 month old loves to sit in it while she looks at books, so you may still get some use out of it.
pomegranate / 3768 posts
we have the skip hop activity gym and dd would put up her fists and whack the heck out of the dangling toys when she was 8 weeks old. lol. she loved the einstein take-along tunes too!
grapefruit / 4669 posts
We have the infant to toddler rocker, and without it I wouldn’t be able to shower! LO will usually stay quiet in it for like 8 minutes, and I have learned to shower in that amount of time. Sometimes I stick the Sassy GoGo Bugs on the toy bar to switch it up.
nectarine / 2280 posts
We have the FP Kick and play piano, the lounger and the take along tunes. The lounger was great in the newborn days. Around 4 months we retired it because she kept trying to sit up and wouldn’t lie back.
The FP piano has been awesome! She’s 7 months and I think I might have to retire it soon. She still loves it but now she’s trying to pull up on the piano or the overhead bar.
The take along tunes is great for car rides!
pomegranate / 3401 posts
Great post! I often wonder where to put the little one other than in my arms or in her bassinet. We do have the Skip Hop activity gym and a Fisher Price calming vibrations bouncer. However, we would like to invest in a swing. Many parents tell us to test it out before committing to purchase though.
bananas / 9973 posts
I was worried the Snugabunny was a waste of money until just recently! The first 6 weeks, the swing seemed like it was just a temporary “holder” while I went to the restroom or if she were already asleep we could put her in it. Just in the past couple of weeks, I think her weight and alertness have made the swing more appealing for longer bits of time!
The bouncer chair has been a lifesaver for me! I can always get at least a couple of minutes from the chair, and have even found her fallen asleep from the good vibrations once or twice!
We have the Skip Hop Gym too, and like it for tummy and floor time. With each week, we find her able to entertain herself longer and longer in it.
I did get the Boppy Lounger but returned it never using it. In the early weeks, she wouldn’t be content being set down anywhere, and the older she got, the more we just used the Activity Gym.
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22646 posts
We had the snugabunny swing and bouncer which were lifesavers the first 4 months of DS’ life! We also use the einstein musical toy his skiphop playmat and his exersaucer daily!!
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22646 posts
The NB lounger was essential in our household, while he grew out of it quickly (3 months), he slept and laid a LOT in it the first six wks of life (tsk tsk on the sleep, we know, but hey it worked for us!)