REVIEW: Fisher-Price Newborn-to-Toddler Play Gym

Since the arrival of Baby J, people have often asked me, “is it harder having two?” I always reply that it’s not any harder, it’s just different. There is one thing that I have found tricky and that is making sure I give them both plenty of attention – if I play with Little N I worry that Baby J isn’t being stimulated enough and if I play with Baby J I worry that Little N feels left out. It’s hard to find things that keep both a toddler and a baby happy, but I have managed to find at least one thing they both love, which is this fantastic Fisher-Price Newborn to Toddler Gym.

The Fisher-Price Newborn-to-Toddler Play Gym (£56.99) is a “grow with me” toy which is suitable from birth and has three stages: Lay & Play, Sit & Play and Stand & Play. It has over 10 different activities, features bright colours, dancing lights and fun sounds, has gorgeous little animal toys and brightly coloured balls to play with, and has 2 different music modes: Long Play for up to 20 minutes of music or baby-activated Short Play.

In newborn mode, baby can Lay & Play on the mat and try to grab and bat the animal toys dangling from the arch. In sitting mode the mat can be folded over to reveal pockets, so that baby can Sit & Play putting the balls in the pockets. In toddler mode, the mat can be moved away completely and it becomes a Stand & Play toy using the giraffe and zebra ball drops. Through the various modes of play it helps babies to develop both fine motor and gross motor skills as well as working on their coordination and balance.

The play gym was super easy to assemble. The arch simply clicked onto the two bases and the soft padded mat attached easily on each corner. No tools required! The owl toy was already attached to the arch so I simply had to add the other two toys, get the balls out, add 3 AAA batteries, then it was ready for the boys to play with.

I am a bit of a neat freak and hate clutter so I’m really happy that this baby gym doesn’t take up lots of space. The mat is machine washable which is very handy after Little N’s sticky little fingers have been all over it. The design is so gorgeous with beautiful bright colours and a mixture of jungle and woodland animals. With Little N I loved anything nautical-themed, especially whales. This time round, with Baby J I absolutely love woodland creatures, particularly foxes, so this fits in perfectly!

I have set the play gym up in the newborn mode so that Baby J can lay down and play with the animal toys and watch the dancing lights. At the same time Little N is able to play with the zebra and giraffe ball drops. Baby J absolutely loves batting at the toys and is delighted when he manages to grab hold of them with his chubby little hands. The padded mat is so comfy that he will happily lay there long enough for me to have a cup of tea!

Little N thinks the ball drops are brilliant and spends ages dropping the balls into the top of the arch or through the holes. He loves showing the different coloured balls to his baby brother, he is so sweet. Baby J will often stop what he is doing and just watch Little N. They both love the music and the little sounds that it makes when activated by what they’re doing. It has a great mix of nursery rhymes that change often and are interspersed by bubbly, “boingy” sounds and giggles.

This baby gym is perfect for keeping little ones happy from birth well into toddlerhood and it’s fantastic if like me you have both a baby and a toddler to entertain, as they both can happily play together. I predict that this is going to provide my boys with lots of fun over the next few years!

      Disclosure: I received the Fisher-Price Newborn-to-Toddler Play Gym for free for review, however all thoughts and opinion remain my own.