Do you want to provide your baby with the ideal environment to develop and thrive? If so, here’s how to choose the best baby play gym available.
Motor and cognitive skill development begin the moment your baby leaves the womb. As they enter the world, their senses are constantly being stimulated.
Babies soon learn how to move their head around, lock eyes with mom and dad, laugh, smile, and play. They start to develop teeth, crawl, and grab things too.
During these stages of growth, it’s crucial to have a baby play gym for your child. The right play gym can further promote sensory development, as a supplement to their daily interactions with the world around them. But, not all baby play gyms are made alike.
Here’s how to find the right one for your child.
Are the Toys Easy to Detach and Clean?
You child’s baby play gym is something they’re going to be using every day. They will crawl all over it, put toys in their mouth, and maybe have an uh-oh or two while playing, as well.
As such, you need to make sure the toys and mat are easy to clean! Think about the material everything in the gym set is made with. What can you wash with ease, and what will you have to soak and scrub to make sure it’s clean?
Also, always opt for a baby play mat rather than a chair or a cushion. Not only is the mat easier to clean, but it can be more supportive for your baby. When he or she is on the ground, rather than on a cushion or in a chair, they’re better able to feel shifts in their body and learn how to move the head, arms, and legs around.
Can You Take the Baby Play Gym Anywhere You Go?
Another thing to consider is where you plan to put the baby’s play area. Even if you and your little one tend to spend most of your days in the living room or their baby room, it’s still best to have a baby play gym you can easily move around.
This gives you plenty of options for where to play in the home. More so, a play gym that is easy to pack and carry can go with you to grandma’s house, to drop off at daycare, and on any short weekend trips, you’re planning to take.
The baby play gym then offers comfort and consistency, wherever your little one goes.
What Skills Are Being Stimulated?
As you’re deciding between the play gym with more toys or the one that’s easier to carry, consider this: which one best promotes healthy physical and mental growth?
That is always the best option to go with. At the end of the day, this is the main purpose of all baby play gyms! You want to choose something that will help your baby with everything from head motions to crawling, from color differentiation to recognizing sounds and movements.
The more a play gym does this – safely and effectively – the better.
Growing up and Learning New Things
The play gym you choose for your child helps them take an important step in their development.
But, this is just the beginning! There is so much more for them to learn as they go through school, make friends, play sports and venture into the arts, and grow up.
One thing will always be constant, though – your role in their life. Throughout all the lessons a child learns, they will always be looking to you for guidance. That’s a big comfort, but also a big responsibility.
For simple, easy-to-remember ways to be a good role model, click here.