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Why aren't they called playpens anymore?

JLG95JLG95
in Babies: 6 - 9 Months
I had a playpen in the 70's.  My baby brother had one in the '80s.  Now they are called play yards or pack n plays (Graco).  Is this some kind of pc police thing or a marketing upgrade?  I've been curious about this for a while....
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Re: Why aren't they called playpens anymore?

  • KaymeeKaymee member
    I could be wrong, but I don't think they had the bassinet feature when we were kids.  Today they have the part that can be up like a crib, and then dropped down. 
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  • burgleburgle

    I have a play pen for DD, not a pack and play.

    I think PP is right, the difference is the pack and play comes with the bassinet and sometimes the thing that plays music and a change table attachment.  

    The one I have for DD just folds up, folds down, has a pouch for toys and that's it. 

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  • barrjn84barrjn84 member

    I still call it a playpen.  I was actually just thinking about this the other day.  I would just assume some company put the bassinet part on it and named it something new to set themselves apart.

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  • burgleburgle
    imagebarrjn84:

    I still call it a playpen.  I was actually just thinking about this the other day.  I would just assume some company put the bassinet part on it and named it something new to set themselves apart.

    Like moon roofs instead of sun roofs. Heh ITA.

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  • barrjn84barrjn84 member
    imageburgle:
    imagebarrjn84:

    I still call it a playpen.  I was actually just thinking about this the other day.  I would just assume some company put the bassinet part on it and named it something new to set themselves apart.

    Like moon roofs instead of sun roofs. Heh ITA.

    Ha ha exactly!

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  • dragon_chicadragon_chica member
    I would assume it's because of Graco's popularity that people automatically refer to playpens as PnP since that's what their product is called.  It's like calling tissue in general, Kleenex.
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  • amyu1977amyu1977

    I think it's a bit of all of these responses.  Pack 'n Play is Graco's copyrighted name for their play pen with change table etc., but I also think that some people are hesitant to call the place they put their baby a "pen".

    My husband calls it the baby cage. Big Smile

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  • stephnewsstephnews member
    I'm guessing it's because "pen" sounds so confining, and Pack N Play sounds so much nicer.
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  • bourk997bourk997 member
    I don't know why they put the word "play" in PnP anymore- they're so much smaller than the old ones! No room for playing!
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