Product Spotlight Series: Toys (w/o Jan 8)

doxiemoxie212 · January 2018

This is a place for FTMs to ask questions and S+TMs to share the wealth of knowledge they've accumulated on baby products. Each week we'll spotlight a new category of product to help streamline and make it easier to refer back. This week it's.... toys! Playmats, gyms, activity centers, rattles, stuffed animals -- you name it! (We'll have another thread later dedicated specifically to teething, but feel free to include those items here as well.)

Please use the prompts below to try to share as much relevant info as you can in a format that is easy for those reading to absorb/respond to. If you'd like to recommend/ask questions about more than one product, please copy/paste the prompts as needed.

For S+TMs:

Any specifics that may differentiate your preferences:
Favorite [toy]:
Link/picture:
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):
Age appropriate for:
What you like about it:
What you don't like about it, if anything:
Is there a [toy] you don't have but are considering? Why?:
Is there a [toy] you've tried that you absolutely hate? Why?:
Additional thoughts on [toy]?:

For FTMs

[Toy] you're interested in:
Link/picture:
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):
Any questions about it/them for S+TMs?:

To view past Product Spotlights or view the upcoming schedule, see here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gjNtxy2Kd2JceTYYR5wkwVcpTbU-khgazhjcZnfI1y4/edit?usp=sharing

(Also just a reminder that if anyone wants to revive old threads to ask questions as we get further along and it becomes more likely everyone is doing further research, please feel free!)

lisa2589 · January 2018

Favorite [toy]: Infantino play mat
Link/picture: https://www.target.com/p/infantino-go-gaga-deluxe-twist-fold-gym/-/A-14300791
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): $50
Age appropriate for: newborn- whenever they start crawling and don’t stay where you put them anymore
What you like about it: I started using it for tummy time when she was a few weeks old. It There are several different versions of it but they all have bright colors and patterns that catch the attention of newborns who can’t see things very clearly at that age. When she could sit in her own she liked to grab for the little animals that dangle from the top. The mat is machine washable.

sunshineandwhiskey · January 2018

This was our (and DD fav) We liked it because she could kick and play the music as well as pull and grab at things. We used it for tummy time too, and you can switch it for a sitting position. (I’m gonna try to attach a pic)

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/ci/uu612943h9ib.png

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/7a/bsy5a6s17p1o.jpeg

ETA: spoiler boxes

doxiemoxie212 · January 2018

FTM question here............... so, like, I'm going to have to just get over my personal distaste for bright colors, right? Like, the neutral play mat things from PB Kids (example in spoiler below) are just not going to be something a baby actually likes because of the eyesight situation?

https://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/animal-friends-classic-activity-gym/?pkey=cbaby-activity-mats&isx=0.0

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/1b/ta0wss2oyqot.png

sabby2 · January 2018

Love the kick n play and so did DD.

@doxiemoxie212 I typically found dd was more drawn to the brightly colored things when she became interested in toys.

dinodna3 · January 2018

+1 for the kick-n-play piano.

@doxiemoxie212 this land of nod one is dreamy and you could easily just attach colored toys if that’s what baby girl is drawn too.

https://m.landofnod.com/black-and-white-baby-play-mat-with-rattles/s384339

marcus7676 · January 2018

My entire BMB for DS bought the kick n play. Kids love it.

@doxiemoxie212 I hate brightly colored toys / plastic toys and swore I would never buy them. DS has a wooden toy gym and we used a cute blanket as his play mat. Everytime he went somewhere with a brightly colored toy, he went running towards it. I finally caved and bought the plastic walker that makes noise, a baby einsten bouncer, etc. He loved it all. So yeah . . .

elsie42 · January 2018

@doxiemoxie212 I read that they also can see/enjoy high contrast like black and white. I've seen black and white play mats before so you could try finding one like that if you prefer it to colors!

rnielsen321 · January 2018

STM opinion: On the play mat, they can get super expensive, for the value IMO. As you use them daily for a short while. This is something we had second hand, as it washed up well on gentle in the machine, and air dried well. They can be upwards of $80-$120 brand new in Canada. I passed mine along to another friend.... but if we don't get it back, I will be heading to Once Upon a Child for my pick of one... there are LOTS there ... always.

Anything soft that can be gummed, soft rattle, or the like, that is also needs to be able to be washed.... I had a spitty baby.

TL;DR - make sure you can wash them... and be a savvy shopper.

llamamama14 · January 2018

@doxiemoxie212 I agree with PPs in that early on black and white contrast is sufficiently interesting for baby but later on they'll love colorful plastic @#$%. I also find plastic easier to clean and less dangerous when thrown into a sibling's head.

To keep your eyes from being assaulted by plastic clutter as your kid gets older, you can limit/rotate the toys you keep in your play area and use pretty baskets to store them. (Pic and blog link in spoiler if you want inspiration.)

Also +1 to what @rnielsen321 said about getting hand me downs or second-hand. I have barely bought any toys for my kids because people love to gift toys.

https://www.younghouselove.com/2013/09/who-needs-coats-when-you-can-have-toys/

doxiemoxie212 · January 2018

@llamamama14 Ah, well, I don't have a closet like that, or a place for a bookshelf or anything, but I do have like, 2 feet x 2 feet of floor space in front of the coffee table right in the path of where people walk lol so...................... lawd pls let us move before this baby starts playing with toys lol.

rnielsen321 · January 2018

@doxiemoxie212

if it helps any, I honestly can say that once DD started to be able to sit up, we gave her measuring spoons tied together, wooden spoons and a bowl. She LOVED cheerios in a small container, to shake. These all went back in the cupboards/drawers where they belonged.

We had a small place, and I was worried about the "stuff" that seems to explode all over the place in some folks homes. (My DH, me and 2 dogs have to live there too!)

So we made priority. And literally got a small swing that folded away easily. (Did the research!) And only pulled out the "circle of neglect" once the swing was retired completely. (There seems to be more of these folding away these days.... like FLAT so it goes under a couch.)

We limited a small basket of toys (6 ish) to the coffee table, and about 5 books. When we got bored, (and I do mean my DH and I) we would rotate out stuff (to Goodwill, or OUAC) and get something new, or we would be gifted some random thing. We bought her not a lot. Really. And she was just fine! We did Mom group activities and swimming lessons outside the house rather than buy toys. We were on a strict budget that year. (I am in Canada, so we get a year mat leave)

This time round, we have a bigger house but still keep minimal toys in the living /family room. We are lucky to have a playroom... so corralled that mess. For now.

Austenista · January 2018

It also takes a while before some are interested in anything whatsoever. DS didn’t care about toys for a while. He also loves playing with wooden spoons, whisks, plastic containers, cups, and so on. I mean you do control what comes into your home so maybe just start small and then get a little at a time. Montessori toys are going to be wooden and quieter if that’s more your speed. @doxiemoxie212

kmurdock925 · January 2018

the Tupperware stacking set is also awesome and it can be used for a LOT of ages. Agree that not a lot of toys are necessary...but we have grandparents that go bananas and have WAY too many. And to be honest, we buy too much too.

When it came time to pick a jumper for DD I liked the sleek skip hop one...went to BRU...let DD sit and play with the floor models...she went right for the brightly colored obnoxious one and was most entertained by it...so we ended up with that.

Black and white is key for the first few months for the contrast since their vision is still developing but once they have clear vision and can see colors they love them.

bkrahn · January 2018

I’ve been reading more & more how kids don’t actually need a ton of toys, in fact, it becomes very overwhelming to them to have a room full of toys.. and I have totally noticed this with DD! She is way happier & plays a lot nicer with a clean, clutter free space.

For the first 12 months, she honestly just loved to play with wooden spoons & household items. When she turned 7 months, we got her the “vtech sit-to-stand walker” and that was her favourite! Super annoying for mom & dad, yes.. but she still plays with it now at 19 months.

And sophie the giraffe. We ended up also buying her “fanfan the fawn” too and she loved that one even more because it was less awkward for her to grasp.

@doxiemoxie212 yup, the annoying, bright coloured toys were always winners over the modern neutral toys. The good news is you can store the smaller toys in cute baskets that match your home decor. Right now I store all of DDs books & bright coloured legos in cute baskets that fit into our tv stand and it makes my eyes feel a lot better lol

pupsicle23 · January 2018

Kick n Play 4 Lyfe! I came to post about it, too!

jsl82 · January 2018

So we had the Fisher Price Kick and Play mat for DD too and honestly I'm a little upset we went with that one now. It comes in pink or blue so if you are planning on having more than 1 kid or on the fence about it- this is only 50% likely to be used by the second child. We are currently looking for another playmat now. The one my parents have is gender neutral, and has a bigger mat for when they start rolling/ scooting. We would steal it back from them- but my mom watches DD 2 days a week and will watch both kids 2 days a week when I go back to work after maternity leave.
https://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Rainforest-Melodies-Lights-Deluxe/dp/B000FFL58Q/ref=sr_1_83_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1515518013&sr=8-83&keywords=playmat+baby

Her favorite toy was actually a Very Hungry Catepiller rattle. https://www.amazon.com/Carle-Hungry-Caterpillar-Hanging-Rattle/dp/B006S9NHZW/ref=sr_1_15_s_it?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1515518215&sr=1-15&keywords=very+hungry+caterpillar+rattle . Our came with an elephant too- but catepiller was the perfect shape for her to grasp and shake. We ended up getting 2 in case she got 1 too dirty to give back to her when she dropped/ threw it- or god forbid lost it. She also loved the Very Hungry Catepiller soft book.

Now as 1 year she is so much more interactive with her toys- but until a month or two ago she only really wanted to eat them (teething babies will naw on EVERYTHING) or shake them.

With that in mind we have so many teething toys- keys, actual teethers, rattles, and plush dolls (she bits the fur off stuffed animals so we go furless).

MoonOverGoldsboro · January 2018

@jsl82 Our son's favorite toy was also a Very Hungry Caterpillar rattle, but it was this one, which had detachable links that he really liked to chomp on: https://www.toysrus.com/product?productId=37718296. Three cheers for Eric Carle forever!

We also have that exact play gym and my son was obsessed, but man, it was WAY cheaper when we bought it! Like 50 bucks? I wonder if that's because it's an older version, and there's a newer version available now? So weird! Baby toys are such a racket...

comolaflower · January 2018

For early toys, I just went ahead and bought new since it's going to end up in their mouth anyway and we had good luck with the lamaze toys, like this one:

Image: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81FzZ7bk1HL._SX522_.jpg

From https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000I2Q0F4?colid=1X8YLPBUB28JX&coliid=I13ETZXTM4PDJM&ref=br_ADD_TO_CART_title_link&th=1

My son loved everything brightly colored and crinkly. After that initial stage, we would just browse garage sales and get a lot of our toys that way.

marcus7676 · January 2018

@comolaflower Freddie the firefly was DSs favorite toy. I buy it for all new moms now.

mytinc · January 2018

I love Eric Carle for newborn toys. DS1 had a stuffed blue horse and DS2 had the caterpillar. I'm thinking we'll get the frog for DS3. Also, for those of you that like Eric Carle, there are often sales of his brand on Zulilly.

mytinc · January 2018

Both kids loved musical light up toys for bedtime/nap time to soothe them. DS1 loved his seahorse. DS2, at 3 years old, still loves his giraffe. This glow worm is a little louder, but essentially works the same. While the kids love them and they can help calm a baby in the middle of the night, you WILL get sick of the same repetitive tunes they play.

momac1919 · January 2018

STM, honestly we used a hand me down play mat for the first few months although she didn’t really care to much if she was on that or playing with a necklace of mine as I kneeled over her, then when DD had better head and core control she only wanted upright and loved her fisher price bouncy seat. Other than those two things and her Sophie giraffe, she could care less about any toys we bought her and was (and still is) much more content playing with empty boxes, stacking Tupperware, running around with empty rolls of toilet paper and shaking/lining up the sprinkles and spices in the pantry.

ramennoodlegif · January 2018

@mytinc +1 for the seahorse!

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