Playnests
Recently I’ve been getting alot of comments from friends (who have an interest in baby toys) about my daughter’s playnest. We have a used Mothercare one that was given to us when she was born. She started using it at around 5 months. Manufacturer’s recommendation is from birth, which is slightly too early because they can’t really do anything in it until they have full head support and some hand-eye coordination.
Playnests are suprisingly hard to find though. Mothercare doesn’t seem to stock them anymore and I could only find one at Toys R Us.
It obviously depends on your baby’s interest but playnests become really handy when your baby gets to the age where they can start reaching for toys but can’t quite crawl yet. Sitting in the playnest can give them a sense of independance and helps them work on developing motor skills.
Playnests are also great if your baby hates having tummy time. You can place them on their bellies on the side of the nest and while it’s not exactly the same as being directly flat on the floor, it will work their kneck and arm muscles.
While my daughter quickly got bored of the little animals on the actual playnest, she loves sitting in it with other toys. Nests are usually covered in textured material and squeaky toys but as with most of these sorts of activity centers, they can either cause overstimulation or loose their charm after a few minutes, so be prepared to give your baby another toy that works well in the ring.
One bad point of the playnest is that if your baby isn’t able to sit on their own yet, they will need something to support them so they don’t end up slipping into an uncomfortable position. I stick a small pillow or a folded baby blanket behind my kiddo, sometimes on both sides of her, and that gives her the support to play on her own for awhile.
It’s also great for travelling. You can deflate the ring, fold it up and stick it in a bag to take with you.
PS Of course, as with most baby toys, never leave your child unattended while in a playnest.
playnests, plat mat, travel toys
May 19th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
I found that the little activity center we had was more interesting to us than it was to her until she got older and found it packed away in a closet. Funny to watch an almost two year old playing with a little activity thing that was meant for a 3-6 month old baby hehe We had a fisher price one though never seen these ones before!
Victoria
http://www.about-sandiegoca.com/
July 3rd, 2007 at 3:37 am
[...] the other hand, Bea has almost completely growen out of her playnest. As soon as I put her in it, she pushes herself to the edge and eventually manages to lunge out and [...]