Review: Fisher-Price Newborn to Toddler Gym to grow with baby

I have a feeling our Christmas card this year could easily be a picture of Baby Boy lying on his Fisher-Price baby gym with Baby Girl sitting next to him.

After Baby Boy received his Fisher-Price Newborn to Toddler Gym to review, the two of them have spent more time playing together and the play gym has become the best place to get a photo of them smiling. In fact, on Tuesday I finally had an afternoon that was exactly like I’d pictured life with two children to be.

Baby Girl was sitting on the floor next to 12-week-old Baby Boy, who was lying on the mat under the gym. She was helping him play with the toys, sometimes even clapping excitedly to cheer him on when he managed to bat the owl or the squirrel on the gym.

I had expected to have lots of help from her in entertaining Baby Boy, making my life easier, but it turns out it works best when there are toys that make sounds or light up. The Fisher-Price Newborn to Toddler Gym, which launched earlier this year, ticks both boxes, making it a winner for sibling love in our household.

Baby Boy used his baby gym for more than a week without me installing the batteries, and he was perfectly happy with it then. But now that I’ve managed to get the lights and music on, I can see he loves it even more – and his sister does too.

I’m thrilled they like it because I can see it being great for us for a year to come. While regular baby gyms are usually only useful before baby starts moving around, the Fisher-Price Newborn to Toddler Gym can grow with the child, offering three stages for play. Baby Boy now uses it as an activity gym where he can lay on his back on the mat and develop motor skills by reaching for three animal toys, which make sounds when he bats them when we turn on the baby-activated musical mode.

When he can sit, the compact gym, which also has a 20-minute long play musical mode, can be converted to a ‘sit and play’ activity station, enabling Baby Boy to play a put-and-take ball game. When he can pull up to standing, we can again convert the gym to a more suitable toy at that stage, removing the mat and letting him use the stand to hold on and drop the balls through the fun zebra and giraffe.

This gym isn’t only great now for Baby Boy to develop motor skills and stimulate his senses due to sounds and lights, but it can also be excellent for practising balance and coordination when he’s older. Long-lasting compared to other baby toys and super entertaining!

Tags: 12 weeks, Activity gym, Baby activities, Baby gym, Baby toys, Fisher Price, Play mat, Pulling up to standing, Sitting up