By Sarah Burns on February 10, 2010 in
With all the baby products on the market today, it's easy for new parents to feel overwhelmed. Even finding the right baby activity center can seem like a huge chore. Knowing this, we decided to make things easier. Grandmas, new parents, and baby shower gift-givers take note: After sifting through a variety of recent reviews we compiled a list of the best activity centers.
Now, you may be asking yourselves: What exactly is a baby activity center? Contrary to popular belief, the term "activity center" is actually a very general label used to describe a larger number of products designed to entertain children.
Current activity centers come in two main forms:
- Stationary entertainers are products that have upright seats surrounded by toys and other items that interest babies
- Play mats (also referred to as play gyms or tummy mats) are soft, flat floor mats typically crafted for infants. Some play mats have plastic overhead arches plied with dangling toys, while other offerings are simply covered with kid-friendly items and decorations.
Despite the product differences, they share a common purpose. Activity centers can help keep babies captivated for hours while sharpening their newly developed muscles and senses at the same time. For instance, the bright splashy colors and contrasting shapes typically featured on these activity centers can help strengthen a baby's focus and vision, while repeatedly reaching and handling the attached interactive toys can enhance a child's hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills (such as grasping and pinching).
To learn more, read our new report on activity centers.