At about three months of age, your baby is considered ready for an activity center. At three months your baby is beginning to reach for things, they are also shaking rattles and seem to be busier than they were just two months ago. This is the perfect time for you to give your baby something to do to keep them entertained. Moreover, giving your baby something to do will allow you to have a few moments to yourself to get things done.
Here are the steps you should follow when choosing an activity center for your baby.
Step one: Look for centers that have adjustable legs. Adjustable legs are needed on these toys because it allows you to raise or lower it as your baby grows. Some will start off as something that you put baby under and allow the toys to dangle from above and as your baby gets older, you can raise the legs. Others will start on the floor and have legs that can be adjusted to turn the activity center into a table. Allowing a toy to grow with your baby will increase the time that your baby can use the toy.
Step two: The more toys that a baby center has the more expensive it will be, which is great if you can afford it. Babies love having several new toys and experiences to explore, the more there is for them to do to stay interested. Toy centers will often have toys that light up and sing, which adds to the final cost of the toy.
Step three:Activity centers will come with toys that can be adjusted. This means that you can raise and lower toys or even change their position, which helps keep your baby interested in the toy longer. The toys that can be moved from one position to the next are going to be more expensive than the activity centers that allow you to raise or lower the toy levels.
Step four:You do not need to spend a lot of money on activity centers you can buy a basic one that comes with the basic toys and it can still keep your baby entertained. You can also place toys that your baby already has on it, which can help you obtain toys that light up and make music.
Step five:No matter which style of activity center you are going to be choosing you want to make sure that the toys that come with the center are bright colors. Young babies cannot see fine detail; their eyes are not able to focus well yet. Bright colors draw their attention. You also want to make the toys interesting. For example, when they grab a rattle it can make different noises or have different textures.
Step six:Activity centers require your baby to lay underneath toys that dangle from above or sit in the center, so most come with a type of pad for your baby. When choosing a baby center you want to make sure that the material that your baby will be sitting or laying on is soft and durable. You also want to make sure the color does not show dirt easily. Machine washable is a good option to look for because it will need to be washed on a weekly basis.
Step seven:
If you have an extremely active baby, you can look into purchasing an activity center that comes with springs so that your baby can bounce. If you go this route, make sure it has flip-down braces that will keep it firmly in place once your baby really starts to bounce. If getting an activity center that comes equipped with a seat make, sure the seat spins freely from side to side with no possibilities of fingers being stuck or pinched.
Beverly Frank is mom to two young kids and a writer. Visit http://www.surfnetparents.com for more parenting advice and ideas.
