I love Fisher Price Toys and had the Fisher Price Rainforest Gym for both Isaac and Eliza, which I stupidly gave away when Eliza outgrew it.
I had been looking around at baby gyms for Sebastian when I was offered the Discover & Grow Kick and Play Piano Gym to review.
The colourful gym is suitable from birth upwards and promises to grow with your child with three separate modes of play. At the earliest stage baby can kick the piano keys to activate the music whilst the animals dance above. As baby grows, the toy arch swivels down for tummy time and finally when baby is sitting, the piano can be used for sit and play.
I do like a toy with several options for use that will really last and grow with your child, so I was keen to try it out, but getting it out of the box was a challenge as it was fastened in too well.
It took around 15 minutes to get all the parts out of the box, but once we had it took less than a minute to set up, with everything clipping securely into place. Eliza took an immediate shine to the piano which not only plays tunes, with two flashing lights but also 4 separate notes depending on the settings. There are also two volume settings.
As a childminder I often look for the developmental benefits of a toy before purchasing it and I am impressed with what this gym offers.
As Sebastian grows, the gym will help his physical development by building on his gross motor skills – kicking the piano, grasping and batting the toys as well as getting an early understanding of cause and effect because the music will come on when he touches the piano keys.
The dancing lights and mirror will stimulate his vision which will promote self awareness.
As he gets older and able to use the gym in it’s other format, he will be able to explore the toys further and discover the different sounds and textures of each one. The toys are easily detachable and can be used as teething toys or to attach to a buggy / pram if you wanted to.
The mat itself is lightly padded for comfort and easily removed from the piano and toy bar for washing. My only disappointment is that there is no peek-a-boo mirror or textured material on the mat itself, which is great for tummy time.
This play mat will comfortably take baby into toddlerhood and is certainly a good buy if you are looking for something that is going to grow with your child and last.
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