New Baby Gifts |  Car Seats | Portable Cribs | Feeding Time 
 Strollers/Travel Systems/Carriers | Play Equipment & Other

Graco Swing & Bounce (Graco) $129.99
"Where was this swing when I had my first-born?" asked our mom-tester.  "If you are going to invest in one piece of equipment for your baby this it it! This swing is awesome: it offers three terrific features and one (if not all) is sure to make you and your baby happy. My youngest cries whenever she wakes up from a catnap and doesn't see me around so my favorite feature is the removable bouncer seat which enables me to bring my baby with me when I want to jump in the shower or do a quick load of laundry. I also love that there are six different speeds with multiple tunes including nature sounds--which both she and I totally find relaxing. The vibration feature almost always calms her and makes her fall asleep. She also loves the overhead toy bar which comes with detachable soft toys to keep her entertained, especially when she can chew on one for hours and the removable tray is useful to catch all the cheerios that seem to consistently fall out of her little fists. Parents and grandparents will both love all the safety features this swing and bouncer offers and I highly recommend it to all my mommy friends."
 

Peek 'N Play Discovery Dome (Playskool)  Ages 3 months+, $39.99
"My 7-month old absolutely loves this toy, as do the other kids in her play group," reports our mom-tester. "She loves to open and close the door and crawl in and out of the tent. I like how easy it was to assemble, the directions were clear and easy, and it folds easily for quick and convenient storage. The colors of this tent are vivid and eye-catching. It comes with several toy pieces that attach to the play dome. Both the inside and outside of the tent have fun and engaging activities that encourage your child to experiment and practice both fine and gross motor skills. This toy is a hit at our house!"

Learn & Groove™ Musical Table  (Leap Frog)  Ages 6 - 36 months, $39.99
Gone are the days of boring music at play tables!  This fun table plays "great music"  commented our mom tester.  The Learn & Groove Musical Table can be used with or without legs, has 15 musical activities in both English and Spanish as well as 40+ songs and melodies! "There are lights, things that spin and move -- everything had my daughter very captivated," commented our mom tester.  "My daughter just loved the frog with the spinning belly and the lights!  Leap Frog certainly knows how to create a great product!" Requires 3 AA batteries.
 

123 Maxi Patapouf Bear Chair (Kaloo) Ages 1+, $70.00
If your toddler grandchild is looking for a soft chair to call their own you won't go wrong with this one!  The Patapouf chairs are extra soft, perfectly sized and cute as can be!  "This adorable little beanbag chair was perfectly sized for my 2-year-old," commented our mom-tester.  "It's his favorite place to sit and read.  I just love the colors, the sweetness and I love the fact that there isn't anything 'commercial' in the design.  It's a great gift!"  Dimensions: D 20 x W 20 x H 17 in.

LeapStages Infant Learning System (Leap Frog) Ages birth to 18 mo. $39.99
Our mom-tester reports, "I like this toy for my little girl because it offers so much. It teaches colors, animal sounds, first words and plays classical music. It is colorful and she enjoys the bright lights. This toy will be an excellent tool for her early language development over the next year."  LeapStages let you choose from 4 learning screens as your baby grows.  There is Musical Classical Connections for lying-down infants; Baby Senses adds baby faces and language development interactions, Word Play for sitting-up infants with colorful images and lights; Learning Songs stimulate language and memory development for standing babies. 

Baby Einstein Discover & Play Activity Center (Graco) $79.99 Our tester of this activity center is already a fan of the Baby Einstein movies, so this was a hit from the start.  Our mom-tester liked the colors and characters that are in the DVD's, the music and the bi-lingual language.  A big plus was the photo album that depicts real images - the photo of a dog was a big hit.  The center features 3-position heights, a seat that swivels 360 degrees and a machine washable seat.  It requires 3 "AA" batteries and adult assembly. 

Graco Swyngomatic™ Infant Swing  (Graco) $139.99
If you are looking for a nice swing our tester reports, "this is a very nice swing.  It might not be the fanciest one out there, but it has the essentials."  It has a 4-position reclining seat converts from a five-point to a three-point harness and has a neck support for an infant.  The cover is also machine-washable which is a must!  The 40 minute time has four settings and there are 6 different speed settings.  There's also a mobile and 15 classical & lullaby tunes to entertain your baby.  Overall our tester was really thrilled with this swing and highly recommended.  

Learn Around Play Ground (Leap Frog) Ages 6 months - 3 years  $59.99   
The parents of our 8-month-old tester were concerned it would be too much standing for him but he loves it. There are so many facets to the play station and lots of activities to keep him busy.  His current favorite feature is the turning frog. The ball drop will be lots of fun when his coordination is a bit more mature. His mother reports, "I like the learning of the ABCs and numbers while playing interactively." Other features include shapes and textures, colors and rhyming, sing-along, first words, cause and effect, opposites, etc.  For crawlers there’s lots to do as well. There are tabs to bat and shapes to look at. "Even when our son is tired, he’ll sit in front of it and play with the lower toys" she reports.
She added that "the music is pleasing, there is a volume control (2 settings), and sound choices. By flipping the smart book page, the sound transforms from learning to music. There is great dance music for a little one. The songs are catchy and you’ll find yourself learning the words quickly."  She also really liked that this is a toy that he can grow with. By spending a little more, you get something that will be interesting and fun for years to come. The Learn-Around Playground has so many different things to play with and discover!  Note:  One word of caution, the Learn-Around Playground is not as heavy as she would like. Her son pushes it across the carpet by leaning on it. She recommends butting it up against a couch or a wall so it’s more secure. 

Gymini Total Playground Activity Mat (Tiny Love) Ages Birth - 10 months, $69.99  
An activity mat is a great gift for new baby and mother.   Not only does it give mom a break, it encourages grasping, kicking,  needed for developing fine motor skills.  Our mom-tester used the activity mat for some tummy time as well as play time.  Her daughter really enjoyed reaching for the chimes, mirror and other teething type toys.  The mat snaps flat when folded together for travel and is machine washable. 

Sun Stop’r® Kwik Cabana (Kel-Gar) This is great gift for a mom or grandparent whether you are spending the day at the beach, at a picnic or just gardening.  It provides instant protection from the suns harmful UV rays which is a necessity for babies under 6 months since they aren't supposed to wear sunscreen.  It pops open easily, closes quickly and is easy to tote around.  When your grandchild is bored pop it open and you have an instant indoor play tent.  The Kwik Cabana retails for $59.99 and you can find it at Babies-R-Us.