Baby activity center buying guide

Prices range from about $55 (KidCo's GoPod), to about $75 (Fisher-Price's SpaceSaver Bounce ‘n Spin Froggy), to about $80 (Fisher-Price's Adorable Animals Jumparoo, Kolcraft's WonderBug), to about $100 (Kolcraft's Wally/Wanda Wonder and Baby Sit & Step, Fisher-Price's Luv U Zoo, Ocean Wonders, Precious Planet Blue Sky/Khaki Sands, and Rainforest Jumparoos), to about $120 for Fisher-Price's Laugh & Learn Jumparoo.

What does that $120 get you? The Laugh & Learn offers two "modes" of entertainment. With Musical Fun, your baby can play with six different toy stations, and activate five different melodies, plus plenty else. In Early Learning Fun, "experiential learning" is introduced by way of cause and effect, colors and shapes, and sound identification, and more--all part of what Fisher-Price calls "Learning Through Discovery."

Certification by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) signifies that a product claims to be tested and to meet the safety requirements of standards developer ASTM International. Since it is not required by law and the testing of products is not policed by any government agency, we can't say that certification is a guarantee that a product meets the standard, but we think it's a good idea to look for a certification label.

Fisher-Price sells seven free-standing Jumparoo models ($80 - $120), in addition to the Little Superstar Step n' Play Piano (about $110), and the SpaceSaver Bounce ‘n Spin Froggy (about $75), which is a stripped-down version of the typical seat-in-the-center activity center.

KidCo, Inc. sells three models of its lightweight, foldable, GoPod portable activity center.

Kolcraft Enterprises, Inc. sells three types of seat-in-the-center stationary activity centers--the TurtleTot (about $80), the aforementioned WonderBug and Wally/Wanda Wonder (about $100)--but it also offers activity centers that convert into walkers: the Baby Sit & Step 2-in-1 Activity Center; the Tiny Steps 2-in-1 Walker ($50); and the Step Starter 2-in-1 Walker ($85). Additionally, Kolcraft sells a Jeep-styled Walker ($65), and a Sesame Street Elmo Tiny Steps Walker ($45). We don't recommend walkers.

Examine attached toys for size. They shouldn't be able to fit through a toilet-paper tube. Should they happen to break off, they could be a choking hazard.

Although most babies enjoy being in these play spaces, some don't. If you can, have your baby test-drive a unit in the store or during play dates at other parents' homes to get a sense of how he fares.

If you decide to buy an activity center, look for one with a thick, solid frame; no accessible sharp edges or exposed hardware underneath or on top; and comfortable, soft fabric edging on the sides and leg areas of the seat cushions; the Kolcraft WonderBug (about $80) and TurtleTot (about $80) possess all these qualities. And any flip-down stabilizers, which a few models have to prevent the saucer from rocking, should be sturdy. You shouldn't get the feeling that they could release during use.

Some activity centers come with lots of bells and whistles--and lots of parts. You'll need a screwdriver and a good half an hour to assemble. Read the instructions beforehand and keep them for future reference. Routinely check your baby's activity center for loose fasteners or toys, worn parts, and torn material or stitching, and replace or repair as needed. You can usually order replacement parts from the manufacturer. Stop using a stationary activity center if it's damaged or broken.

Register the product online or by sending in the product registration card so that you can be promptly notified in the event of a recall. Stay alert for recalls by checking www.cpsc.gov before you shop, or before purchasing a stationary activity center second hand.

Consumer Reports has not tested or rated stationary activity centers for babies.

Most activity centers, like the WonderBug by Kolcraft shown here (about $80) have a circular frame with a rotating seat recessed in the center and a surrounding tray with attached developmental toys that may introduce your baby to colors, shapes, textures, animals, nature, or language.

Another style, the walk-around version, like the Around We Go Activity Station by Bright Starts (about $90), features a seat that rotates around a central pivot or table so that your baby can walk in a circle if she wants to, but not actually travel.

While most activity centers offer a fabric seat that swivels and lets your baby jump up and down on his own steam, some, like the Fisher-Price Adorable Animals Jumperoo shown here (about $80) add springs attached to the seat that allow the unit to bounce when baby moves, and create a rocking motion, which active babies might enjoy but others may not. You'll find these hybrids sold as "jumpers," or sometimes "activity jumpers."

Many models, like the Fisher-Price Luv U Zoo Jumperoo shown here ($100), offer multiple settings, so the activity center can grow as your baby grows. The height of the play tray is the key. When the tray is at the proper height, your baby's feet will touch the floor and her legs will be straight when she's seated. If your baby is on her tippy toes when she's seated, the tray is too high. If her knees are bent when she's seated, it's too low. You might have to adjust the legs (without your baby seated in the activity center) every month or so to keep pace with your baby's growth.

More expensive models might have cushy seat padding, such as the Baby Einstein Musical Motion Activity Center ($90) shown here. Seat pads are typically removable for machine washing, which is a real plus. You might have to air-dry them, though. Check the care and maintenance requirements on the label or in the instruction manual. In fact, you might want to check an on-line version of the owner's manual before you buy to see how complicated it is to remove, launder, and replace the seat cushion. Since a child of that age is in diapers, there may be leaks or worse.)

Although activity centers traditionally feature a play surface, many now come with attached interactive toys, such as a fun-house mirror, a spinning stoplight, picture books, and bead toys along with lights, songs, and sounds. To make these gizmos work, you'll need plenty of batteries--though it depends on the model.

The Fisher Price Little Superstar Step and Play Piano shown here (about $110), only requires two. In general, more-expensive models are loaded with exciting options and have lots of ways to bounce and rock so your baby feels like she's on the go. The Little Superstar, for instance, features a seat that both rotates 360 degrees and glides back and forth. Moreover, your baby steps on a seven-note keyboard that activates "fun music" and "dancing lights," which "encourages walking," according to the manufacturer.

Some play stations, such as a few Kolcraft models, become a walk-behind walker (beginner walkers can push it in front of them), although we don't recommend using it in that manner because a baby could easily push one--along with themselves--down the stairs, or otherwise into harm's way.

Look for an activity center that folds if you want to take it along when you travel or if you need the extra room. Here is where KidCo's GoPod line ($55) could serve our purposes. Choose from their Quicksilver, Sorbet, or Pistachio color schemes. Practice collapsing display models in the store, if possible, to make sure that the folding mechanism works well.

More than a decade ago, the company was founded by Julie Clark, who wanted to share her love of the arts and humanities with her baby. Her intent was to create products that offered interactive experiences for her and her daughter to discover the world together. As the company grew, the Walt Disney Company noticed and acquired it in 2001. Baby Einstein offers a wide range of developmental and entertainment products for babies and toddlers. Along with activity centers, products include discovery kits, books, toys, and CDs.
www.babyeinstein.com

The company was started more than 40 years ago, when a grandmother came up with a product idea for infants. Since then its parent company, Kids II, has created products that include activity centers, infant and toddler toys, entertainers, high chairs, play yards, and more.
www.brightstarts.com

For more than 85 years, the company has developed infant equipment, and is now one of the nation's leading manufacturers of baby-care and juvenile products. Its
products include car seats, strollers, high chairs, play yards and activity products, among others.
www.evenflo.com

Founded in 1930 by Herman Fisher, Irving Price, and Helen Schelle, whose company brought 16 wooden toys to the International Toy Fair in New York City. Those first toys quickly caught on and became the hallmarks of Fisher-Price. The company, situated in headquarters outside Buffalo, NY, makes products that include activity centers, toys, games, and much more. Fisher-Price is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mattel Inc.
www.fisher-price.com

Incorporated in 1992, the company produces a complete line of child, pet, and hearth safety gates, and an assortment of child home-safety products designed and engineered in Denmark. Besides activity centers, the product lineup includes feeding products, Pea Pods, and Go-Pods. Available at most juvenile product retailers.
www.kidco.com

The company began in 1946 in Chicago, when Leo Koltun made playpen pads out of cotton batting and oil-cloth covers for post-World War II babies. The company continued to grow, introducing the innovative Carri-Cradle in 1979, the first combination plastic infant carrier and rocker with a carrying handle. Kolcraft expanded into manufacturing and distributing other product categories, including play yards, high chairs, walkers, and strollers. In the 1990s, the company introduced new categories, including bassinets, bouncers, swings, and juvenile furniture. Available everywhere juvenile products are sold.  www.kolcraft.com

Look for a sturdy frame, with no accessible sharp edges or hardware underneath or on top, comfortable soft fabric edging on the sides and leg area of the seat cushions, and well-designed, well-secured toys for little hands. The seat should swivel smoothly without any hitches, and there should be no gaps in the rim between the edge of the swivel mechanism and the tray. Such gaps could capture and hurt small fingers. If the activity center's bottom is a saucer, its flip-down braces, which prevent it from rocking, should be sturdy.

Most activity centers offer activities that attract a baby's attention and promote her developing motor skills, including electronic toys, lights, sounds, songs, and a rotating seat. One of the most-fully loaded we found, the WonderBug by Kolcraft ($80)--which requires two batteries--boasts eight toys, as well as a "batting butterfly," a rotating bee, a flower rattle, and a "WonderWorm" that "sings, talks, and lights up to engage your baby."

One with fewer gadgets and toys, the Fisher-Price Adorable Animals Jumparoo ($80), does sport "lights, sound, and music"--and requires three batteries--but doesn't feel as busy or overwhelming. Depending on the baby, of course, that might be enough to keep her busy.

More features add to the price. However, more isn't always better. Although many babies enjoy a wide range of options, some find all that motion, sound, and light too stimulating. So go with an activity center with fewer bells and whistles--in other words, at the lower end of the price spectrum--if you suspect that your baby doesn't have a multitasking temperament.

Remember, you can always remove the batteries to reduce the activity center's sensory experience.