Smart Shopping: Stationary Activity Centers

Getting Started l Types l Features l Brands

GETTING STARTED

A stationary activity center keeps your baby relatively safe in one spot while you do other things, such as make dinner -- and maybe even eat some of it, too. A stationary activity center can be used as soon as your baby can sit up unassisted (some start at about 4 months and most by 6 months).

Most stationary activity centers adjust to three or more heights. Your baby will outgrow it when he's 30 to 32 inches tall or weighs 25 to 30 pounds; that's the maximum height and weight recommendation for most activity centers. You should stop using the activity center when your child can walk or even stand up by himself. A standing or walking child can tip it over and be injured or trapped.

Recommendations
Stationary activity centers with a solid, flat base or walk-around models with a stable center pivot or table are the most secure. 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 sharp hardware underneath or on top, and comfortable, soft fabric edging on the sides and legs of the seat cushions. Also, the flip-down stabilizers, which may be available 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. (We counted 19 on one brand.) 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 screws 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 easily be 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.

TYPES

There are basically two types of activity centers. Stationary activity centers with a solid, flat base or walk-around models with a stable center pivot or table are the most secure.

Seat in the center
Most activity centers have a circular frame with a rotating seat recessed in the center and a surrounding tray with attached developmental toys that introduce your baby to color, shapes, texture, animals, nature, and language.

Walk-around
Another style, the walk-around version, 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.

FEATURES

Most activity centers offer activities that attract a baby's attention and promote her developing motor skills. You'll pay more for a high-octane model, but more isn't always better. Although many babies enjoy a wide range of options, some find all that motion, sound, and light too stimulating. Keep you baby's temperament in mind when considering these activity center features.

Motion
Some activity centers offer merely a stationary seat. Others feature a seat that swivels 360 degrees, with springs that allow the unit to bounce when baby moves, and create a rocking motion, which active babies might enjoy.

Stabilizers
These anchor the frame in a stationary position. They're a must to keep a rocking activity center from becoming too turbulent or if you want to feed your baby in his activity center. The stabilizers should seem sturdy.

Adjustable height
Many models offer legs that adjust to three heights, 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, just to keep pace with your baby's growth.

Seat
More-expensive models have cushy seat padding. 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.

Toys
All activity centers feature a play tray with attached interactive toys, such as a fun-house mirror, a spinning stoplight, picture books, and bead toys along with lights, songs, sounds, and sometimes bilingual voices. To make these gizmos work, you'll need up to 12 AAA batteries, depending on the model. 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. They also require more battery power.

Certification
Five stationary-activity-center brands have been certified by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA), which signifies that they meet the requirements of standards developer ASTM International: Dorel Juvenile Group (Safety 1st), Fisher-Price, Graco (Baby Einstein), Kolcraft, and Summer Infant.

BRANDS

Models come with either a solid flat base with four legs that contain the seat, a rocking base (three legs with a center brace below the seat), or a pedestal support (walk-around models). Some, including all 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 down the stairs. Prices range from about $40 (Bright Starts) to $130 (for the Evenflo ExerSaucer Triple Fun, a play mat and activity center in one that converts to an activity table). The major brands, in alphabetical order, are:

Bright Starts (www.brightstarts.com)

Evenflo (www.evenflo.com)

Graco, sold under the Baby Einstein name (www.gracobaby.com)

Kolcraft (www.kolcraft.com)