For my oldest four children I had a fabric play mat/baby gym. I sold it in a yard sale a few years ago. When Janna was born I wasn’t sure I wanted to go out and purchase a new one. So, I improvised.
Janna loves trying to grab her little toys from the toy bar. Want to know how I “made” it?
Janna’s baby gym is nothing more than two sturdy kitchen chairs with a broom handle between them. I used some toys that were designed for hanging and attached them to the handle. I also have used some plastic linking rings to attach toys.
This doesn’t take up any extra room since the chairs are used when we eat and the broom cleans up after we eat. 🙂 Also, this is a very frugal option to expensive baby gym/play mat combos.
Babies can benefit from a gym/play mat (homemade or store bought) in a few ways.
First, when a baby reaches for the toys, kicks in delight, and tries to lift her head to better see the toys she is strengthening her muscles and developing her gross motor skills.
Secondly, as the baby reaches and eventually successfully grabs for the toys she is enhancing her hand-eye coordination as well as working on fine motor control.
This idea was inspired by a baby gym I saw at Picklebums. However, I chose to go with the free and easy route and used items from my home.
Have you used a baby gym for your babies?
Caution: If your baby is rolling, crawling or pulling up to furniture then he or she is more than likely too old for this idea. I would hate to think of babies getting hurt because a chair fell over on them. Also, never leave your baby unattended when using this improvised baby gym.
