I know we all want our babies to have fun and learn new skills. One of the best ways to accomplish this is by investing in a wooden play gym. These gyms offer numerous benefits for your child’s development and are also eco-friendly and durable. In this post, we’ll explore the benefits of wooden play gyms, how to use them, and provide some recommendations for the best wooden play gyms on the market.
A wooden baby gym is a toy that provides an array of activities for your child to engage with. Typically, they consist of a wooden frame with different toys and accessories such as balls, beads, and bells on a hanging bar. Wooden baby gyms come in various sizes and shapes, and they can be used by infants and some you can even raise the height or transform in other ways to use when your baby gets older.
The natural materials and simple design of wooden baby gyms also align with Montessori principles of providing a simple and natural environment that fosters exploration and development of the child’s senses and motor skills. Wooden play gyms also allow for customization and personalization, which is an important aspect of Montessori education.
Best Wooden Play Gyms
The Play Gym by Lovevery
While being an expensive wooden baby gym, this one comes with a lot of extras that made it worth it to me. It includes a guide for age-appropriate activities. The gym also comes with removable accessories, such as an organic ball and teether, sustainable wood batting toy, and four learning card sets. It’s made to grow with your baby and includes five Montessori-inspired development zones for sensory exploration on the play mat – they reveal or conceal to prevent overstimulation!
little dove Baby Play Gym
If you’re looking for a more affordable option, this wooden baby gym is great quality! It comes with six baby toys, including three wooden beaded toys and three soft toys. It’s a simple and aesthetically pleasing baby activity you can do for tummy time, just place something a tummy time mat underneath.
Finn + Emma Wooden Baby Gym
This play gym is made with 100% birch wood and is finished with non-toxic stains and lacquers. The hand-knit dolls inside the wooden baby gym will encourage your little one to reach, grasp and develop their motor skills. Also, the gym is adjustable to two different heights, so it can grow with your baby as they get bigger and stronger. The play buddies are interchangeable and can be used away from the gym in the car, on a stroller or even on a high chair.
Ingenuity Activity Gym & Play Mat
This wooden baby gym is a great option and comes with six removable activity toys to keep your little one entertained and stimulated. These toys include a plush bear, bead rattle, mirror, silicone apple toy, wooden ring toy, and tummy time pillow. Also, the gym is foldable for easy transport or storage and the playing mat is reversible!
Foldable Baby Play Gym Frame
This wooden baby play gym is great for parents looking for a portable and stimulating toy for their little one. It comes with 3 wooden toys and 2 soft toys, stimulating your baby’s senses and encouraging them to reach and grab for the dangling toys and beads. This wooden baby gym is great quality and will look nice in any nursery or living room!
Benefits of Wooden Play Gyms
- Physical Development: Wooden play gyms encourage physical activity and can help develop motor skills. By reaching for and grabbing the hanging toys, your child can improve their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. Additionally, some play gyms come with accessories like a tummy-time pillow that encourage your child to practice their gross motor skills.
- Sensory Stimulation: Wooden baby gyms offer a variety of textures and colors that can stimulate your child’s senses. They can help with visual development, tactile stimulation, and even auditory skills, as many play gyms include toys that make noise. The different textures and shapes of the toys can also help with your child’s exploration and discovery.
- Cognitive Development: A wooden baby gym can also promote cognitive development. They can help your child learn cause-and-effect relationships, spatial awareness, and problem-solving skills. For example, a toy that requires your child to push a button to make a sound teaches them that their actions have an effect on their environment. Play gyms with multiple toys can also help your child learn to focus on one activity at a time.
- Eco-Friendly: A wooden baby gym is an eco-friendly alternative to plastic play gyms. They’re made from sustainable materials, and they can be reused or recycled. This makes them a great option for parents who want to reduce their environmental impact.
- Durability: Wooden play gyms are sturdy and long-lasting. They can withstand the wear and tear of daily use, making them a smart investment. Also, they’re less likely to break or crack than plastic play gyms.
How to set up the play gym good and safe?
Make sure you set up the wooden baby gym in a safe, open space where your child can move around freely. Avoid placing the gym near any sharp edges or corners.
Before placing your child under the gym, make sure it’s stable and secure.
Always supervise your child while they’re playing with the gym. Make sure they don’t put any of the toys in their mouth, and remove any broken or damaged toys immediately.
As your child grows and develops, you may need to adjust the height of the gym. This will help them continue to engage with the toys at a comfortable level.
Hopefully, you found the best baby gym for your little one! There are also colorful toys and even wooden teething toys you can get attach to a non toxic activity gym bar if you want to switch it up. Get ready for a lot of fun and multi sensory stimulation. Activity gyms for babies can make great nursery decor and you can add it to a baby registry if you’d like!
You can also read our Lovevery gym review. You could also be interested in crawling toys and when your baby grows more you can integrate climbing toys like pikler triangles and climbing arches.
