Red Kite Baby Peppermint Trail Play Gym

Product Information

Size: ‎82 x 82 x 51 cm | Material: Plastic | Batteries required: None | Suitable for: Can be used from birth | Skills: Best for hand/eye coordination and gross motor skills What we love Your needs: If you travel frequently, a portable activity gym or play mat is better than a large clunkier option. Ditto, if you have a small or limited space.

Size: H113cm x W52cm x D76cm | Material: Plastic | Batteries required: Yes (3x AAA) | Suitable for: 0 months+ | Skills: Best for gross motor skills What we love Fisher-Price products usually come highly rated by Mumsnet users and its Musical Rainforest Infant Activity Gym is no exception. Highly recommended by many parents, it's colourful and appealing to babies, and is comparatively cheaper than other brands. Budget: It is important to know how much you can or are willing to spend. Ensure you balance this consideration against its quality and features, as the last thing you want is an activity gym or play mat that breaks within months of owning it. We had the Fisher-Price one, very bright but baby loved it and it was still in use until just before nine months when crawling round the floor was more appealing."(Tried and tested by Mumsnet user Laaalaaaa) Our verdict

2. Best budget play mat: Red Kite Baby Peppermint Trail Play Gym

Size: L114cm x W114cm | Material: Cotton | Batteries required: None | Suitable for: 0 months+ | Skills: Best for motor skills What we love All baby mats, gyms and activity centres serve the same purpose. They offer an opportunity for your baby to explore the world around them in a safe, soft and stimulating environment. They also provide visual and sensory stimulation and are ideal for tummy time. Here are the skills your baby can develop, depending on the play mat or gym you opt for: We have a foam mat from Munchkin & Bear and would highly recommend it! We’ve spent so much time on the floor with our baby since the mat arrived – we’re much comfier! He’s just started to roll on it, but it will be amazing when he can sit etc." (Suggested by Mumsnet user Derbee) Our verdict

All of our Swears By articles start with research via the Mumsnet forums. We know nothing beats a real recommendation from a parent, so we thoroughly scoured the forum threads in search of the activity gyms and mats parents and their babies love. Expert opinions While we understand that being without your pram is inconvenient, we do not have any capacity to provide a pushchair or pram lending service. Little Angels Prams act only as a go-between, your warranty is with the brand who manufactures your pushchair. Perhaps it doesn’t fit your requirements as expected, you’ve had a change of plans or you’ve simply changed your mind. Bought a Tiny Love play mat with my first son. Was invaluable until he started sitting as he LOVED batting at the huge array of stuff we attached to it (he still loves watching things spin)." (Tried and tested by Mumsnet user yomellamoHelly)

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Size: L66.86cm x W91.5cm x H45.7cm | Material: Not specified | Batteries required: Yes (3x AA) | Suitable for: 0 months+| Skills: Best for communication, language and numeracy skills What we love Baby Einstein’s Neptune Discover Reef Play Activity Gym doesn’t compete against the larger, more expensive models for features, but it does beat them on portability. Small, compact and travel ready, you can remove the bar and fit it into your infant carrier for baby-centred entertainment on the go. Not going anywhere? The mat can be removed and used for tummy time, and the toys can be unclipped and stored in the nappy bag for when you really need it. Oh, and it is much, much cheaper than some alternatives too! Features: More doesn’t always mean better. Look for activity gyms with a good balance of interactive features, with space to add to or change it up.

After a three-year stint on Gransnet's editorial team, Natasha joined Mumsnet in 2021, and has since carved out a specialism in all things home, lifestyle and baby. Why you should trust us We will arrange for the manufacturer to collect your pram from your home within 5-7 days free of charge, or you can drop it off at our store if preferred, and we’ll arrange collection from there.If you’d like to add to it, Fisher-Price also offers low-cost, additional toys which you can clip onto the arches, which is a huge plus because it expands the lifespan of the gym. Although some reviewers noted that the price point was a little high for the limited size and features, this can be a great option for on-the-go or smaller homes or flats. My son loved his Baby Einstein one. Spent up to 10 mins under there which was great for me. He loved the music box in the middle of the stanchions."(Brand recommended by Mumsnet user AlbusPercivalWulfricBrianSun) Our verdict

Size: H68.58 x W2.03 x D55.88cm | Material: Not specified | Batteries required: Yes (2x AAA) | Suitable for: 0 months+ | Skills: Best for communication and language skills What we love Your baby can use an activity gym or play mat from day one, but it is best to wait until they’re at least two to three months old before you expect them to engage. How long should a baby use a play mat or activity gym for? Most of our prams and pushchairs include a manufacturer’s warranty. This means that for the time period of the warranty, if something goes wrong you are entitled to request a repair.Size: H48.3 x W96.5 x D96.5cm | Material: Polyester, PP, mirrored PETG board, PU foam, fibre glass rod, EVA | Batteries required: Non-replaceable coin batteries (included) | Suitable for: 0 months+ | Skills: Best for motor skills What we love