We recently reviewed the best activity centres for babies. However, we got asked the question “are activity centres bad for babies?”.
Read on to find out the facts on this important question. But first, we need to define our terms.
What exactly is a baby activity centre?
All babies and all infants like to play. Play develops their understanding, motor skills and bodies. A good baby activity centre does all these things.
There are all different kinds of baby activity centres.
Small babies who can’t yet pull themselves up to a sitting position have rocker-chair or rug-based activity centres. If the question is “are activity centres safe for babies” for this category, the answer is “yes” assuming they are new and from reputable suppliers (so they don’t have any hygiene or other safety issues). There are strict government regulations and no respectable manufacturer would risk harming a baby – it would destroy their reputation. However, if you choose to buy second hand – or from some unknown source, you might be taking a risk.
Once a baby is a little older but before they can walk, there are baby bouncers, baby walkers etc. We’ll come back to those in a minute.
Then, there are freestanding infant activity centres for children up to about age 2 who can stand, walk around etc. If we rephrase the question to “are activity centres safe for baby’ but include these free-standing activity centres for much older infants, then yes there can be risks with choking hazards. So it’s important to look at the recommended ages for an activity centre and stick to the manufacturer’s guidelines. That’s important if you have young siblings of different ages. Small babies can and do put just about anything they can get their tiny hands on into their mouths. That’s a normal part of baby development and you can’t warn them or teach them at that age to stop.
That means some toddler activity centres for older infants might have shapes, beads, small animals etc. that could pose a risk to younger babies. So be aware and just take sensible precautions.
What is the issue with baby walkers?
Now let’s return to baby bouncers and baby walkers which are also activity centres. Baby walkers have plenty of upsides as they give your baby a thorough work out and allow them some ability to explore. What’s more, they cut down on boredom as your baby learns to direct themselves. So, we like walkers.
That said, as we discuss in the article, baby walkers have been controversial in the past. If we rephrase the question to “are baby activity centres safe” and include walkers, then yes there are very real risks. The risk is not really from the walker itself (although in the past there were models that had a high centre of gravity and could be toppled over too easily). The risk is the same kind of risk you get once baby starts to be able to crawl – namely, they are now able to get access to things and places you may not want them to.
If you allow a baby in a baby activity centre that allows walking, then you must put them in a room that does not have any hazards. Typical hazards could be leaving a baby in a walker in an upstairs bedroom with a door that leads to a flight of downward steps – this really is dangerous and the steps should have a gate on them. Power sockets are another worry.
Kitchens have plenty of hazards too for a baby in a walker activity centre – hot surfaces, sharp knives, pots, pans and kettles with hot contents and so on.
Bathrooms have cleaning fluids, so that’s another no-no.
In a lounge or dining room, you need to add objects they could knock over and hit themselves with, open fires, sharp or spiky objects (Cactuses for example) and just about any unsecured item.
Babies are naturally highly curious and are little explorers. You can hardly blame them for using the activity centre walker’s freedom to go on journeys of discovery. So, take care to put away, secure, shield or lock up anything they might find on the travels.
Another solution are tethered baby walkers like the excellent ‘around we go model’ we reviewed. Your baby can move around but only in a defined and constrained area. So, they get exercise and get some useful leg development but practically zero risks.
In any case, once a baby is crawling, the risks are pretty much the same as the risks of a walker. So, provided you have been baby proofing your house for a crawling baby, there’s not really much additional risk from a walker activity centre.
Are activity centres bad for babies?
Some parents feel activity centres are bad for babies, not because of safety but because they are a cop-out. In this viewpoint, parents or other carers should be sufficiently engaged with their babies that an activity centre isn’t really necessary.
There is actually some truth in this in a few extreme cases. Are activity centres good for babies as a substitute for parenting – clearly no? It’s not OK to dump your baby in one for very extended periods and leave the room (and definitely you must not leave them alone in the house).
This can trigger a fear response in some babies or a loneliness response in others and is extremely bad parenting. If we see stories on the news or on social media of babies locked in cars for long periods there’s a public outcry and justifiably so. However, it’s all a question of context and degree. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with leaving a baby in a baby activity centre for short periods for example because you need to use the bathroom, answer the door and so on.
What’s more, we review a great outdoors baby activity centre that means you and baby can be together out in the garden, yard etc. while you are doing whatever you want to do there. So long as your baby knows you are nearby they will feel safe and secure. That can be a line of sight or just the sound of your voice. Plus of course, babies are quite OK lying in their cots for a nap.
On that subject, we also review baby activity centres with soothing battery-powered vibrations which will let your little one play and they slowly drop off to sleep. That really is a great example of how activity centres are good for babies.
So, Are Activity Centres Good or Bad for Babies?
So, everything is really down to sensible use of these handy and popular products. They are perfectly safe and really good for babies when used responsibly and in the correct way. They are also fun and several allow great interaction between you and your child.
We hope we have answered the question ‘are activity centres good for babies?’ honestly and fairly. Please let us know what you think in comments below.
