Too late to buy a gymini?

[millerpjm]

Question for the toy experts!!!

DS is 4 1/2 months old. He's rolling one way (back to front)and has not seemed too interested in his FP Classical Chorus gym lately. So, I put it away and he has seemed content rolling on the floor and trying to hold rattles/toys in his hands. I visited my SIL yesterday, and her boy has a gymini. DS seemed mesmerized.... normally the first thing he does when you put him down on his back is flip over to his tummy, but he just laid there grabbing at the toys. I was thinking about getting him a gymini since he seemed to get a big kick out of it, but I don't know how much longer he will use it. Any suggestions?

Jen

Proud mama to Thomas (4 1/2 months old)

[Momof3Labs]

My experience with Colin was that by 4.5 months, Colin was happier being upright in an exersaucer than laying on the floor playing with a toy arch (by that age, he just pulled the arch down). If you found a Gymini at a resale store for $10 (or could borrow one from someone), I'd say go for it, but if your only option is full price, then I'd suggest putting the money towards an exersaucer, doorway jumper or walker.

Plus, the tummy time is so very important! If the Gymini keeps him on his back (rather than flipping to his tummy), then it probably isn't the right toy for him at this age, either.

Somehow, babies seem mesmerized by the unusual. They fall in love with someone else's toy, and when you spend the money to have that toy at home, it becomes boring. How do they understand this when they are so tiny???

[kaitlinsmommy]

I agree with the previous post. I think an exersaucer would be a better investment at this age. DD loved her Gymini but outgrew its interest around 4 or 5 months. I held off an an exersaucer and now wish I would have gotten one earlier.

[heidi_timms]

I'm not sure about the age thing, but I saw an inexpensive Gymini at Marshalls if you have those stores near you.

~Heidi
Mom to Kailey Ashlin
4/27/03

[sarasprings]

I agree that an exersaucer is more of a must have, but we bought a gymini (the one with the music, mirror, and lights) around 4-5 months and had it out until about 8 months, when ds tried to stand up using the cross bars. After that, we left the mat on the floor and the mirror out. He loved making the music play and experimented with hitting it with different things. Even now, he likes playing with some of the animals (at one year he started really liking stuffed animals).

I think whether or not you want to get a gymini depends on if your baby likes it (which you indicated he did). Ds loved his exersaucer, but we wouldn't leave him in it all day and so we had to have other toys for him to interact with.

[vikivoly]

He may have been interested because it's something new. My 6 month old got bored with her gymini at around 4-5 months, so I quit using it for awhile. When I got it back out recently she enjoyed it again.

If your interested, Value City has one for $19.99. It's the same one DD has, and I paid $45.00 for it. It's a red/yellow/green bug.