Toys for pulling up on and cruising around

[Saartje]

What toys would you recommend that a baby could use to pull up on? I'm a bit stumped over this one.

Ishie loves train tables when we're out and about (he'll stand holding onto the table and try to play with the trains for as long as we let him), and I'd love to get him one, but I don't figure he can play unsupervised with the trains for a while yet. Anyone know the age minimum on those?

I got him an Activity Garden, but it's too short for him to be steady if he tries to stand at it, so he won't use it for that.

And most activity tables are out, because those tend to make electronic noises. I'm not altogether opposed to such toys ideologically, but the fact is, they drive me batty, so that's out.

We don't have a coffee table and don't really have a place to put one, and I can't think there's nothing that would make a better toy for him to serve this purpose than that. (Our couch is also much too tall for him.) Anyone have any thoughts?

[mharling]

What about 'toys' already in your house? Laundry baskets, cardboard boxes, chairs, etc. Do you have a toy chest?

Mary
Lane - April 2003
Little Miss - Due March 2!!

[ellies mom]

You could go for the train table and just not put the trains on it for a while. I know what you mean about toys that make noise. They drive me batty too. We got the Peek-a-blocks Incrediblock thing for DD to use while most of our furniture was in storage. It has an off/on switch on the bottom.

[lisak]

My son loves the Fisher Price Ball Blast. It has places to support his hands as he cruises around it. Its battery operated, but you could always turn it off.

He also used the Leap Pad Learning Table when he was learning to pull up and stand, but it has batteries and sounds and lights too!!!

Good Luck!

[jasabo]

My kids loved the FP Cruise and Crawl Playground when they were just starting to pull up. It's very sturdy and the height is good. I got one at the Moms of Multiples yardsale for $15. The battery compartment was broken, so I don't know what kind of sounds it made as we never got it to work...which was fine with me b/c the electronic toy noises drive me batty too.

Also, we bought a train table at Costco a few months ago and still haven't set up the trains, mostly b/c all the boys do is throw the parts around. We'll probably get around to it this weekend. But up until now, the boys have used it just as a play surface. It works great. I'd highly recommend buying one b/c your ds can use it now to pull up and will still be using it for a few years when you add the trains.

Lisa - mom to 18 month old twin boys

[Saartje]

Our toy chest is an under-bed storage plastic bin that we keep under the couch. Most things (boxes, baskets, chairs if we don't do something to stop them) slide around on our hardwood floors. We have an ottoman that would work nicely -- he tries to use it for that, but it has wheels and won't stay still!

[KrisM]

What about using some of that plastic cushioning stuff on the underside of a basket so that it doesn't slide. I'm thinking of the stuff you put under a rug on hardwood so that the rug stays in place. I think there is also something simliar for kitchen cupboards.

[squimp]

I found an older FP activity table at a consignment store for about $10. No bells and whistles, but a mirror, some lego-like things. It was great for cruising and pretty low risk if we never used it. I scrubbed it down, and since it has no electronics I could clean it really well.

The train table is not a bad idea though, if you're planning to buy one anyway. The activity table seems to have a short lifespan. And he will be up and running before you know it!

[new_mommy25]

I would get the FP Stride to Ride Walker. We got it when DS was 8 months and he loved it. He would push it all over the house. He still uses it now as a ride on and he loves the little balls that come with it.

http://tinyurl.com/6ouzj

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/18840.jpg

[brittone2]

I have DS practice pulling to stand and cruising between 2 full rubbermaid storage bins placed at a right angle to each other.

BTW, I'm worked as a pediatric physical therapist before DS was born ;) No special equipment is needed, trust me ;)

We also have a nice sturdy push toy, which is an older style shopping cart (it isn't very tippy...many push toys are).

ETA: I flip the rubbermaids upside-down so that they are more stable, and they are also filled with heavy stuff. If they aren't heavy enough, just push them up against a wall to make them more steady.