When shopping for an exersaucer, I came across the Bright Starts Around We Go Activity Station. I read all the reviews thoroughly before purchasing this one, and it has turned out to be one of the best investments we've made. My daughter was 5.5 mo when I was looking for something that my daughter can be in vertically after feeding to minimize spit ups and to also allow me to grab something quick to eat. This exersaucer has accomplished both and much more! My daughter is very active with her legs and does not like to be confined to car seat, high chair, glider, swing, but she absolutely loves this unit and wants to be in it even 1.5 mo later.
Here's what we like about the unit:
1. We like the fact that the baby can "walk around" the activity center so she doesn't feel like she's restricted and confined. I think this bit of freedom and control is what keeps her wanting to go in.
2. Unlike the traditional exersaucer where the child just sits in the middle and rotates or bounces up and down which makes really loud and annoying noises because of the plastic tubes, the Bright Starts is more quiet with just the sound of the wheels. The wheels move very smoothly on the tile floor.
3. The keyboard with the 3 categories of sounds (silly sound, short musical tune and piano key) is really great so the baby does not get bored. You have to flip the pages, but the baby eventually gets it and will flip the pages on their own. This makes it more versatile than the other exersaucers I've seen.
4. My baby is teething, so the two butterfly-looking thing are great for her to chew on (though the short one is a little more difficult for her to reach, but the tall one you can bend). You can chain your baby's favorite teether to it too if it has a ring, but I think you can do that with most exersaucers.
5. The two frog looking thing are great too b/c they teach cause-and-effect.
6. I think this unit allows more interactive play b/c my daughter can move around the activity center much faster now, so we pretend we're running in front of her for her to catch us, and she loves it. Sometimes she runs behind the dog thinking she can catch her too =)
7. One unintended side benefit we've discovered is that it helps my daughter poop when she's in it, everyday precisely around the same time. Not sure if it's the standing position or the fact that she's exercising with walking, but it makes her very regular, so mommy's happy. And if you have an accident, you can take out the seat to wash it which we've done two times already, and the fabric is still fine. The only complaint I have is that it's a little difficult to remove the fabric because you have to take out the entire seat, which is a little hard b/c certain pts have to line up so you can unlock it, and my husband has to consult the manual every time, but I think this maybe part of the safety feature.
I know some parents complained about their baby's feet can't touch the ground even with the lowest setting. Just a reference pt for your consideration: when we got the unit for my daughter at 5.5 mo (25.5 inches long), she could only touch the floor tiptoed, and she was in the 90th percentile. So depending on the growth and height of your baby, you may not want to purchase this too early. But overall, I think this is a great activity center/exersaucer over the traditional kind and would highly recommend it.
I bought this for my four month old. She is too small to use it as a walker, but she loves batting at the toys. She hates the seat. There is not any cushioning within the seat and there are a few areas where the plastic digs into her back. I have to put a blanket around her just to protect her from the bulging plastic.
UPDATE: So, my daughter is seven months now. She still loves this saucer, but I ended up buying some batting to give her a little more cushion. She walks around just fine, but the rubber "feet" that keep the saucer steady come off very easily when we move the saucer and we have to be sure to put them back on before we put her in or else she wont be able to walk around as easily.
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First off, putting it together took me by myself about 40 minutes which isn't bad with all the 40 pieces. More importantly this thing keeps my daughter happy and busy while I cook so I'm just so lucky that I found it. She can't really walk yet so she just stands there and plays the piano-my daughter's only 6 months but I'm sure pretty soon she'll be walking circles around the living room. The only problem is and it's very minor for now -is that the little rubber pieces from the bottom keep coming off-they are pieces that are supposed to make the unit stay still or stick to the floor-but they don't really work. I say minor problem because my daughter isn't very mobile yet but when she's strong enough and starting to try to walk more I'm not sure if she may be able to move the whole unit around? Anyways for now we are very happy with this toy!
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We bought this when our son was 4 months old. He loved it from the beginning. At first he couldn't even touch the ground with his feet but this only made him work harder to build his arm and core strength. He slowly started using the activities and now he goes around and around laughing the whole time. I love the fact that he is not stuck in the middle only able to stand and turn. Lastly, I feel that it was a great buy as it will grow with him. He is now walking and I am about to take the seat off so he can use it in a new way. Money well spent.
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My grandson recieved this toy as a newborn. He began using it at about 5 months when he could just sit in the seat and reach for the things on the activity table. As his feet could finally reach the floor he began to move around the table and it became his favorite toy. He loved the music and sounds. When he started walking he continued to play and walk around the table and even today at 2 he still comes back to it and enjoys the music. He liked it so much that I ordered another one for my niece's 4 month old for Christmas. Great toy! I would recommend this toy to anyone.
My 18mo son likes this toy, but the knobs are really hard to twist and push, so he has only figured out how to use the lever on the sheep. The rest will come with time, I'm sure.
