ms_pookie's Full Review: Lamaze Spin and Explore Garden Gym
Tummy time! Tummy time! Tummy time!
It's usually difficult to get little ones to like tummy time. They're content while laying on their backs and looking cute.
I give Lamaze high marks for trying to reinvent tummy time to make it more fun for the little ones. Lamaze earns an "E" for effort, but unfortunately the Spin & Explore Garden Gym earns only a C- at best ...
The Product
The Lamaze Spin & Explore Garden Gym consists of two pieces: the play mat, which is in the shape of a flower and has different themes per petal, and the spinner, which is cushioned by a ladybug cover.
Lamaze States:
- Colorful mat invites baby to play and learn,
- Rotating spinner allows baby to build upper body and lower leg strength while exploring a magical garden,
- The garden mat is full of surprises for baby to discover.
Contact and Miscellaneous Information
- Website = www.learningcurve.com
- Questions? Comments? 1-800-704-8697
- Made in China
- Adult supervision required at all times. Never leave child unattended.
- Do not use as a sleeping aid. Floor use only.
- Target age: 0-6 months.
- Machine washable. Remove mirror before machine washing. Place mat in pillowcase before machine washing.
Product information taken from product packaging.
Preface
If you live in my world, you'll always hear about the importance of tummy time. Tummy time is important to lengthen shortened muscles as well as develop neck, back, and shoulder strength. Tummy time also gives a baby time to explore different movements while on their bellies in preparation for mobility. As a pediatric physical therapist, I dole out my fair share of it to parents. My husband who is a pediatrician also preaches his share of tummy time importance to parents.
:: The Components of the Spin & Explore Garden Gym ::
There are two main parts to the Spin & Explore Garden Gym.
1. The spinner component is where the baby is supposed to lay on their stomach. It spins much like a lazy susan and has curved up edges, probably to prevent babies from rolling off. The spinner has a washable covering, which has a cute picture of a lady bug on it. Frankly, I find the cushion to be insufficient for little ones. It isn't enough to take away the hard plastic feel of the actual spinner. The spinner does not attach to the garden gym mat. It is placed in the middle of the mat so that babies can spin to access each petal.
2. The colorful garden gym mat is the other component. It consists of five petals and is quite appealing to the eye. Each petal has its own theme and its own little trinkets. The petal themes are as follows: a beehive with a bee that rattles and is attached to the mat with an elastic band, a butterfly with flappy, crinkly wings, a bird's nest with a squeezable birdie that is attached to the mat and can be tucked away in the nest, a rabbit with a flower whose center is a removable plastic mirror, and lastly a leafy section with two crinkly leaves. At the center of the mat is a happy red ladybug, which is similar to the one on the cover of the spinner. The center is where the spinner should be placed.
My Experience
I didn't want to bring this to work to use with my infants because I wasn't sure if I would like the product and didn't want to blindly introduce a product to parents in the therapy setting, fearing they would think that the product had the "thumbs up" from therapy.
Instead I brought it over for my five month old nephew to play. I figure he would be a great test subject for it since he wasn't too fond of tummy time to begin with and maybe this was the answer to solving his tummy time woes. Everyone was interested in the Spin & Explore Garden Gym. I have to admit, it does look pretty cool with its colorful mat and all the little trinkets it offers. I was a bit leery of the spinner as it seriously reminded me of the lazy susans at Chinese restaurants.
When I placed on nephew on his stomach on the spinner, he looked a bit uncomfortable. I decided to scoot him forward on the spinner so that his arms were completely clearing the spinner. His long legs were mostly unsupported by the spinner and dangled off of it. The slightly curved sides helped keep him from rolling off. After playing with the gym on a daily basis (multiple times per day) for almost two weeks, my nephew never did figure out how to spin around to access the different petals. When it comes to tummy time, I generally go for multiple short sessions throughout a day rather than one long extended session. The amount of tummy time per session is based on the baby's tolerance and stamina. His grandparents were initially excited about the new baby toy, but quickly decided that they'd rather him just play on his tummy on the floor as the did not like how he looked position-wise on the spinner. He always appeared uncomfortable on the spinner; I think the padding, though a good idea, is too thin and is instantly squished with the body weight of a baby. There was no increase in tummy time tolerance for my nephew while he was on the spinner.
However, my nephew did like to play on the gym mat. He loved the crinkly leaves and the crinkly butterfly wings and would play with them while laying on the mat (sans spinner). The mirror was somewhat interesting, but he clearly preferred playing with the crinkly material. I use extra toys (not Lamaze toys) in conjunction with the mat for him if his interest waned on the crinkly material. I liked holding the toys up for him to reach as to encourage more back extension. I did find that the squeaky bird is difficult to squeeze, even our family friend's son who is almost two-years-old, cannot squeeze it to make it squeak. The gym mat is the best component of the Spin & Explore Garden Gym. It wins mega points for being cute and attractive for little ones and it also wins points for being compact, as I can fold it up and store it away without it being too bulky.
My Concerns
Safety is my first concern with the Spin & Explore Garden Gym. No infant should be left unattended while using this gym; that's just common sense. For babies who have started to roll, there is a definite possibility that they will roll off of the spinner. The spinner should also not be left accessible to toddlers because they find it fascinating and often decide to stand on it and try to spin. Not a good idea.
Comfort also appeared to be an issue as the padding of the spinner seemed insufficient. My nephew is not a chubby baby and even he appeared uncomfortable laying on the spinner. His dad actually decided to test out the comfort of the spinner by resting his own head on it, making the spinner like a pillow. He wasn't impressed and said that it felt like he was laying his head on hard plastic.
My concerns as a pediatric physical therapist regarding the Spin & Explore Garden Gym revolve around the spinner and how it alters how an infant bears weight not only through their arms, but also through their trunk and legs. Yes, the baby is on its tummy while it is on the spinner, but the spinner also elevates the baby which does not allow for the opportunities of stretching of the chest and upper extremities as when they are on the floor. There is no allowance for forearm propping while the baby is on the spinner. It is extremely difficult for a baby to get onto their elbows while on the spinner. The amount of scapular strengthening and range is quite limited as there is a decrease in ideal weightbearing opportunities while laying on the spinner. The spinner also does not allow for a baby to learn to play with weightshifts in preparation for rolling as the curved edges prevent the baby from shifting their weight from side to side. If a baby has shorter legs that can be supported by the spinner, the amount of positioning of the lower extremities is also limited by the parameters of the spinner whereas on the floor, the baby is able to bend at their hips and move their legs unrestricted. I would much rather see a baby on the floor exploring the different ranges of their upper and lower extremities.
Recommendations
I wouldn't recommend the Lamaze Spin & Explore Garden Gym to parents. My husband gave the spinner a thumbs down, stating that he would not recommend it to any of his parents. We both, however, like the garden gym mat and agree that it is a fun mat for little ones to play on. Perhaps if Lamaze sold just the mat ... !
Overall Thoughts
The Lamaze Spin & Explore Garden Gym wins points for being cute, but it doesn't win me over in terms of reinventing tummy time.
Thanks for reading!
Pooks
Copyright 2007
I received the Lamaze Spin & Explore Garden Gym from Learning Curve Brands in exchange for my unbiased review.
* Disclaimer: None of the above is meant to be medical advise and is solely my opinion and point of view.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): free Type of Toy: Baby Toy
Age Range of Child: 0 to 12 Months
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