Searches for Baby Gyms and Playmats are Up
A press release by shopping search engine Twenga states that searches for baby gyms are up. Such products, also known activity playmats, have increased 116 to 300 percent. The press release indicates that the coordination features for these products have resulted in increased searches, but increasing a child’s coordination abilities isn’t the only aspect that activity mats and baby gyms hold. While toys geared toward increasing brainpower alone are down (could this be the result of various studies disproving the effects of Baby Einstein on vocabulary building?), those that stimulate the child mentally and physically are up.
Activity sets or baby gyms may be as small as an activity seat for a child. These products under the link, carried by retailer Baby and Me Boutique, include a seat and various toys for the child to grab. Most of these are multicolored to stimulate the child’s visual senses, while others vary in texture and sound to stimulate his or her touch and hearing senses.
On a larger scale are activity playmats, such as these carried by retailer Hunky Dory Online. These traditional activity playmats allow the baby to be placed on his or her back or stomach, if he or she is able to roll. In either position, the child is stimulated by the bright and contrasting colors of the mat and toys and experiences several textures and sounds. The mat, for example, may crinkle when the child moves and it may change textures over various points. The detachable toys, additionally, also have varied sounds and textures.
Having hearing, touch, and sight senses stimulated is the purpose of various educational baby toys. Rather than just seeing colors or touching toys, however, the baby can do all of these in one place with an activity mat. Additionally, the mat can be used up to the toddler years, when the child starts to develop better coordination skills.