Teddy’s been putting the Fisher Price Car Gym to the test over the last couple of weeks. I’ll be honest and say that, while it’s a good toy, I don’t think it’s one of my more favourite Fisher Price toys.
It assembled really well, a nice and easy click in job, but I didn’t really like that you had to attach the mat to the arch using the tabs. I often found that a couple of them sometimes came out of the holes and even though they’re really easy to put back in, it gets a little bit annoying after the third or fourth time.
I was also pretty disappointed that I couldn’t totally disassemble the arch. Getting it back in the box is something I always look for, so I can store it for the next baby, and unfortunately, once everything’s clicked in place, it doesn’t come out again which is quite frustrating.
The first stage is “Lay and Play” so the arch is positioned totally above the baby like a traditional baby gym. There are 8 activity toys stationed around the inside of the arch and they mostly have individual sensory experiences ready for baby to explore. I attached them as per the picture, and I found this was the best combination for Ted being able to reach out and grab. I love when babies are able to feel rewarded for their hard work with a jingle, a rattle or a crinkle, spins and clicks.
The second position we tried on the Fisher Price Car Gym was “Tummy Time”, so the arch is folded all the way down to the floor inside the mat with all the toys straight in front of baby. This is great for getting them to lift, and eventually turn, their heads. It’s great for them to reach out and again a bit of tummy time is good for any baby. The steering wheel in the middle is great because once they manage to hit it, it has some fun tunes to encourage baby to keep going.
The third, and final, position is the “Sit and Drive”. The arch is positioned just off of the floor and sits in line with the top of the mat – it’s about a 45 degree angle. This creates a “dashboard” for baby to play around with, and this is Ted’s favourite. He’s a bit of a “basher” and so just kept hitting everything and I was really pleased with how sturdy the arch was. In this position, when Ted hit the steering wheel there were plenty of car noises and some lights to keep him entertained too. The only thing was he’s fascinated with flicking the sound control on and off too, so he’ll often get on his knees and play around with that. He couldn’t work out why the music kept stopping though!
One thing I love about this baby gym is that it’s suitable from birth, right up until they’re toddlers really. Toby even got in on the action once it was in the “Sit and Drive” position and he’s now 2.5.
There are a couple of disappointing features. One is that the play mat didn’t actually hold that well, even when it was in the “Lay & Play” position. It tended to flop inwards, so I think this could be improved, maybe with a bit more support inside the material. The second is that I noticed it’s not wide enough for a baby to roll over in, so if they’re starting out, this would restrict them quite a bit. It would be nice for the arch to just be that little bit wider.
However, the Fisher Price Car Gym has a few redeeming features. I think it’s great that the play mat is machine-washable, especially after tummy time when babies can be a bit sicky. I like that, despite not being able to totally dismantle it, it does fold down flat and so is easy enough to pop in the car to take with you on holiday, or even if you’re going to visit grandparents.
The play mat is lovely and vibrant, is a good material and has lots of sounds, lights and textures to stimulate baby’s senses. It’s not something they’ll get bored of easily. It’s a great transition toy when babies are going from laying down to sitting up and the skunk toy is even vanilla scented too to give their noses a bit of a workout. It’s pretty good for all kinds of motor skills too.
It is one of the pricer baby gyms – it usually retails at around £60, though I have seen it cheaper. But I’d say it was worth the money, despite its faults. I genuinely think there’s so much life in this product, it’s not often you find an interactive toy that goes from birth to beyond toddler.
*I was sent this product in exchange for a review. All views, words and opinions are my own.