The Best Activity Table For Babies

There are a number of options for activity tables on the market, but we’ve made your decision easy by outlining the best ones below. Here, you can find the best activity table for babies available on the market.

What are Activity Tables?

Activity tables for babies are usually made from a tough, non-toxic plastic that allows them to be hardwearing and durable. They contain fun buttons, pulleys, levers, bright colors, sounds, lights and more that are all designed to engage your infant and make them want to explore further.

They are typically intended for little ones between the ages of about 9 months and 2 years, however there are ways that they can be used before 9 months and many toddlers continue to enjoy them until they are about 3 or 4 years of age.

Whilst toddlers will enjoy standing at their activity table to play with the variety of stimuli available. Many activity tables have removable legs that allow you to use them with infants that are not yet standing, cruising or walking.

Most activity tables will include easy educational songs, numbers, letters, shapes and bright colors, whilst some now offer multiple languages to expose your child to language learning from an early age.

Types of Activity Tables for Babies

Standard activity tables tend to be square or circular in shape, with a variety of lights and buttons to pull, twist, push and generally play with, located on the top of the table.

These tables often have removable legs and are usually made from tough plastic, as mentioned above. These are easy to use and normally the most affordable activity tables on the market.

However, not all activity tables follow this same design; some are made entirely of wood, others are made from a combination of wood and plastic, and some tables do not have removable legs.

Like with some types of highchairs, you can get some activity tables that are designed to grow with your little one. They will often have a built-in chair that can support your baby in an upright position whilst they are small, thus allowing them to engage with the activities.

Once your baby starts cruising, standing unaided and walking, you can usually adapt the table to remove the chair and use it solely as a sturdy standing play table.

Ways to Use Activity Tables

Obviously, the most common way in which to use an activity table is by having it in the upright position for your toddler to play standing up. This has the benefit of encouraging them to walk around whilst holding on to the table, otherwise known as cruising.

A child who is already steady on their feet will benefit from learning how to navigate their way around the table, stretching across to access fun buttons and lights, or finding the optimum position to stand in, making it easy to reach their favorite activities.

These are all referred to as gross motor skills, which start to be developed from a young age and can be supported through the use of an activity table even as young as 6 months.

If your little one is sitting, but not crawling or cruising, then remove two of the legs from the table so that it is propped up at an angle and place it near them. Most activity tables also come with a seat pad for toddlers who can’t yet crawl.

You can choose to put the table in front of your baby, or to the side of them; both options encourage your baby to stretch and reach out with their hands. Putting the table to the side of them also encourages them to twist and turn their upper body towards it to play.

You can also take all of the legs off of the table and place it out of the reach of your crawling baby, thus helping them to strengthen muscles by moving across the floor. Even for babies that aren’t yet fully crawling, placing the table top slightly out of their reach will help encourage them to shuffle on their stomachs in order to get to the table.

Fine motor skills are developed through the use of an activity table because there are a variety of activities that have to be manipulated using the thumb and forefinger or the entire hand. Hand-eye coordination is also improved because your baby has to learn to connect the movement they see with what they are doing with their hand.

Benefits of Having an Activity Table

There are numerous benefits associated with owning an activity table for your baby, including:

• Physical development –as mentioned in the previous section, activity tables are not only fun, but can be used to improve your baby’s physical development. They can be used in this way from when your little one is crawling to when they are walking. Both fine and gross motor skills are developed through the use of activity tables, which is very important during this crucial developmental stage of their lives.
• Intellectual stimulation – depending on the type of product you buy, it can be a fun way help your little one get an early start on learning their numbers, letters, shapes, bright colors and more, as well as introducing them to fun music and other languages. It has become well known that children who are surrounded with plenty of intellectual stimulation are far more likely to have higher IQs than those who aren’t. So, having an activity table around will further support these efforts.
• Gives you a break – whilst there is no doubt that you enjoy spending time with your little one, playing fun games, reading and sing-along songs, it can also get quite tiring. An activity table is incredibly engaging and will hold the attention of most babies, giving you a much-needed break when you have other things, or perhaps children, to tend to.

Things to Consider Before Buying an Activity Table for Your Baby

When deciding what activity table to buy for your baby, you need to give consideration to the following factors:

• Type – by this, we mean do you want one with removable legs? Is the aesthetics of the table important? Do you care about the material it is made from, such as wood or plastic? Do you want one that can grow with your child? Make sure to keep all these questions in mind when choosing which product you want to buy, as you’ll want the table to be a fun, educational tool for your child’s development as their height increases.
• Stimulus –this is perhaps the most important consideration because children’s activity tables can vary in regards to the stimulation that they can provide your baby. Nursery rhymes, color recognition, shape sorting, cause and effect, language learning and more, are all things that can be learned by your baby in a fun way when using the activity table. Shop around and select the one that best fits your needs when it comes to the stimulation it provides.
• Other children – perhaps you have twins who will need to share, or your baby has an older sibling that might also want to play with the activity table. Something that you need to consider is the height and appropriateness of the table for any siblings that your baby might have. If you want them to be able to share the table, then you need to think about the size of it, ensuring that both little ones can fit easily around it to play.
• Size – do you live somewhere small where you need to be able to pack the activity table away when not in use, or do you have a dedicated baby play pen or play center? The size and height of the activity table will need to be considered when you make your purchase to ensure that it can be appropriately and safely used by your baby. If size is an issue, consider getting a table with an adjustable height feature. This also factors in when considering how easy to clean the table is – the larger the table, the more crevasses and space you’ll have to keep clean.
• Cost – there are activity tables to suit every need and budget, you just need to decide how much you are willing to spend on it. If you only plan to use the table for the first year or so of your baby’s life, then you won’t want to spend a lot of money on it. If, however, you want something that can last for a few years and grow with your child, then it is worthwhile investing a bit more money in one. This can then be handed down to younger siblings.

Risks and Warnings

It is important to ensure that the activity table you select for your baby is appropriate to their age, i.e. don’t choose something with lots of easily removable items if you plan to use it with very young infants.

You also need to ensure that when it is in use, the activity table is located somewhere suitable and safe so your little one can enjoy endless hours of fun.

If your baby is new to cruising, standing or walking, it is worthwhile ensuring that the table is surrounded by cushions or other soft items, such as teddies, to protect them should they fall over. Regardless of any cushions or safety features you employ, be sure to always monitor your child when they’re playing on their activity table.