Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo
As a grand parent, I find that the Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo is
another radically different toy from the ones we had around when we
were raising our kids. Walkers, chews, noise-making books and even CD's meant
to excite infant minds... all these seem absolutely alien to me.
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The Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo remains an evergreen, world-wide baby toy. |
I am still from the school of thought that feels that one should let the child walk on her own - no point shoving a walker up her way and forcing her to get bowlegged.
However, times change and research finds better ways of doing things. With both parents working these days, some of these toys do play very important roles in developing the child’s physical and mental abilities.
While I don’t fancy my self as modern grandma, I decided to ‘go with the program’ when my 14 year old grand daughter, Bella offered to help me pick out a toy for my sister's grand son. He is six months old and I was going to see him for the first time.
Bella pulled out the Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo and I was sceptical to say the least.
What I found
I look for sturdiness in toys. I like toys to be child friendly and not just designed to prevent them from bothering the parents.
My idea of a good toy is something that excites the child and encourages her to seek more. A toy should cater to the child’s development need and not the parent’s idea of keeping the kid busy playing.
I could almost hear the entire store smile when I said this to Bella.
Bella
pointed out that the toy was very sturdy. The base was strong and held
together firmly. The springs of the seat are covered so the child does not pinch
her fingers while playing. The height can be adjusted at three different levels
and the seat is nicely padded and firmly placed. Plus there is no danger of a
tip over as in jumpers that go on to the doors.
Ok! I was tempted. But what does it give to the child?
Apparently a lot.
What the Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo offers
The seat revolves an entire 360 degrees and so the child’s view is not hampered in any way.
The animals, specially the hide and seek tiger and the spinning lizard seem to cater to the sense of touch and sight of the child. The colors of the toy are all primary so as not to over whelm the infant in any way. There is motion, music and lights there, so the kid enjoys all three aspects in a safe environment.
The
hanging toys and the stack of chips encourage hand eye co-ordination and healthy
development.
So, be it auditory, visual and even the gross motor skills, the jumper does seem the perfect stimulator.
Amazingly, the Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo does not stop here.
There is a lot of cause and effect toys that help drive the point home. There is a motion sensory gadget that responds when the child jumps up. Indeed a great way to help the child unravel the mysteries of sound and effect; you jump and sound comes out of the toy.
My daughter in law has a three bedroom apartment so I checked to see if the toy would fold up well for storage. The Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo does fold up for easier carrying/stowing, but it's not a smooth transition. However, I don't see us doing it that very often.
Also, the box does not include the batteries and you'll need a screwdriver to remove the battery cover.
Can the Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo be improved?
So, how can you improve on the Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo?
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A few more options for the height of the seat... which appears to be an easy change for the manufacturer, yet very useful for kids.
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Maybe include some sort of storage option (like a storage bag) to tag along wherever I go.
Today manufacturers seem to be putting a lot of thought into their creations and catering to the needs of the children as well as the parents, without compromising on either of the two fronts.
I think it’s not that bad after all and it took Bella to show me. It's definitely bridging the generation gap.
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