Zephyr Hill

A Family Blog

Tiny Love Developlace Activity Gym Review and Giveaway

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We have several young children at different ages and stages, so I like toys that multi-task! Enter the Tiny Love Gymini Developlace.

This fun little activity gym was sent to us for review by the wonderful team at Tiny Love, and it’s been quite entertaining to watch my one year old give it a whirl. As you can see from the collage below, the Developlace was designed to appeal to multiple ages. It can go from an activity gym or playhouse for older babies and toddlers to a tummy time mat for tiny infants. It features walls that you can fasten up or down, detachable toys (mirror, rattle ball, blanket play pal, learning card, frog rattle and a crinkly leaf) and a window they can peek through. 

Here are some thoughts on our experience:

Setup: Quick and easy! It took me about 5 minutes to get the Developlace ready for the children.

Versatility: This is what really makes the Developlace a great value, and a wise investment. It can appeal to children from ages newborn to 18 months. You can lay it out flat, fold up the sides, or just fold up one side. You can mix and match the hanging toys as you please. Erik (age 13 months) and even Susanna (who is now 2) have enjoyed the Developlace immensely. They use it as a play house, a hiding spot and even once or twice as an emergency place to crash and take a nap!

Appearance: Tiny Love really scored on this as well. Every child that comes to our house runs to the Developlace, alight with curiosity.  The graphics are cozy and colorful, and the woodland theme appeals to everyone. Who doesn’t love squirrels and frogs and cute little bugs? The textiles are soft and smooth, making the Developlace even more inviting. As an added bonus, the slick surface of the mat is easy to wipe clean in case of accidents or spills.

Durability: Erik and the two older toddlers have done their darndest to the Developlace and it’s still standing. It’s been pushed and pulled, sat upon, shaken….you name it. The velcro closures are super strong and they stay put. The overhead tunnel has also taken a beating and emerged victorious. This thing is very durable and meant to last. That being said, it can be flipped over by older babies and toddlers because it’s very lightweight. Sometimes, if Erik leans up against or pushes one of the side walls, the entire thing will fall over. The first time this happened, he was startled but was up and playing again within seconds. Now, he just laughs. It’s not a safety issue, just the nature of the toy. However, it would be handy if there was a way to anchor it in one place for rambunctious toddlers.

Price: At just over $70, this might not be the first baby item you run out and buy. It’s not an essential. However, because (as mentioned above) you’ll get lots of mileage out of this activity mat, I would definitely say it’s worth saving for, or at the least, adding to your registry. The Developlace would also make a fantastic birthday or Christmas gift for an infant or young toddler.

And now let’s see how much Susanna and Erik enjoy the Developlace!

 

You can find the Gymini Developlace at retail baby stores and directly from Tiny Love or Amazon. It retails for $79.99.

Tiny Love is giving away a Gymini Developlace to one of my readers (US only)! Enter to win using the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

 

 

 

 

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Tiny Love Take Along Bouncer Review & Giveaway

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Welcome to the New Year, New Baby Giveaway Hop, hosted by Mama’s Baby Cupcakes and co-hosted by So Easy Being Green and Viva Veltoro! Join us in celebrating the New Year and Michelle’s new baby girl born this December! This hop is focused on items for babies aged newborn to one year. After entering my giveaway, you can use the linky to hop around the other blogs! Each prize is worth at least $25.00.

Tiny Love’s newest bouncer has been aptly named the “Take Along” because it’s lightweight and quick to pack and travel with. I received a Take Along bouncer in exchange for an honest review and was very eager to see how we liked it!

There’s no assembly required. I pulled it out of the box and popped it open. The gray and red color is scheme is very neutral and the overall design is quite sleek and modern:

I found the triangle-shaped base to be very sturdy, and it doesn’t take up too much floor space.

Other nice features include a cover that’s easily removed for washing, mesh sides for good airflow and a mechanism on the back that very clearly shows you whether the seat is locked or unlocked. To fold up you simply press a button on the front, push down on the front of the seat and unlock the back. The seat pretty much folds up on its own from there and lies almost flat for storage.

The Take Along Bouncer is designed for ages 0 to 12 months and Erik was 9 months when we first tested out this seat, however I think the ideal age is definitely 0 to 6 months. He likes bouncing in the seat but usually needs a toy to keep him interested or he starts getting squirmy. After Erik hit the 10-month mark, I passed our Tiny Love bouncer on to my younger sister who has a 2-month-old girl. She called me to say they love the bouncer for several reasons. Like us, she found that the base is very sturdy, so the seat is safe and stays put. Also, with the open front, it’s easy to put baby in or take baby out (no toys, bars, etc. in the way). The angle of the seat is also just right for young infants; they can recline comfortably yet still look around and see what’s going on.

The Take Along bouncer seat includes a big gray storage bag with a red drawstring which I found was useful for keeping it clean and protected, but it’s not comfortable to carry because the drawstring is very long and thin. It would be fantastic if the carry bag had a wider strap, or was shaped more like a tote bag or backpack you could easily sling over your shoulder.

The Take Along Bouncer is available at your favorite baby gear retailer and sells for just $39.99-44.99. You can watch a video of the Take Along Bouncer in action on YouTube.

And you can enter to win one of your own in the New Baby Near Year giveaway hop! Use the entry form below, and then hop around to the other participating blogs for more prizes!

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