I am not sure how other moms tend do a baby while chasing their toddler around the house. Maybe my toddler is an exceptional bread and more active than most. Whatever it is, I quickly learned that I needed a safe landing zone for the Bodhi in almost every room of my house. A place that I could plop him down as I followed Emerson around the house on her big adventure (ie. jumping off the couches).
Luckily, I had several swings from when Emerson was a baby that made do with in our bedroom and in our living room. But for our family room, where we spend most of our time, I wanted something more aesthetically pleasing as it was a piece of furniture that I would stare at all day as well as be visible to guests. While being pleasing to the eye was my main goal, it still had to be exciting enough to engage a baby in play for more than five minutes at a time... not an easy feat.
We settled on the Skip Hop 3-Stage Activity Center and could not be happier. It checks off all my boxes of looking minimalist (all white anyone!), is lightweight so I can still move it from room to room if needed, and still engaging enough to entertain Bodhi for 20-30 minutes at a time.
The toys are all age appropriate and offer Bodhi the opportunity to bounce and play. Plus, the toys are interchangeable so I can rotate positions or even apply my own toys with suction bottoms so he has plenty of options to choose from. After the first couple of weeks I was blown away at how Bodhi kept himself entertained for 30-minutes. A true game changer when you have a toddler who can't hold her attention for more than 5-minutes! It allows me to be hands free from Bodhi for so I can prep meals, play with Emerson or tend to things around the house.
For anyone in the market for a new activity center or a baby shower gift, this is my must have recommendation!