Galt Farmyard Playnest

The Galt Farmyard Playnest was a hand-me-down gift from my sister-in-law, her daughter having outgrown it. I remember how much fun Lily's cousin used to have in it. Her Mum would use it as a sort of playpen (before she was standing and therefore big enough to go in an actual playpen) and would sit her in it with a few toys inside for  her to play with.

When we first brought Lily home she, perhaps not surprisingly, showed little interest in this fabric covered ring with cushioned rest area. In truth she was just too small for it to begin with. As she has got older, though, her interest in the product has grown. The colourful farmyard animal pictures fascinate her and the ring is tactile, with different textures for her to explore (such as the scarecrow's rustling scarf) and sounds (the duck's beak squeaks when squeezed). In essence all of her senses are being stimulated by the ring - touch, hearing and sight.

Now she is able to support her head she will happily sit in the ring with a few of her favourite toys and kicks her legs in excitement! I'm sure many babies would enjoy spending long periods of time in the ring but not our Lily. She has a short attention span for the majority of her toys, bar her bouncy chair (which she has fallen asleep in as I write this!!)

The ring has set up home in our living room, although it is really light so could easily be moved around the house should we want to do so. And as it's inflatable it's not beyond the realms of possibility that we take the ring with us when we travel somewhere. It wouldn't take up much room in the car, although you do need a fair bit of puff to inflate it!

I suppose the only downside to the playnest is that it does take up a fair amount of floorspace and this might be a consideration if you have a small living room/playroom (although the ring can be stored on its side when not required or when you need to make room). I imagine Lily will get quite a lot of use out of the ring, though, and so really don't mind sacrificing a bit of our living room floor if she is kept entertained and happy.