Activity tables are fun and endearing little toys for babies that provide multiple different forms of fun in one complete unit. They’re great because not only are they effectively many different toys that are all in one place, but they also help and encourage your child to stand up; strengthening their coordination and balance as they play.
The best baby activity table models are also educational as well as fun, sporting flashing lights, vibrant colors, shapes, numbers, music and sounds that all aim to teach your child to identify different concepts and objects.
There are, however, many different choices of baby activity table available, and they all do different things. Some models are even more traditional and do without the electronic flashing lights and sounds, are made from wood and have more tactile, puzzle elements to them. So which baby activity table is best?
#1 Fisher-Price 2-in-1 Sit-to-Stand Activity Center
The Fisher-Price baby activity table easily takes the top spot, and it’s not because it has the most flashing lights or is overwhelmed with toys, it’s because it’s convenient, easy to use and has can be used as your child grows!
Initially, when your little one is really young and can’t properly stand up by themselves, they may use a sit me up seat to help them sit up to engage with the world around. This baby activity table also acts as a sit me up seat, so the baby can play before they can stand.
The many various toys of this table are all situated around your child who would be sitting in the centre, but what’s fantastic is the seat rotates in place, so your child can turn themselves around to explore all of the toys available to them.
As your child grows and begins to stand by themselves, the central seat can be removed and replaced with an extra toy; an exciting slide! The table also gives you three different height options so that you can adjust it to suit your child in different stages of their growth.
Among the cute and friendly animal-themed toys you’ll find a musical alligator which has 3 colored light-up keys that can play short tunes or up to 20 minutes of music! There’s also an awesome giraffe flying a plane which glides down the central slide and many other animals with interesting textures and shapes!
There are two themes to choose from when purchasing this baby activity center which are both pretty much the same toy, it’s just the more expensive Jazzy Jungle model is a bit more vibrant and colourful than the Spin ‘n Play Safari.
#2 Baby Einstein Curiosity Table Activity Table
The Curiousity table by baby Einstein is also coming a close second on our list of best baby activity tables, as it has a unique design that you don’t really see in other baby activity table models.
It’s themed around science, with toys that resemble cogs, circuits and colors. It plays fantastic tunes and has games that function as simple puzzles to get your babies brain engaged.
The table is pretty large, with plenty of space for multiple children to play. There is also a central whiteboard for writing and drawing on one side and connecting gears together on the other.
The legs of this table can be completely removed so that younger babies can play with it on the floor if they can’t reach. Kids of any age will large playing and experimenting with the different elements and seeing the resulting lights and sounds when connecting or interacting with the various pieces.
#3 Manhattan Toy Tree Top Adventure Activity Center
The baby activity table offered by Manhattan Toy is also quite unique in its artistic design, its charming interface and in its wooden construction. The fact that it is constructed mostly from wood gives the table a rustic, traditional feel.
It’s divided into four sections, each telling its own story and has different pulleys, beads and various woodland themed tactile toys that can move between the sections. There are many friendly faces that appeal to be smiling back at your youngster as they play including the bear, the bee, the snail and the ladybird.
The vibrant colors of this table are put together really well, making this toy very beautiful and a lot more engaging than those that are made from plastic. The downside is though, that there are no exciting flashing lights or speakers to play music from.
#4 LeapFrog Little Office Learning Center
Leapfrog brings us a baby activity table that’s themed like an office, so you can begin getting your child accustomed to everyday objects that you would use, particularly in an office but not strictly so. Things such as notepads, phones, clocks computers are all emulated in their toy versions on this activity table.
For a baby, the sounds, colors, lights and overall friendly attitude that this toy and their green dog mascot character has towards your child is extremely fun. It’s also highly educational as it teaches them about numbers, different phrases, emotions and more!
As well as a standing table, the legs can be removed so that your baby can play with it on the floor if they haven’t yet got the ability to stand up. It also has a bilingual mode, and teaches Spanish and English!
#5 IQ Series Letter Train Activity Table
The last of the best baby activity table options we’re going to feature also has a fantastic and unique theme which it uses to engage your child into fun and learning.
The IQ Series activity table focuses on the theme of trains, and it has a moving train in the centre of the table which rolls on over the letters of the alphabet and calls them out as it goes!
There are plenty of friendly characters, flashing lights and music as well as the usual tactile toys such as rattles. The reason this table has come last in our list is that it doesn’t entirely stick to its theme and apart from the central train, and train throttle toy, the other parts seem somewhat unrelated.
Why Pick The Best Baby Activity Table?
“There are many options available, so why choose from the best? They are just kid’s toys after all!”
It’s true, there is a great number of baby activity tables available for you to buy, and they, for the most part, they do just function as toys. But just because the fun has begun does not mean the learning has to stop, and the best baby activity table models give a much more comprehensive and engaging learning experience by being thematic.
Baby activity tables with particular themes help your child to grow accustomed to particular concepts that relate to the theme, such as a jungle featuring exotic and wild animals. This is also accompanied by teaching the child numbers, speech and sounds.
The tables also function to help your young baby develop certain motor skills and learn how to use their muscles. Having toys which encourage your child to reach out and grab gives them the opportunity to use their hands and their muscles to reach and grasp, whilst stabilizing themselves.
With that being said, the toy still needs to be attractive and fun so that your child stays engaged. Picking a generic baby activity table may not have the same effect as the best ones we have listed and your kid could end up getting bored after a short while.
What Makes The Best Baby Activity Table?
You may have gauged already, but there are certain factors that you should look out for when shopping for a baby activity table so that you know you are getting good value for your money. These include:
Durability
The initial concern you should have is the durability of the product. Is it made from materials that are damage resistant and are shatterproof? Fortunately, the regulation of the toy industry prevents toys meant for babies from being as easily broken, as small pieces present major choking hazards.
It’s also worth considering whether the support of the toy is strong enough to take the babies weight. As babies who are just learning to stand on their own, may lean on the table for support when they are playing with it, the last thing you want is for the table to collapse in that moment!
Life-Span
The longer that you can make use of a toy like a baby activity table, the more value you are getting out of the money that you paid for it. This is why we featured the Fisher-Price 2-in-1 Sit-to-Stand Activity Center as our first choice because you can adjust it as your baby grows.
Most other baby activity centre toys don’t have this ability at all. Some may have height adjustment and some may have the ability for you to remove the legs for really young babies, but they don’t have the support all the way through the babies development.
Educational
In the early years of a person’s life, learning and development is constant. Is so vital to use these young days productively because at this time, we absorb everything we see and come into contact with and so it’s good to use the time wisely.
A baby is quite easily entertained and even while they are having fun, they are learning. It’s so much better when their toys have facilities to teach them to count, speak and recognise characters and animals so the child can learn these things quicker than without educational toys.
Engaging and Thematic
As we have mentioned, a toy with a consistent theme is a lot better than one without. If there are unrelated elements present within a theme, your baby may not fully grasp exactly what the theme is about.
Having a theme helps your child to learn about particular related objects and concepts a lot better as the can make a connection between those things within their environment. For instance, the LeapFrog Little Office Learning Center being office themed; it has a computer, phone clock and similar objects which make sense when put together.
Having vibrant coloration that isn’t too obnoxious is always a big plus too! It gives your child positive feedback for using the toy and engages them enough to keep playing for longer and to come back to play, meaning that they are spending more time learning what the toy offers to teach them.