Baby Bored with Play Gym? Here’s How To Make It Fun Again

Baby bored with play gym – is that even possible? Read more and find out below how to make a baby play gym fun again for your little one.

Does your baby appear to be tired of their play gym? 

Do you notice them fussing, crying, or even screaming every time you put them on it? 

Do you see them getting interested in only 1 or 2 toys in the play gym? 

Is it a bit frustrating for you, especially if their activity gym is on the more expensive side?

I totally get the feeling. 

You want to get your money’s worth and it seems such a waste to throw, give or sell the play gym when you feel like your baby hasn’t even fully explored it! 

Fortunately, I’ve researched and come up with more than a dozen ways to make your baby interested in their play gym again. You can scroll down below to read how to make the activity gym fun again for your baby.

But first, let’s address something you’ve been feeling – your baby being bored with their play gym.

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Do Babies Get Bored?

I used to think they don’t because, what the hell do they know, they’re babies! Everything should be fascinating and captivating to them!

Heck, you can even give a toddler a spatula and a pot and they can play with it for hours. So what more babies.

Well apparently, babies do get bored.

Psychology professor and researcher, Dr. Celeste Kid tells Fatherly that “if they encounter something they already know everything about then they lose interest in it and want to go find something else.”

Why is My Baby Bored with the Play Gym?

Based on Dr. Kidd’s statement, it’s probably because they’ve already explored and learned what they needed to learn from the play gym.

They’ve already gathered enough data about it, enough for them to know how the whole thing works.

And if you already know everything about something, then you’re bound to get bored with it. So your babies are probably feeling the same way.

They want more new experiences to constantly learn and make sense of their world. 

15 Ways on How To Make the Play Gym Fun Again

Here are some ideas on how to make your baby’s activity gym fun and interesting again, without adding too much stuff or buying new toys.

Rotate the toys

If your play gym comes with multiple toys (like the Lovevery), don’t put out everything all at once. Rotate the toys. 

Remove and keep some for a few days. Then replace the ones on display with the ones that you’ve stored.

Doing a toy rotation can make the play gym toys seem new and exciting again.

Move the toys around

Try moving the toys around every now and then. 

Your baby might have a different perspective and appreciation of it when you put the toy in a new place, instead of seeing it in the same old place all the time.

Show them another way to play

Come up with new ways on how to play with a toy, other than its original purpose.

For eg., a rattle is a common toy in a baby play gym. Your baby might be getting sick of shaking it, that bit becomes boring for a while!

Why not show them what happens if they use it to bat other hanging toys? Or what sound can it produce when you hit another rattle with it? That can easily turn your rattle into a cause and effect toy!

Or maybe hide the rattle under the blanket and make it appear again – teaching them object permanence. 

Or pretend it’s a phone, a mic, a puppet- use your imagination!

Prop books, art cards, photos

Get some board books and prop them in front of your child. Click the images below to check the price.

If you have old holiday or invitation cards, you can also use them. Or print a new one! This can help them improve their vision development.

Get some family photos or have some printed and put them on photo stands so your child can easily see them when they’re doing their tummy time in the baby gym.

Describe to them what they’re seeing, tell them who’s in the photo, what are their names, and whatnot. 

Talking to your newborn can feel silly at times, because they can’t really respond to you yet. 

But it’s proven to help with their brain development and improve their cognitive skills.

Use a plant

If you have small plants, place them in your baby’s view. 

Those with colorful leaves or flowers would look more interesting to them.

Plus you have another new topic to talk about to your baby – plants and the environment!

Hang something new

You don’t need to buy new toys for hanging in the baby play gym. 

Something as simple as a wooden spatula, ribbons, hankies, loofah, play silks, masked Ziploc bag with odd things, etc., will be enough to keep your baby’s interest.

Just make sure that they’re not a choking hazard if your baby can reach them. Or if it is, make sure it’s out of their reach.

Put “treasure baskets” around

If you don’t want to hang new items on the activity gym’s arc, just place them in small baskets or containers! Click the images below to check the price. 

Rotate them as well and place them around the baby play gym.

Create sensory bottles

Just get an empty water bottle, fill it up with water, put anything on it and turn it into a sensory bottle and let them play with it in the baby gym!

You can place some colorful hair bands, add dish soap and make it foamy and bubbly, put some glue with glitter, add food coloring, put beads, sequins, practically anything!

Just make sure that they won’t be able to open the bottle.

Create sensory bags

If bottles are a little bit too challenging for your baby to hold and play with, just turn them into sensory bags.

You just basically replace the water bottle with a ziploc bag, use a packing tape or duct tape to secure all the sides and let your baby have a go at it!

Place 2 or more around the baby play gym and rotate or replace them as well, to keep it interesting.

Lay down textured items

Get a variety of pillow cases, textured pouches or bags, towels, blankets, and such, and put a few of them around the activity gym. 

Let your baby explore how they feel to the touch, stimulating their sensory experience.

Move their play gym

Sometimes, your baby just needs a new view, to keep the boredom away.

So try putting the baby play gym in a new area. Maybe in the living room, where there’s more foot traffic, instead of always putting them in their bedroom.

Or if you have big windows, somewhere near it, so they can look at the trees and the birds.

You can also take out their baby play gym outside! 

Just make sure to either put it in an outdoor playpen or place the baby play gym in a waterproof, wipeable playmat.

Blow bubbles

Another way to make the activity gym a captivating place for your baby to hang out in, is to blow bubbles around or near it.

Just get a bubble machine, make sure that the bubbles don’t blow directly at your baby’s face and just see their faces light up watching the flying bubbles!

Or you can blow bubbles yourself and let them try to catch it.

Put it inside a playpen and add balls

If you have a playpen or any enclosed space to fit the baby gym, add some balls in it and see your baby have a blast swiping at all the balls!

Turn it into a tent

If you have a more mobile baby who can already walk and seems bored with the baby play gym, maybe turning the activity gym into a tent would make them interested in it again.

You can easily do that with the Lovevery play gym, as it comes with a tent cover.

is-lovevery-worth-it-2

But if you’re using other play gyms, you might need to become more resourceful and creative in turning it into a teepee or tent.

Lead pretend play activities

If a play gym-turned-tent is not enough to keep your child’s interest, maybe use it in a different way. Use it for pretend play activities!

You can use it as a stage for your child’s puppets. 

Or as a door or window or tree for your child’s dolls.

Or maybe as a fort when playing soldiers, dinosaurs, and whatnot.

Or wrap it in silks or ropes and tell your child there are snakes or decorations hanging on it.

Just use your imagination and think of different fun ways to turn the arc of the baby play gym into something else.

FAQ on Play Gyms

Are play gyms worth it?

Yes, baby play gyms are worth it.
They provide a number of developmental benefits to your baby plus it helps your infant avoid flat head syndrome, encourage independent play, and more.

High-quality play gyms, particularly wooden play gyms are also of heirloom quality. They can be passed down to your family or friends and still remain sturdy and durable. 

Plus they’re non-toxic and environmentally friendly.
You can also get a decent price for them should you decide to sell them, making it worth the money.

How long do babies play with a play gym?

It depends on the baby’s personality but play gyms are usually meant for newborns up to 1-year-old.

But some parents have shared that even their toddlers can still play with their activity gyms! Albeit in a different way – as a tent , fort, etc.

Are play gyms good for babies?

Yes, play gyms are great for babies. They encourage tummy time, have toys that can help with their development, can encourage freedom of movement, independent play, and more.

When should I introduce my baby to a play gym?

It’s best to have it even in the newborn phase. They can use it for tummy time and your baby can already do tummy time once they’re out of the hospital.

Tips and Hacks on Using Baby Play Gyms

  • Get it as early as possible

It’s best to get a play gym for newborns. They can use it longer, making it value for money.

But if you’re considering it for an older, more mobile baby, it’s probably best to skip it, as they might not find it interesting.

Cruising babies would want to explore more and practice walking and they wouldn’t want to lie down anymore in a baby play gym.

  • Supervise constantly

Especially if you’re giving toys that are not originally included in the play gym.

  • Make sure all toys are safe

Babies mouth everything so check if there are any splinters or things sticking out or just anything that can harm them.

  • Get a baby monitor

Even if you know your baby should be safe in their baby play gym or playpen, it’s just better to get a baby monitor.

So it’ll give you peace of mind, especially if you need to go to the bathroom or you need to do something in another room.

  • Keep the pets away

If you’re not that OC and your pets are generally well behaved then it’s probably fine to let them hang out with your baby in the play gym.

But if your fur babies tend to be destructive, it’s probably better to keep your baby and their play gym away from them.

Put the activity gym inside a playpen, keep it close or use a baby gate in your baby’s bedroom, to keep your pets out.

Baby Bored with Play Gym: Takeaway

Try out all the mentioned ways on how to make baby play gym interesting again.

But if none of it works, then just consider giving it away or selling it. 

You don’t need to force it on your baby, especially if you find it such a waste of money.

Just think that the play gym already served its purpose of teaching your baby a lot of stuff. 

And now, it’s time for your little one to move on to other better, more challenging toys and activities. So they can continually learn and develop new skills.

If you’re on the lookout for new toys for your child, you can check out some open-ended toys, climbing toys, first birthday gift ideas, and even some electric vehicles right here.

Julie