When my son got to 6 months, it became clear that he needed something a little more exciting to play with and something to enable him to stay upright for longer periods of time as he was getting fed up with lying on the floor but couldn't sit up for long by himself. I was lucky enough to be able to borrow this Rainforest Jumperoo from my sister who had bought it for her son. I had been a bit reluctant to buy one as I felt sure that it would take over the living room and they are also rather expensive to buy brand new and also second hand. However, after trying my son in it and realising how much he enjoyed it, the decision was made.

The jumperoo was quite easy to put together without instructions (as it was borrowed) and it felt very sturdy and is quite heavy to lift and move. The weightiness helps it to stay put while little one is bouncing around in it. The jumperoo consists of a circular frame with three legs from which the seat is suspended on covered springs. Around the seat are a number of interactive activities for little one to play with as they merrily bounce away and the seat rotates as little one turns around to investigate the activities. The jumperoo can be set to make various jungle animal noises, activated by the movement of the jumperoo or by spinning one of the toys on the surround of the seat. There is another setting which allows songs to be played on a continuous loop. There are two volume settings also. The fabric seat is strong and sturdy and is decorated like a red frog with yellow spots and two big eyes. The backrest of the seat is nice and padded so it doesn't hurt when little one is bouncing around.

My son got the hang of bouncing in the jumperoo after a couple of days and once he realised what he could do in it he nearly bounced through the ceiling! There are three height settings for the jumperoo and at the moment we are on the lowest one so that he can put his feet flat on the floor to help prevent him being on his tiptoes too much. It took a little longer for him to realise that he could turn himself around in the seat but now he really enjoys exploring all the toys and has found out that bouncing activates the sound and music.

It has been a godsend to be able to pop my son in the jumperoo and know that he is happy to play and bounce in there while I am able to prepare a meal or wash the dishes. I feel safe that he is not going to hurt himself or get up to mischief if I leave the room.

Although I was concerned about the size of the jumperoo and the amount of space it would take up, I have found that its usefulness outweighs these negatives. It can be dismantled and put away but we leave it up at all times for convenience. Battery life seems to be excellent too; we are using the same batteries that were in it when it was given to us, and they had been used for a good while when my nephew used it. The only bad thing is that the songs and jingles get stuck in your head very often!