**The jumperoo**

With my first two children I went all out with the new amazing toys available, but paying £100 for something like a jumperoo did not appeal to me. With my third child, my youngest son, while visiting a friend, my son got to try a jumperoo and after the joy on his face I knew we had to get one. There are a number of versions of the jumperoo available, and we decided to go with the ocean wonders version. The jumperoo is a bouncing activity centre aimed for children who can hold their head independently and confidently. I was a little confused as some places state 6 months plus to begin using the jumperoo and others say as long as they able to hold their head independently. My son was older than the six months age when he began using a jumperoo, but my daughter is five and a half months old and I feel she is ready to use it.

A jumperoo is a round activity centre suspended on three large springs so that little one can bounce around freely. It has a seat that is surrounded by activities, and it swivels so little one can turn themselves around to different parts of the toy. The seat is suspended on three springs, which of course when the child pushes their feet on the floor means they can bounce around. Of course the clue is in the name all of the activities relate to the ocean. You have a crab spinning rattle, fishes hanging from the top poles of the jumperoo, a whale mirror, and a crab activity tray that lights up. There are three different height adjustments so when little one grows taller you can adjust it so their legs have more room.
The jumperoo comes flat packed so you do need to put it together. To be honest I opened the box, and decided it would be a job best suited to my husband as there were that many pieces. After around ten minutes lots of clicking and banging the jumperoo was ready to go. All the pieces click together, and it is pretty simple once you know what you are doing. You do need a screw driver to add batteries but other than that it is fairly simple. You are supposed to be able to fold down the jumperoo, but to be honest although yes you can make it collapse a little I find it makes no real difference to the amount of space it takes p. If I need to transport it anywhere (which is very rare because of how bulky it is) I just remove the polls, which makes it a little easier to move. There is a clip designed to make it collapse, but I found it too be too much hassle after along time of pulling and pushing the base means it is the same dynamiter just a bit thinner in size.

**Opinion**

My children really loved this toy, and I would definitely say it is one of our best investments. It encourages small motor skills using the different activities located around the play unit. As well as developing fine motor skills it is perfect for larger motor skills too. It took my daughter a while to figure out she could bounce in this play centre, but once she did there was no stopping her. Also as the seat swivels round in a circle it also encourages them to move around to find a new activity when they become bored. Both bouncing and spinning in the seat are very easy to master, and once my children knew how it made the toy even more exciting for them.

I like that there are three different levels to set this at. It means it can grow with little one, and although it can only be used until your child can climb or walk, I like that it prolongs the life as far as possible. I found it a little fiddly to change the positions at first, but once I knew what I was doing it is easy. There are covers over the springs so that there is nothing for your child to catch themselves on, and it is generally really well designed for babies. It can be wiped down easily, and there is a tray on the centre, but it is very small so can only hold smaller toys. There are of course places on the activity centre that are used more than others. The mirror may be one of the simpler pieces on this set, but my little girl loves it and this is one of the first parts she will visit. She also loves the spinning crab rattle as this was one of the first things she explored and learnt how to use. The tray that lights up includes a crab to be lifted which can be done manually, but as little one grows older it can be lifted by pressing the buttons shaped as a fish.

The jumperoo is filled with colour, and interesting activities aimed at the age range it I built for. My children genuinely adored this activity centre, and although it I a little expensive it has earns every penny. My little girl smiles each and every time she goes into the seat, and as she grows and learns how to use her body and hands more she discovers new ways to play. It should not be used for large amount of time, but it is perfect form when you need to get a few chores done keeping little one occupied. There is a tray that takes batteries so that it lights up and plays music when little one uses this of the activity centre, or when they bounce around. To be honest once they run out we never replaced them. The jumperoo has lots to do anyway so it doesn't need to rely on the flashes extras, and if my little girl does ever become bored of it I can replace the batteries and give her something new to enjoy.

There are a few downsides as after being used with two children it squeaks a little when in use. This is not so much that it is annoying, but it is noticeable. Also on this ocean wonders version of the jumperoo the back seat of the chair is not as high as the rainforest alternative. Finally it is a large activity centre, and despite the descriptions saying it can be stored easily I would disagree. It is very annoying to try and put down, and if I had to do that every time we were not using it I would go bonkers. For this reason it will need a place to sit, and it does take up a fair amount of room.

**Summary**

I would highly recommend this for anyone looking for an activity centre for their baby. It may not last a huge amount of time, but it is very well thought out for the target age range. It promotes using fine and large motor skills, and generally is perfect for development. It retails for around £100 and can be found on Amazon and in store at places like toys r us. It is a huge amount for an activity centre designed for just a few months of little ones life, but the smiles and enjoyment from my children show its worth. There are other versions available a rainforest themed and a zoo themed so you will be able to find one you like. It is well made durable, and so far has been used with two children.