Best Activity Centers for Babies of 2022
Babies around six to 12 months are super curious, constantly wanting to explore and engage with the world around them.
Activity centers are the perfect outlet for all of that developing curiosity. They provide babies with a safe, secure space to explore textures, movements, sights and sounds and to practice important fine motor skills like the pincer grasp, reaching, grabbing and shaking. They can also keep your little one occupied long enough for you to take a shower or make a phone call—a big bonus!
Around six months old is a good time to upgrade your baby from a playmat or play gym on the floor to a seated activity center. Just keep in mind that you’ll want to pay attention to how much activity center time your little one is getting. While they’re perfectly safe, the fabric seat does put stress on your baby’s hip joints and can cause hip dysplasia (the malformation of the hip socket) after extended use. Let your baby have a blast in their activity center but try to keep it to twice a day for about 10 to 15 minutes each time.
Grows with Your Baby
Both parents and babies love this modern activity center that converts to a play station and eventually a toddler table. Little ones can’t get enough of the swiveling, swaying objects and the electronic keyboard that lights up and plays songs when they hit it with their hands or feet. The foot platform is height adjustable so your baby’s toes are always able to touch and push off (think: a bit of bouncing action). Parents appreciate the activity center’s bright-but-not-too-bright colors and that it can be used for the long haul.
Additional Specs
| Child Guidelines | 4 months to 4 years (for the table) |
| Dimensions | 31” x 31” x 18.5” |
| Includes | 6 detachable toys and activities |
Affordable Pick
This activity center from Bright Starts is packed with stimulating activities for your baby and won’t break the bank. There are lots of bright, engaging colors, nine toys and activities, three adjustable height options and it doesn’t even use batteries! And great news for adults: The seat pad is easy to remove and machine washable.
Additional Specs
| Child Guidelines | Ages 6-12 months |
| Dimensions | 27” x 27” x 33” |
| Includes | 9 activities |
For All Stages of Play
While most multi-stage activity centers cover sitting to standing, this one goes one step further: tummy time! The bottom mat detaches from the table to give your baby a comfy place to practice their tummy time while they’re still too small for the full table, and the electronic alligator also detaches from the table to keep baby entertained (because no one likes to lay on their tummy with nothing to do). Once baby can sit up on their own, they’ll be captivated by the 360-degree spin of the seat, and the whole thing turns into a play table for toddlers able to stand up with support. Keep in mind: This activity center isn’t height adjustable like most others, so it may not work as well for long-legged babies.
Additional Specs
| Child Guidelines | As a tummy time mat: 0-6 months. As an activity center: 6-12 months or up to 25 lbs. As a play table: 12 months-3 years |
| Dimensions | 24.2” x 24.2” x 21.9” |
| Includes | 8 interactive toys, including a detachable electronic alligator, and a detachable tummy time mat |
Bouncing Fun
This popular activity center surrounds baby with lots of stimulating ocean-themed toys, including a fully detachable sea turtle toy with electronic light-up buttons to teach numbers and colors in three languages. What makes it different from other activity centers is it’s also a jumper so baby can work on those leg muscles—and it easily adjusts to four different heights as little legs grow longer. Consider it baby’s best workout!
Additional Specs
| Child Guidelines | Ages 6-12 months |
| Dimensions | 32” x 32” x 33” |
| Includes | 8 interactive toys, including a detachable electronic sea turtle station |
Travel Ready
Similar to the Skip Hop activity center, the PortaPlay grabs your baby’s attention with toys that flip, squeak and spin. It can also be used as an activity table for when your baby starts cruising or as a play table for bigger kids. The standout feature here is its small size and fast-fold legs, though, making it just right to tote to grandma’s or fold flat to stow away.
Additional Specs
| Child Guidelines | As an activity center: ages 5 to 12 months. As a play table: up to 5 years |
| Dimensions | 26.8” x 26.8” x 18.1” |
| Includes | 6 detachable toys and activities |
Jammin' Time
Just like our other Fisher-Price pick on this list, this activity center grows with baby from the tummy time days all the way until they can stand steadily on their own. The two features that set it apart from the rest, though, are the soft piano mat that makes music with baby’s every step and the sliding seat (that also spins 360 degrees) so baby can take their first steps “walking” up and down the activity table with ease. The soft piano mat doubles as a tummy time mat (pair it with the removeable drum kit), and the 11 other music-themed toys will keep baby boogying.
Additional Specs
| Child Guidelines | As a tummy time mat: 0-6 months. As a stationary activity center: 6-12 months. Sliding seat: 9-12 months+. As a play table: 12 months to 2 years |
| Dimensions | 28” x 31” x 22” |
| Includes | 11 interactive toys (some of which are detachable, and a detachable soft piano mat that doubles as a tummy time mat |
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