The Kick & Play Was One of the Most Loved Products in Our Baby Gear Survey
We’re diving into why this toy (and the purple monkey song) is the new unexpected winner in our best baby products survey.
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In our annual Best Baby Products survey, we asked Babylist parents two big questions: what’s the best baby product they registered for, and which product surprised them by being even better than expected? We also polled parents in our weekly newsletter about the baby gear social media convinced them to buy, and an unexpected star emerged: the Fisher-Price Glow and Grow Kick & Play Gym.
We usually hear buzz around big-ticket items like strollers, car seats, and the smaller essentials like carriers and bottles. But the Kick & Play Gym stole some of the spotlight—and for good reason. It’s not just a playmat; it’s a baby party starter, complete with lights, music and that can’t-get-it-out-of-your-head Purple Monkey Song that babies (and their parents) love. Why are parents raving about this toy, and why does it seem to keep little ones endlessly entertained? We’ve got the scoop.
Why Trust Babylist?
Babylist is the expert in baby; we know baby gear inside and out. We talk with parents face-to-face in our showroom and on our user panels and hear from thousands annually via our Favorite Baby Products online survey. We know what items millions of expecting parents are adding to their baby registries.
As Babylist’s assistant editor and a mom of two (and a former preschool teacher with a Bachelor’s degree in early childhood development), I’ve tested my fair share of baby toys—including play gyms. And it turns out that quite a few parents on the Babylist team have little ones who loved this play gym, too.
Fisher-Price Fisher Price Glow and Grow Kick & Play Gym - Blue
From $39.88The Details: Fisher-Price Glow and Grow Kick & Play Gym
Fisher-Price has been making toys for babies for over 90 years, so it’s safe to say they know what babies like. And they certainly checked all of the boxes with the Glow and Grow Kick & Play Gym. Many first-time parents are surprised when they realize they will, at some point, have to put their snuggly newborn down and attend to their own needs. And this entertaining play gym is the perfect spot for babies to hang out.
Baby can use it for tummy time in the newborn phase, and between four to six months, once they learn to sit unassisted, they can sit to play. When lying on their back, they can explore using their legs and feet to kick the piano (the “kick” in Kick & Play) while checking out the included toys that attach to the arch. The piano also detaches so they can play with it separately, with their hands instead of feet, like an actual piano. I really love the mirror that’s included, since it promotes social-emotional learning (facial expressions), and newborns love looking at faces, especially their own.
Here’s what else to know about this versatile play gym:
There are four ways to play as baby grows and develops
Appropriate for ages newborn to 36 months
Different musical options as baby gets older
Large piano keyboard that lights up and makes sounds
There are five detachable toys, including a self-discovery mirror, teething elephant, crinkle panda, rattle lion and monkey cymbal clackers
The mat is machine washable
The musical features require batteries (which are included)
Whole view of the Kick & Play
Why Parents Love the Fisher-Price Kick & Play Gym
The Fisher-Price Glow and Grow Kick & Play Gym is not a new product to the baby gear scene, but after seeing it mentioned by so many parents on our annual best baby products survey, we realized just how much babies (and their parents) love this toy. Many parents were caught off guard by how much they ended up loving the play gym (especially the ones who didn’t actually register for it but received it as a gift anyway). One parent who wrote in to our survey shared, “My friend got me the Fisher-Price Kick & Play. I didn’t even have it on my registry [but] my baby is obsessed with it.”
Here’s the full scoop on why the Kick & Play is so well-loved.
It’s engaging & entertaining
Perhaps the most important reason parents love this play gym is because their babies do. One Babylist parent who wrote into our best baby product survey said her baby “has so much fun [on it]. I’ll hear her screaming from excitement while she’s lying there.” And since it’s so engaging, it helps give parents much-needed quick breaks here and there. Another parent wrote in and said, “It was the only thing he would allow us to lay him down on for longer than a few minutes at a time.” Anything that’ll garner a few minutes of time so you can take care of yourself or entertain baby so you can check a few things off your to-do list is an automatic win.
Overhead view of the toy bar and piano
Fair warning: The “Purple Monkey” song is almost guaranteed to get stuck in your head. One dad on the Babylist team says it may be “the most addicting kid's toy song of all time.” But don’t worry, addicting doesn’t necessarily mean annoying, as is the case with a lot of toy songs. One Babylist parent of a toddler joked, “I wish Fisher-Price would have a concert because I would get a front-row seat.”
Close up of Kick & Play's toy bar
Another parent on the Babylist team shared, “My son loved it, and the purple monkey song grew on me. From tummy time to laying and scooting around to try and grab the animals, my son liked being on here. I liked that I could easily pack it up in the car for family visits or [take on] vacation.” She’s not the only parent who grew to love the song: “My baby loved it, and I oddly loved the purple monkey song,” another Babylist staffer, Amanda, says. The song has become so popular that it caught the attention of singer and dad John Legend, who recently collaborated with the brand on his first children’s album, “My Favorite Dream” (and it’s so good).
Beyond the catchy song, there are several different ways to play with this toy that keep the baby engaged and lead to our next point—longevity.
It grows with baby
There are many ways to play with this gym, and it grows right along with baby. They can use it from birth while lying on their back and later for tummy time. And once they’re sitting, they’ll have a new vantage point and ways to play. “This has been a staple in our tummy time since birth. Seven months [in] and he’s sitting and banging on it like a piano,” another Babylist parent says. It has five toys you can reposition around the arch to change things up (each with its own sensory benefit), including a mirror, teether, crinkle toy, a rattle and a musical cymbal. “We’ve used it since our baby was a month old, it always entertains her, ages with her [and she even] rolled for the first time on it,” another parent wrote in to our survey.
It’s portable
What really sets this play gym apart from the others (besides the catchy purple monkey tune) is its portability. It has a much smaller footprint than other play gyms, but that makes it convenient for moving from room to room. The whole thing breaks down and folds up nicely and compactly, so you can put it away at the end of the day if you want. While the smaller surface area allows it to be ultra-portable, older (or more wiggly) babies may migrate away from it once they’re mobile. “I read another review mentioning not having enough space. It could do with a slightly larger mat, but I also like moving it upstairs or downstairs easily,” says one Babylist parent.
Kick & Play packed up in a tote bag
It’s affordable
At under $60, it’s easy on the wallet, and many parents find it’s made to last (and are able to pass it down for other babies to enjoy). “My oldest loved his kick piano, and he was able to keep playing with it for a lot longer than we expected since it grew with him through different stages. We actually received it as a hand-me-down. My nephews had played with it for a few years when they were babies, and then my niece after that, so it was well-loved by literally ALL the children in my family,” says Babylist’s associate editor, Amylia Ryan.
What Parents Are Saying
Parents raved about this baby toy in our annual best products survey and their reviews in the Babylist shop. Here are a few of the highlights:
Is there anything parents don’t like about the Kick & Play?
There were a few things some parents mentioned in the Kick & Play’s reviews that could be better. The play gym is not sturdy enough for baby to pull up to stand, as tempting as it may be—it’ll tip over if they try. The music also plays on a constant loop on level one, unless you turn the piano off. It also requires batteries that you’ll need to change at some point (but that depends on how much your baby plays with it). The mat material is made of polyester and there isn’t any grip to the bottom. So if you’re placing it on hardwood or laminate flooring, know that it can slip around as baby plays on it. It’s probably best to put it on an area rug or some foam play mat tiles.
Material of the bottom of the mat
There are a ton of play gyms out there, including those that are easier on the eyes and blend in with your home decor—the Kick & Play isn’t one of them. Especially since it’s not “aesthetic.” A couple of parents wrote that they were apprehensive at first because it was “so colorful and loud” or they were “anti-bright plastic things,” but their babies' enjoyment outweighed their opinions.
Is the Fisher-Price Kick & Play Gym worth it?
Choosing a play gym depends on many factors, including how much space you have in your home, how often you want your baby to use it and how much you want to spend. Good toys don’t have to cost a ton of money—and at just under $60 and all the ways baby can play from birth to 36 months, it’s worth adding to your registry.
