Gear guide: Stay-safe activity center strategies

A stationary activity center can keep your baby occupied and happy, and give you a chance to grab a bite (without a baby in your lap), take a quick shower, or check your e-mail. We consider it a much safer alternative to a walker because it’s stationary and your baby can’t scoot into trouble.

But even though he’s self-contained within this toy, you’re not off the hook by using it. Here’s what you can do to help keep your baby safe.

--Keep an eye out. Always keep your baby in view while he’s in a stationary activity center. That may mean, for example, keeping the shower door open a tad so you don’t lose sight of your little one.

--Don’t park your baby. Keeping your child in a stationary activity center for more than 30 minutes at a time can tax her naturally weak back and leg muscles.

--Don’t use a stationary activity center that converts to a walk-behind walker in the walker mode because a baby could easily push it down the stairs.

--Keep the activity center away from hot surfaces, dangling appliance cords, window blind and curtain cords, stairs, sources of water such as a swimming pool, and anything else that might injure a child. Even though it is technically stationary, this play space can creep across the floor as your baby plays. Watch for movement and make sure your baby stays away from hazards.

--Don’t carry an activity center with your child in it.

--Place the product on level ground and make sure the activity center’s legs are the same height. The tray should be level. That’s the best way to avoid tip-overs.

--Follow the manufacturer’s age or weight or height recommendations and keep the owner’s manual for future reference. Don’t use the activity center before your baby can sit up unassisted, and stop using it when your baby reaches the height or weight maximum and can walk or even stand up by himself, which means he could easily tip it. And, as a general rule, if your child can tip over the activity center by just leaning over the edge or can climb out of it, it’s time to retire it.

--Don’t attach strings to the activity center or to its toys. They’re a strangulation hazard.

--Stop using a stationary activity center if it’s damaged or broken. 

See our full stationary activity center, baby safety gate, and bouncer seat reports for more information.