Cynical Parent
When you’re shopping for baby toys, there’s an endless supply of options. It’s almost overwhelming. One toy that my kids always loved when they were babies is the activity table. But which is the best baby activity table?
Like we usually do, we spent some time researching a bunch of different options. There are just so many out there.
Like anything else, you typically get what you pay for, so we’ll go through a few different options – some that are more expensive, but we’ll also tell you what we think is the best baby activity table if you’re on a budget.
Let’s get to it!
(Note: This post contains affiliate links. See affiliate disclaimer at the bottom of the page.)
Best Baby Activity Table: Our Selections
Here is the list of the best baby activity tables for different situations. I don’t think there’s necessarily a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ choice here – it all depends on how much you want to spend, the amount of space you have, and your personal preferences.
But all of that considered, any one of these would be a great choice!
Best Baby Activity Table: Overall
When considering price, quality, versatility, and the overall appearance, our favorite activity table is the VTech GearZooz 2-in-1 Jungle Friends Gear Park.
There’s a lot to like about this one.
Pros:
- Great for working on fine motor skills – There are a lot of “bells and whistles” for your baby to play with. There are several gears that can be turned that play music and sounds. There’s a slider that takes you into different play modes. There are also 5 colorful piano keys to play.
- Table top can be adjusted – As your baby gets older and can sit or stand, the table top can be adjusted/tilted.
- The gears are versatile – The gears can be removed and can be mixed and matched not only on the top of the table, but on the flip side.
- This table is part of a larger ‘set’ – The interchangeable gears can be used with two other products that are part of this set: the GearZooz Gearaffe and the GearZooz Roll and Roar Animal Train.
Even though we love this one, we also have to take a look at some of things that people have complained about (no toy is perfect!):
Cons:
- Flipping to the opposite side can be a challenge – To flip the table to the opposite side, you need to disassemble the legs and then put them back on. It’s not difficult, but it’s also not something you child is going to be able to do by themselves.
- Table can slide easily – Make sure to keep this on a carpeted surface if your baby is not able to stand well yet. Otherwise there is some risk that it will slide while they are standing and putting pressure on it.
Read more about this VTech activity table on Amazon.
Best Baby Activity Table: Wooden
We’ve talked about the benefits of wooden toys in another post, so it only makes sense for us to call out a good wooden activity table. Surprisingly, there aren’t a lot (at least, marketed for really babies or young toddlers). But we like this one: EverEarth Garden Activity Cube.
Yes, this is technically more of an activity cube, but from a baby’s perspective this one is large enough to be treated the same as an activity table.
Let’s go through some of the good and the bad.
Pros:
- It’s wooden, so you have all the benefits that come with wooden toys (more durable, longer lasting, more environmentally friendly and safe for children, etc.)
- There are 6 sides of activities – This activity cube includes geometric shape sorting, counting beads, sliding animals, spinning gears and a wire bead maze on top.
- It’s higher quality and classy – We’ve all struggled with the overload of plastic toys that are often an eyesore in your living room or child’s room. This activity cube, much like many other wooden toys, are higher quality and have a “classier” appearance that simply look better in whatever room you put it. (Yes, I realize this is subjective.)
Cons:
- More expensive – this activity cube is more expensive than most of the plastic activity tables you’ll find. This should be balanced by the fact that it’s more durable, doesn’t need batteries and should last long enough to be passed down to younger sibling or friends and family.
- It’s smaller than an activity table – This really isn’t a big deal (especially because it take up less space!), but might be something worth considering if your child is a little bit older.
Overall, this is a great choice for babies and young toddlers.
Read more about the EverEarth Garden activity cube on Amazon.
Best Baby Activity Table: On a budget
Fortunately baby activity tables are not super expensive in general, but here’s one that on the lower end of the price range: the HOMOFY Musical Learning Table.
This is a simpler activity table for babies that still has a lot of good functionality and features your little one will enjoy.
Pros:
- It’s less expensive – Okay, so that’s the main reason we picked this one for this category. It’s a solid toy for the money.
- Legs can be removed – This is a great feature for babies who are not yet able to stand or sit up. By allowing the table to lay flat on the floor, babies can still interact with it while laying on floor.
Cons:
- It’s pretty small – This one is definitely more for babies than toddlers, given its size.
Overall, this is a fine toy given the cost, but we think you are better off spending a little bit more money to get a higher quality activity table.
Read more about the HOMOFY Musical Learning Table on Amazon.
Which activity table are you going with?
Whatever activity table you decide on, you’ll probably be happy with it. Babies and young toddlers love them and they’ll be entertained for hours.
Not only is it fun, but it’s great for developing both gross and fine motor skills as your little one learns to stand and interact with the objects, lights, and sounds that most of these activity tables offer.
Any suggestions for other activity tables that you like? Share in the comments below!
