One of the first things I was excited for my baby to graduate to was a jumper. I wasn’t sure which one to get, but unlike things like carseats and pack n plays, there were a lot less options (not including exersaucers or doorway jumpers). We narrowed our choices down to two jumpers – Baby Einstein and the Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo, which were about the same price.
”A place full of wonderful sights and sounds, the Rainforest Jumperoo from Fisher-Price brings it all down to size for little explorers! Still tons of safe jumping fun which activates Rainforest music and lights, now there are toys all around and overhead with a spinning seat that helps your baby explore them all. The toys include a bobbing elephant, swinging monkey, spinning lizard and more that your baby will just "go wild" for! Your baby can spin the drum to activate lights and music, while the soft spring covers keep little fingers safe and the 3-position height adjustment ensures a custom fit for your child.”
The Rainforest Jumperoo
This product is part of the
Fisher Price line of Rainforest items. I have the
Fisher Price Rainforest Open-Top Cradle Swing, and although it had some shortcomings, the Rainforest Jumperoo looked most appealing. (Also, 250+ reviews on babiesrus.com give this product an average of 5 stars!)
We found this at a local baby store but purchased it at
Babies R Us for
$79.99 (cheaper than the other store). It is also sold at Target, but I had a coupon for BRU. Amazon.com also sells it for $69.99 with free shipping.
The base of the jumperoo forms a circle. The approximate measurements are
32” W x 37” D x 38” H. (In the highest setting, it is 43” H). The jumperoo is intended
only for a child who is able to hold head up unassisted and who is not able to climb out or walk, and a child with a
25 lb maximum weight or a
32” maximum height.
Assembly
The jumperoo did not come assembled. To start, it requires
3 AA batteries, which powers the lights and music. The jumperoo does not plug in, but in the months I have had it, the batteries are still going strong.
Assembly consisted of snapping the support poles together, assembling the seat, and attaching the toys.
It was not too difficult to assemble, although for some reason, I had difficulty getting the base to fit together. It is supposed to fold for storage, and I could not get the parts to slide together, so we ended up forcing them together.
I like that this is not a doorway jumperoo, and is not a permanent fixture. We can fold this and take it from room to room or easily move it within a room. As we accumulate other toys and buy more baby items, we have moved the jumperoo several times. Although I wouldn’t really think of traveling with this, it has crossed my mind that I may want to bring this to our relatives when I spend a week at their place, since it is a fantastic place for the baby to play (otherwise she has to be held or put on the floor). This is
very bulky even when folded, but it is much more compact when not at full size. It is also not very heavy, although it is a little awkward.
My Thoughts & Experience
I bought the jumperoo early (before 4 months) so that it would be assembled and ready to go when the time came. I kept putting my daughter in it to see how she fit, and it wasn’t until about 5 months that she truly fit into it, where her feet could touch the ground and also after she developed an interest in toys. The seat was a little big for her in the beginning, but like other seats, I “padded” it with a towel to make it snug. I actually tried putting books under her feet when they didn’t reach the ground, but in retrospect, I realize that she really wasn’t interested in it anyway.
There are three levels on the jumperoo, depending on the height and weight of your child. You don’t want them to be flat-footed, so you raise it just enough so they can push off with the balls of their feet. Adjusting the height is fairly easy – there are three pegs on the underside that you rotate to release the straps, and then move the straps to a new height loop. The springs that hold the bouncing part are tight and covered with fabric, so that little fingers do not get caught.
The seat is basically a fabric seat, sort of like an early swing. My daughter is always moving her legs and when I go to put her in the jumperoo, it is always a struggle. When I pull her out, the seat always pulls out so that it is inverted. It does not matter to me, because sometimes it is easier to guide her feet into the leg holes when the seat is pulled up. The seat appears to be comfortable, and it is easy to wipe off in case of a spitup. It can be removed for washing, although I have not had to do so.
There are two modes for music. One is triggered by touching the toys and bouncing, and consists of short segments of music (and animal noises!). The other mode has long sequences of music. There is also a high/low volume setting. The music can get annoying especially since the short segments are a bit repetitive, but I think kids like repetition, and I don’t mind.
Jumping around in the jumperoo does make some noise, but nothing horrible. When the tray bounces up, it makes a kind of “clunking” noise, but it doesn’t seem unexpected.
The seat rotates so that your child can experience all of the toys. There is a main panel with three animals. Off to the sides and back are items that rotate and spin, and a dragonfly on a flexible plastic “rope”. (This dragonfly clicks in to a round hole, and I wonder if this toy can be interchanged with others – I saw a Sassy brand toy that looked like it might fit?)
The toys are colorful and bright, and I like the range of activities. Some of the toys trigger the music, while one like a spinning salamander set a bunch of noisy beads into action. There is only one toy that I am not a big fan of, and this is a tiger’s head hidden in grass – when you push a bar, his head pops up – but it’s not much, and honestly I don’t see much appeal in this toy.
There are also two large “leaves” that extend from the front two poles. One has a toucan hanging from it, and the other has a tree frog. Most of the time, my daughter doesn’t notice these, because she is so absorbed in the other activities. However, it is nice to see when she reaches up and tries to stretch for the toys.
There is a little portion in the tray to set items in. The first thing that popped in my mind was that it would be good for something like finger foods (Cheerios). I still have not used it for food, but I have put other toys in the tray. It’s a small tray, so it can only accommodate small items, but it is nice to mix it up with some different toys (or food when the time comes).
As with all toys, this should always be used with supervision. However, it is one of the few toys I do feel safe running to the bathroom or leaving the room for a minute (with, of course, the baby monitor running). At the least, it is one of the few opportunities where I don’t have to hold or “spot” my daughter – I can sit next to the jumperoo or clean the room while she has a blast.
Overall Impression?
I wasn’t sure how this jumperoo would work out, since I wasn’t a big fan of the Rainforest Swing, which I thought was below-par and cheaply made, with features that I felt were not thought out very well. However, the jumperoo has nice features and is a great product. I don’t have any complaints except for having to somewhat force the base together during assembly and after moving it around.
My daughter seems to love the jumperoo. At first (around 4 months) she wasn’t big enough and hadn’t developed enough of an interest in toys, but now it is easily a favorite. She kicks off and bounces happily in the jumperoo, and often gets very worked up. She spins the seat around and checks out the toys, and she loves sucking on the dragonfly for long periods of time!
Fisher Price: http://www.fisher-price.com
My reviews of:
Fisher Price Rainforest Open-Top Cradle Swing
Fisher Price Pink Petals Bouncer
BabyAge
Cymax Baby
