As you, my dear, intelligent, astute reader, have already noticed... I like weird stuff. Afterall, I did purchase the Tiny Love Symphony in Motion Mobile. This is a child's toy that looks suspiciously like a drug trip on a rotating pole. Seeing how this is the truth, it was only natural that I would purchase the Tiny Love Gymini Super Deluxe Lights and Music Play Mat as soon as I saw it in Babies R Us. Lights, sounds, creepy plush animals hanging from the canopy... what's not to love? Remember, this is the same person who can't wait until her son is old enough so we can stain skeletons and build crypts for Halloween.

Product Information

The TLGSDLMPM, hereafter known as "Gymini," is a play mat intended for infants age 0 through 10 months. Now, I have realized that the vast majority of toys that say from 0+ months lie. I've had quite a few toys that say from birth that my son couldn't really play with until he was about 3 months old. This is not one of those toys -- I have honestly been able to use it pretty much since the first week. It has two crossing bars that make up the canopy, and a colorful, interactive mat for the base. The mat itself is on the thin side, but I didn't see anything wrong with that. I've used it on both carpet and tile and had no problems. The Gymmini comes with 5 items that you can hang from the canopy, each bearing the large eyes, funky coloration and odd features that makes the Tiny Love brand unique (and also mildy creepy to those considered "normal). It is an approximate 3' X 2.5' rectangle with the canopy rising about two feet off the ground. The toys can be hung from a few inches off the base to the top of the canopy -- making it easy to adjust the height of the objects based on how old your baby is. It cost $59.95 and I found it in both Target and Babies R Us, though Tiny Love does have its own online store where you can purchase it (http://www.tinylovestore.com).

Features for the baby:

*Lights and music: The mat has three 3D flowers that light up in turn with the music, which can be set to either classical or nursery. The nursery selection plays either "Bingo," "Three Blind Mice," or "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush," while the classical is some selection from Mozart. What's nice is that the mat is activated by touch -- when your baby hits the correct corner of the Gymini, the lights and music will turn on. The lights flash in a random pattern, encouraging your child to interact with the 3D flowers. The nursery tunes play for a few seconds, while the classical piece plays longer (at least 5 minutes... I believe the manual says it plays for 10). This is great for teaching them cause and effect! While the music box is not padded, I do not feel it poses a major hazard to a baby's head. All infants will fall and hit their heads on something -- be it the wall, the floor or a toy (while I believe in baby-proofing, sometimes you can go a little too far.. you can NEVER remove everything that can hurt your baby... you can only minimize the risk). The being said, the box is rounded and smooth -- no sharp edges that might endanger a crawling/rolling baby. There is the knob that selects which music to play, but that is rounded/smooth as well. Speaking as a first time mom, I have never had any fear when placing my baby on this mat.

*Canopy toys: The canopy comes with multiple holes to hang toys, five of which are included. Obviously they include more holes (ranging from the base up to the top of the canopy) so you can hang other things like toy keys. The toys that come included are: a blue monkey that has "springy" legs, a polka dotted giraffe that has four swinging legs, a purple elephant that vibrates when a cord is pulled, a multi-colored parrot on a swing that has crinkly wings, and a set of plastic beads on a loop (can be used as a rattle and teether). The toys help hand/eye coordation as well as aide in vision strengthening (if you hang them about 6 - 10 in away from your baby). They also help your child to explore their surroundings by teaching cause/effect since many of the toys have little interactive options (like the elephant, parrot and monkey).

*Large mirror attached to one corner of the mat... this is great for a tummy time/neck activity. If you put your baby on their tummy in front of the mirror, they will try to raise their head to look at their reflection in the mirror. This is also good for EQ, relaxation and strengthening self-image if you place them on their back facing the mirror (for those who aren't at the picking-up-the-neck phase). Someone previously noted distortive properties of the mirror and I must say that I didn't think it was that bad. The mirror is slightly distortive simply because it is slightly curved (due to being attached to the canopy and base) and it is simply a sheet of reflective material, not a true glass mirror. Whenever you have a plastic mirror like that it will have some distortion. However, that distortion has never bothered my son... actually it might even have entertained him more since objects that are father away appear more distorted than things up close.

*Interactive features on the mat itself include: a little squeeker, a 3D crinkly elephant ear, 3D crinkly butterfly wing, 3D tail with a felt tip, and a 3D felt mane for the zebra. You can play peekaboo and teach them object permanence as well as cause/effect with the play mat itself. Again, someone mentioned that the tail is a choking hazard and I fully disagree with that statement. A choking hazard is something small that could get lodged in a child's throat (like a button or bottle top). That would imply that the tail can come lose if the child tugs on it enough, which it can't. My son has spent hours trying to pull the tail off the base and has yet been unable to do it. Heck, I'VE tried to do it and I can't. Making this into a choking hazard is like saying a large wooden spoon is one -- yes, your child can gag on it... but they can't get it lodged in their throat. This may be a gagging hazard, but I highly doubt your child will be able to choke on this. If they can choke on this, they can choke on the toy key chains they play with and any toy that has any kind of 3D part (such as the Tug and Play Knot by Learning Curve, Lamaze Inchworm and heck, any of the canopy toys included). In all honestly, if this WAS a choking hazard (with the way federal standards are today) there is NO WAY it would be marketed to newborns and NO WAY it would have won awards from the prestigious Oppenheimer Institute... so I wouldn't worry about this when purchasing this toy.

Features for Mommy:

*This product comes with trial batteries that last quite a while... but you will need to replace them with three AA batteries eventually.

*This comes preassembled and folds in a breeze. Just fold two ends of the mat together, snap the two buttons and you have a flat mat that is easy to store and take with you if you travel anywhere.

*The mat is easy to take apart in the event you need you wash the mat portion. Yes, it is even machine washable (ahem... the mat portion... not the music box).

*The instruction manual, as well as recommended activities for various ages of development, can be found on Tiny Love's website at http://www.tinylove.com.

*The Gymini has won numerous awards from organizations like Oppenheimer and SNAP.

So... how has Aidan liked it?

Well... let's see... I have been using my Gymini since the day he was born and he still loves to play with it -- it has been one of my favorite purchases thus far. This is such a great example of a toy that will grow with a baby -- not something that loses its usefulness after a few months.

You can use it for motor and vision development within the first few months by hanging the toys within sight range of your newborn... you can use it for tummy time (especially since it gives your little one so many interesting things to look at)... you can play mirror games with your baby to strengthen their self-image and esteem... you can play peekaboo with the 3D elephant ears... you can teach your baby cause and effect by playing with the different interactive toys like the vibrating elephant and the touch activated music box... the list goes on and on. I really can't say enough for this toy.

My son has been captivated by the different toys and games since the day he was born. Currently he loves to sit on the mat and hit the music box to activate the songs while chewing on the giraffe. He has never shied away from this toy -- it has held his fascination since I first placed the blue monkey within his range of vision. The time I've been able to leave him on the mat has varied as he's aged. In the beginning, he could sit on the mat for a good 30 minutes just staring and hitting the hanging toys. He was also good for 20 minutes on his tummy in the beginning... but now that he's gotten a little bit older, his attention span has a tendency to wander to things he's not supposed to be getting into. However, I can plunk him down on this mat and wash the dishes (before he up and crawls away), but the simple fact that he will stay on this mat for longer than a minute shows how much it holds my little one's attention. Let me put it to you this way... one morning I had forgot to put out the Gymini mat while I was cleaning up the kitchen and he crawled over to its storage spot and started trying to pull it out (it was wedged between the couch and the end table), then he looked at me and started to cry until I went over there and opened it for him. If that isn't a testament to his feelings for this toy... well... then I don't know what to tell you.

This is definitely a toy that grew with him, and I'm so glad we chose to purchase it.

Overall Recommendation

If you are in the market for a play mat, this is definitely one you should seriously consider. While you can find a play mat in the $30 range, it won't have the multitude of activites that the Tiny Love Gymini Super Deluxe Mat has. Furthermore, I've seen mats for $20 more that have the exact same functions this does! I have never, ever had any doubts or fear when using this mat with Aidan. I don't feel he could hurt himself on the mat, nor could he choke on any of the parts. Is there a possibility? OF COURSE there is, there is ALWAYS the possibility your child could get hurt... just like there is the possibility you could walk outside and get run over by a bus. Is it likely? Absolutely not. In my humble opinion this is a safe toy; there is nothing dangerous about it. Aidan and I give this one two thumbs up!!!

Pros:

*Touch activated lights and music (both nursery and classical)
*Five interactive canopy toys included
*Mirror
*Machine washable
*Easy to fold together
*Comes already assembled with batteries
*Easy to travel with
*Interactive play mat includes a squeaky toy and 3D objects like an elephant's ear and a butterfly's wing
*Brightly (gartshly bright) colored mat and toys make it a stimulating and fascinating toy for baby
*Readily available at most stores
*Manual available online
*Long life span -- children can use this literally from birth through to 10 months and even beyond
*Encourages tummy time with neat things to look at; encourages baby to lift neck when trying to look into mirror


Cons:

*While moderately priced at $60, you can find mats that are cheaper
*If I leave it on the floor, my cat will immediately lay down on it
*Yeah.. I know... I'm reaching there... So sue me, I love this mat!!!!!

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 59.95
Type of Toy: Baby Toy
Age Range of Child: 0 to 12 Months