We acquired our Today's Kids Infant-Toddler Playland when my oldest daughter was 5 months old. I say acquire, since we were on the verge of buying one, when one appeared in an area of my apartment building where people leave stuff that they no longer need but others may want. It was missing some of the toy attachments, but I called Today's Kids' customer service number to order the missing parts for about $9.

Description

The Infant Toddler Playland consists of 6 rectangular panels, each a different color. Each panel is 22 by 26 inches. The blue, green, red, and purple panels each have bars in the center, and a cut-out circle, triangle, and square at the top. The top of the triangle is a handle. The panels hook together to form either a hexagon or a rectangle. The Playland provides 14 square feet of room for a child to play.

The white panel has a rotary telephone, a red house with a sliding yellow door that reveals a boy with a puppy on one side and a girl with a kitten on the other. There are gears with little balls inside, a flutter ball with a butterfly inside, an unbreakable mirror, and a dog that squeaks.

The yellow panel has plastic inserts and doors at the bottom of the panel. There is a penguin, a panda and a cat shape that when placed in the appropriate slot, fall to the bottom, where the toddler can lift the door and retrieve the animal shape.

Uses and My Kids' Reactions

My oldest loved her Playland when she was a baby. I used to set it up on a patterned blanket or beach towel, and put a basket of her favorite toys inside. There was enough room in there for me to sit in there with her, so she never minded being in there, even after she learned to crawl. She used the bars and the cut out shapes to practice pulling up to a standing position.

Once she learned to walk, she no longer wanted to play in the Playland, so for almost a year we kept her toys in it. Then we moved and we put the Playland away for a while.

Recently, I reassembled the Playland for the twins. They are 6 months old, and one rolls all over the apartment and is attempting to crawl. The other can scoot backwards a little bit, but is pretty content to stay in one spot. So far, they both hate being cooped up in the Playland. The mobile twin invariably rolls to the wall and becomes frustrated because she can't roll any further in that direction. The non-mobile twin cries because her sister is crying. As a result we've been using the Playland as a gate, a toy corral, and a puppet theater for our 3 year old.

Safety Issues

Toys
The toys on the yellow panel and the flutter ball do not attach securely. I called Today's Kids about this problem, and they told me that they had designed the product this way; they did not want older babies and toddlers to use the toys to get a foothold for an escape.

Panels
Although it takes a good deal of pressure to connect the Playland panels, it sometimes is fairly easy to separate them. If the panels are lined up correctly, they will not fall down. The best way to prevent them from falling is to inspect them before putting a child in the Playland.

Warnings
There are some warnings embossed on the back of the Playland's white panel. The warning states: "As with any play pen or play yard never leave your child unattended. Do not suspend strings over the Playland or attach strings to toys. Carefully assemble all components and panel joints prior to use and periodically inspect. Do not add padding or other objects that wil enable child to climb out. As a closed play pen, the Playland is intended for use by a child who is unable to climb out and is less than 34 inches tall."

Portability and Storage

To store the Playland, you simply need to disconnect the panels and stack them in the desired place. The panels do not lock together in a stacked position. Unfortunately, the Playland requires a large amount of storage space, since the stacked panels are about a foot deep. For these reasons, it is not an ideal play yard for travel.

Overall

The Today's Kids Infant-Toddler Playland works well for some children, but others may object to being contained, even for brief periods of time. It works well as a gate, especially for wide or irregularly shaped areas. Since the Playland is bulky and relatively heavy, it is not a good play yard for traveling.

Recommended: Yes