As parents, we’re always trying to find the best possible toys for my baby. The problem is, what is considered “good” changes so often, it’s hard to keep up! Babies need to be able to play with toys that stimulate their minds, and at the same time provide an opportunity to safely grow and develop. Exersaucers are one way that many parents try to accomplish this, and the Evenflo Exersaucer Jam Session fits this bill to a tee.
What to Consider When Buying an Exersaucer
If you’re looking for an exersaucer like I was, the good news is there are many different choices to choose from that can give you the features you need. And what do you need? Well, you need an exersaucer that gives your baby different ways to stimulate mental growth – toys to pull, push, poke and prod, for instance. You also need something that is going to give your baby freedom to move.
At the same time, though, babies grow so fast that dropping a lot of cash on something that’s going to be too small for your baby after only a month or two seems like a waste, so you need a product that’s going to last for a while and really give you your money’s worth.
And, above all, you need a product with the safety of your baby in mind. Babies are always looking to put things in their mouth or otherwise play with things in ways unintended. A good, well-designed exersaucer should be able to protect your baby by only having toys and activity items that are safe and unable to harm the baby, regardless of what your baby does to it.
The Evenflo Exersaucer Jump and Learn Stationary Jumper Jam Session
With this in mind, I present the Evenflo Exersaucer Jump and Learn Stationary Jumper Jam Session. This exersaucer comes from the trusted minds at Evenflo, and has been built to specifically provide babies with a long-term exersaucer that grows as they do. Along the way this exersaucer gives your baby plenty of ways to exercise both mind and body. Consider the pros and cons of this item:
Pros
- contains over 60 fun learning activities to help your baby develop
- allows your baby to develop physically as well through jumping
- comes with a soft but durable bounce base for baby to learn stability
- adjustable, so this exersaucer can actually grow as your baby grows
- smart toys interact with your baby electronically and provide entertainment as well as stimulation
Cons
- While okay in small doses, long-term exersaucer use has been known to contribute to developmental impediments (so use with caution and listen to your pediatrician)
- rather large size takes up a lot of space in a typical living room
Features and Benefits
Mental Stimulation
One major feature of this particular exersaucer is the sheer amount of play activities that are included. All told, there is room for over 25 different toys included with this exersaucer that are designed to entertain and stimulate your baby. These toys encourage baby to pull, push, hit, turn, spin and do so much more.
Regardless of what stage of growth your baby is in, the included activity toys will give him or her a chance to safely explore the world and learn. And as your baby’s needs change, the “Take With Me Toys” feature lets you swap out the various activities to provide new opportunities for mental stimulation — and they can also come with your baby, wherever you go.
In addition, many of these toys are “smart” activities in the sense that they will actually interact with baby and with each other, playing tones and flashing lights as they are poked and prodded, and answering each other with even more sights and sounds — even going so far as to play tones in several different genres of music.
Physical Growth
Another great thing about this exersaucer is that, not only will it stimulate your baby’s mind, it also a tool that can help as your baby develops physically. Manipulating the included toys and items will be a large part of this, as he or she develops more gross and fine motor skills through handling and playing with these items. However, the main physical feature of the Jam Session is that it is also a jumper, and is designed to help your baby work and stretch those legs as they grow and develop.
To do this, the Jam Session comes complete with three durable and springy elastic straps that suspend the seat. The seat is bouncy, but stable, and your baby will enjoy the support that comes while he or she bounces merrily along. At its base there is a comfortable landing pad that provides a soft landing for each and every jump.
Longevity
One thing most parents have to think about when buying anything for their baby is longevity: how long will this product actually be an appropriate toy for baby before it outlives its usefulness? Thankfully, the folks at Evenflo understand this and have gone to great lengths to make the Jam Session a toy that literally grows and changes with your baby. With the added features that Evenflo have built into the Jam Session, this exersaucer is approved for babies anywhere from four months old all the way to walking.
To help accomplish this, the Jam Session is adjustable, with three different height positions. This easily-adjustable arrangement helps to ensure that your baby’s physical needs are taken care of even as your baby grows and learns how to use those leg muscles properly.
Another way the Evenflo Jam Session can adjust with your baby comes with through its “Take With Me Toys” feature. These are extra, customizable toys that are provided along with the exersaucer. As your baby learns and grows, you can actually change the activity items on the exersaucer, giving your little one more opportunities to learn and grow as he or she develops.
Ease of Care
Of course, your baby’s safety is of utmost concern, and the people at Evenflo understand this. Keeping this in mind, they’ve designed the Jam Session to be easy to take care of, and — more importantly — easy to clean. Because babies are naturally messy creatures, being able to clean your exersaucer is of primary importance. To that end, the Evenflo Jam Session comes with a completely removable and machine-washable seat.
As any parent can tell you, many of the toys on this exersaucer will end up in your baby’s mouth, so it’s important that everything on the Jam Session be easy to clean. Plastic items that can’t be put in the washing machine are easy to wipe down with a rag, as is the deck of the exersaucer itself. In short, keeping the Jam Session clean enough for your baby to use is a snap!
Ease of Mind
While not built into the Jam Session, no review of this product would be complete without mentioning the ease of mind that comes from owning a product like this. With the Evenflo Jam Session in your corner, you now have an exersaucer that’s going to last as long as you need it.
Add to this the peace of mind that comes from knowing your baby is safe and secure when using the Jam Session — and that, no matter what gets put into baby’s mouth, or what gets spilled during playtime, everything is easy to clean and get ready for the next play session — and you have a product that you can feel good about using.
User Reviews
It doesn’t take much to to find customers who have used the Evenflo Jam Session and love it. A quick search on the internet reveals many people who have used the Jam Session, and are happy with it because of all the various features that have been listed above.
Product Alternatives
Before you spend the money on the Evenflo Jam Session, you’ll most likely want to see what other alternative products are out there, to compare features and see if the Jam Session is really the one you want. To help you out, I’ve compiled quick reviews of some of the most likely candidate:
Evenflo ExerSaucer Jump and Learn Jumper, Jungle Quest
The Jungle Quest exersaucer is another great product from Evenflo. It has several features that are similar to the Jam Session, including a variety of activities, height adjustment, and “Take With Me Toys” that can be used to swap out various items as baby’s interests wax and wane. The main difference, though, is the lack of smart, interactive toys. While the Jungle Quest contains many fine items, the Jam Session’s use of sights, sounds and music can give your baby and extra boost of both fun and mental stimulation.
Evenflo Exersaucer Triple Fun Active Learning Center, Life in the Amazon
Like the Jungle Quest, the Life in the Amazon exersaucer is a jungle-themed toy that carries the promise of delighting your baby. This exersaucer, however, goes even further by providing opportunities for your baby in many stages of life — from a baby laying on his or her back, to a toddler who can walk around and play.The Life in the Amazon playset can be reconfigured to accommodate all of these situations. However, as great as all of that is, the Jam Session simply has room for more — more toys, more activities and more items to keep your baby interested and learning.
Evenflo ExerSaucer World Explorer Triple Fun Saucer
The Triple Fun Saucer is similar to the Life in the Amazon play set, but without the jungle theme. As far as that goes, the features are similar, and are no less than what you would expect from Evenflo: expandable features that change as your baby grows and develops, from a mat your baby can play with on his or her back, to a walk-up play set, the Triple Fun Saucer can last for years. Again, though, the lack of activities when compared to the Jam Session can lead to a situation where your baby simply loses interest too soon, whereas the multitude of items available on the Jam Session will help to ensure that does not happen
In Conclusion
In conclusion, the Evenflo Jam Session helps your baby as he or she grows — from a baby just starting to sit, to a toddler ready to take those crucial first steps, the Jam Session can be a powerful tool in your arsenal as a parent. This long-lasting and safe to use toy is guaranteed to provide your baby with months and months of mentally and physically stimulating activities, and will give you the peace of mind that you are providing your baby with the best opportunities available.