Little Tikes Sit & Play Bouncer

I never realized how valuable time was until I had my daughter in August. I was blessed with a baby who was sleeping through the night at 18 days old, which was amazing. The downfall: She would not sleep during the day, unless of course I was holding her or we were in the car. You can’t really cook dinner, shower or do a multitude of other daily activities while holding a baby … believe me, I tried. When you run out of underwear because you haven’t had time to do the wash, it makes you realize you need a solution—and you need it fast. I was in desperate need of something that I could put my daughter in during the day that would keep her occupied and give me some time to get things done.

When the Little Tikes Sit & Play Bouncer arrived, I couldn’t open it fast enough to begin using it. It doesn’t require much assembly, and you only need a screwdriver to put the batteries in the sound and vibration unit. I thought it would take 5 minutes to assemble after I read the directions, but I ended up having some trouble. When it came time to attach the sound and vibration unit pipe, the unit was facing towards the back, so all of the buttons were not assessable. I unassembled the bouncer and tried a few more times, but I was unsuccessful. I had to wait until my husband came home from work to have him assemble it. It took him about 15 minutes, but he got it together. He said I inserted the sound and vibration unit into the pipe incorrectly. When my husband connected the toy bar to the bouncer, it was very tight, so I hope it loosens over time. Once the bouncer was fully together it felt very sturdy. Safety was never a concern.

The seat has two positions: reclined and upright. I used the bouncer seat in the reclined position until my daughter had full control of her head. (There is a warning to not use the reclined position if your child weighs less than 6 lbs 10 oz or more than 19 lbs 14 oz, but this was not an issue for me.) The seat is designed for use from birth until your child can sit up unassisted. Many baby seats require that your child be able to hold their head up, but this chair accommodates both needs. I’ve noticed the toy bar can get in the way when you’re placing your baby into the seat. The instructions say to remove the bar to place the child in the seat, but as I mentioned, I couldn’t do it myself.

Once my daughter was in the seat, she really enjoyed looking at the cloud, sun and rainbow that hang from the toy bar. She kicked her legs and moved her arms in excitement. She can’t reach the toys, but as she grows I’m sure she will be able to reach them. There is a mirror in the sun that my daughter loves! She likes to look at herself, although she has no idea she is looking at herself; babies love looking at “other babies.” The colors are bright and keep her attention, and she loves the vibration and sounds. My daughter would last between 15 and 20 minutes in the bouncer, which gave me more than enough time to get a few things done. As a new mom you learn quickly what is most important to tackle while your child is occupied. I use the bouncer a few times each day, so I can shower, throw a load of wash on, eat—or even just have a few moments to myself.

One thing that’s great about the seat is the material. Let’s face it, babies spit up, and so many things are ruined with stains. But you can just wipe the seat clean. For a more thorough cleaning, the chair portion of the seat is removable and can be placed in the washing machine on a delicate setting and left to air dry.

The chair also doesn’t take up much room. It measures 23 inches long (deep), 19 inches wide, and 22 inches high. I store the chair in my family room, so it’s easy to grab when I need it. It’s also a nice size to travel with, especially if your child is not holding her head up yet. The chair easily fits into our SUV for dinner at Grandmom’s, and it’s nice to have around as a “just in case.” The chair would also easily fit into the trunk of a sedan.

All in all the Little Tikes Sit & Play Bouncer did exactly what I needed it to do: occupy my child for small spans of time throughout the day, so I could get some things done. I’m so glad this chair will be sticking around for a while, as there is room in the seat and plenty of space for her legs to grow. Finally, we have clean clothes, a clean mommy and dinner usually makes it to the table every night—unless of course my daughter is feeling especially needy. The Little Tikes bouncer is very affordable, unlike other products I have seen on the market. Next time you are out, or on the web, search for the Little Tikes Sit & Play Bouncer; you won’t regret it.

Price: $44
Where to buy: walmart.com