What Next After Exersaucer?

Updated on August 04, 2008
P.J. asks from Lisle, IL
35 answers

Our almost 9mos old son seems to be getting bored w/his exersaucer. He can't walk yet so we like using it because it keeps him upright for a while after eating (he's still a big spitter). But we've noticed that he's not as interested in the toys on it anymore. I know you can buy new ones which we could do. But I'm wondering if anyone can suggest another similar product for his age or the next "thing" for him. If you can recommend any new exersaucer toys that your child likes that we should purchase, I'd be interested in hearing about that as well.

Thank you for your help!

1 mom found this helpful

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

Featured Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.J.

answers from Chicago on

I have a 2 girls ages 2 and 1. After the exer. we used the walking push cars or anything they can stand behind and push. They both loved it! Although - they were no longer "contained" like in the exer.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.S.

answers from Chicago on

Why not let him crawl around on the floor? He will get stronger and will be walking soon. Why are you trying to "tie him down"? My daughter (now 24) walked at 10 months because I was pregnant and couldnt pick her up! Kids need to be put down and left to explore their world. That's how they learn.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

E.C.

answers from Chicago on

Let him roam more on the floor. How about a push walker toy?
He will soon like to pull up and play with the toys from a different angle too.

2 moms found this helpful

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

W.P.

answers from Chicago on

Gotta put my two cents in here-I never used an "exersaucer" or a "jumper" and I really don't get it. As far as walking goes any pediatrician will tell you that the best forerunner to walking is crawling (yes, nature knows what she's doing) because it develops the upper legs not the calves. Those big muscles are what propels your walking. So those toys are actually a hindrance to walking. Also your kid wants to explore and find out about the world and with supervision of course, that's what he/she should be doing. It's kind of the physical equivilent to putting your kid in front of the TV. Now I get the need to have somewhere to put the child while you run to the bathroom but other then that no. Also I wouldn't want the kid in a jumper thing unless I was watching anyway. So what's the point? Of course they get bored in those things! Give them real stuff to do and interact with them!

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.G.

answers from Chicago on

Nothing:) I just posted an explanation to my answer in another post further down about exosaucers and jumpers. Especially at 9 months he just needs to move around and explore his environment(I'm a pediatric PT so it's also part professional advice). If you need somewhere to put him while you take a shower etc put him in a pack n play with some toys.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.T.

answers from Chicago on

What about one of those toys that are 3 in 1...I can't remember the name but I think it is Fisher Price...Learn to Walk? He is almost there and is probably pulling himself up. With the help of something to hold onto, he can take some steps safely.

C. T.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.H.

answers from Chicago on

Consider an activity table if your son is "cruising" yet. We have one from Leap Frog that I like a lot. Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

E.P.

answers from Chicago on

Nothing. Let him explore. Enjoy cruising a sofa. It's cheaper and he won't grow out of it. Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.C.

answers from Chicago on

He may be signaling you that he wants to get going on developing his muscles for walking. Increase his tummy time, stand him up by the couch and hold his little butt so he doesn't fall. If he responds to just being left to move around his legs and body, then this is it.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

E.B.

answers from Chicago on

Can your son "cruise"? If so, I recommend the Leap Frog Learning Table. I think some moms called it something else, but when I bought mine for my son about 2 years ago it was called that. It's really a cute toy and has lots of fun activities for them to play. And, it has lasted longer than any toy we've bought as far as interesting him. He's 2 1/2 now and he'd still be playing with it if I hadn't packed it away.

Lots of moms suggested the jumperoo. We have one but our son wasn't really into it and it was expensive so I regret buying it. It would only last you a little while longer, anyway, since as soon as your son can take some steps you're not supposed to use it. That's what I like about the Learning Table - it's good for a long time. And, the Jumperoo is just huge and the music it plays is SO annoying. That's just my humble opinion.

And I have to say to the moms that scold you for wanting a toy for your son to sit in: be nice. Maybe you can fold laundry, make breakfast, lunch and dinner, answer phone calls, put away toys, chase after toddlers, clean the litter box and empty the dishwasher all while holding your still immobile infants, but the rest of us need a hand to do the "home" part of "stay at home" M.! :)

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.M.

answers from Chicago on

Don't do anymore exersaucers...here's some links to some toys my daughter liked around your son's age and some of them she still continues to play with.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2872612
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=229334...
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=278373...
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2678317

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.N.

answers from Chicago on

a walker? a bouncer that goes in a door way?

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

H.P.

answers from Chicago on

You know at that age my DD started to LOVE the jumper - it is a lot like the excersaucer but the jumping and leg movement is better and she had a blast in it for months!! I would try that.

That said - I also agree with the other people who said let him crawl and move on the floor. I always tried to limit my girls time "in" something to no more than 1.5 hours a day (and NEVER at one time - maybe 15 or 20 mins here and there) ... only when I need to have my hands free and keep them contained, They really do need to get down and move around - but sometimes you do need to contain them, I get that.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.R.

answers from Chicago on

How about encouraging him to 'cruise' on the furniture, as in stand him up and hang on to the couch cushions? You can place lots of various toys on the couch to try to entice him to move around a bit more. Your options become limitless when you do this and you don't have to spend an extraordinary amount of money on something that you might only get to use for a month (if he starts standing/walking).

We had a happy spitter too (he wore a bib 24-7 and we kept literally dozens of burp cloths nearby), and fortunately he grew out of it around 9 months. Maybe your wait is almost over? I'd be kind of hesitant to use a jumper to keep him upright after meals. I'm not certain that letting him jump up and down, jiggling the contents of his stomach immediately after a meal is a great idea.

Instead of buying another toy that restricts his movement, why don't you look for some sort of push-behind/walk-behind? Many of these toys are sort of like 'walkers for babies'.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.B.

answers from Chicago on

Jumparoo is my vote! Both my kids got bored with the exersaucer and the jumparoo did the trick! We have the Fisher Price Rainforest Jumparoo. We love it!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.W.

answers from Chicago on

When my son was about the same age 9-12 months, he enjoyed the jumper (affixed to doorway) while visiting a friends house - but it REALLY made me nervous! I agree with the other posters with respect to a) maybe not wanting him to jump around after meals and b) allowing him to work on his cruising skills. But if you're looking for something to help keep him in one spot for a short spell - your idea about new Excersaucer toys is good...but you probably already have other toys around that you could give him (for example, give him some soft books, blocks, etc. on the tray of the Exersaucer...or, now is a great time for using a Pack-and-Play like a playpen. It always did the trick for me when I needed 20 minutes to jump in shower, clean up, etc....good luck!
Have fun!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.C.

answers from Chicago on

We bought a jumper for our daughter! It provided hours and hours of entertainment for her.... and us! It is so adorable watching them jump as high as they can and listening to them scream with delight! The one we bought was stationary and had adjustable heights to it so it grew with her... it also had a music thing and a bear that moved. When she would get worn out she would sit there for a few minutes playing with the beads and bears and then start all over again!

Hope you find something that helps to entertain him for atleast a few more months til he is ALL over the place! Many blessings!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.E.

answers from Chicago on

Hello Patty,

My oldest daughter (nearly 3 years old) received the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn: Learning Home at one year. She used it until she was more than 2 years old. Then, when my youngest daughter turned 8 months, I got it out of storage and now they both play with it. It is by far the most used toy we have ever had, and I highly recommend it! It is $69.99 at ToysRUs. You will see that it gets 5 stars in the reviews written on their site.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.W.

answers from Chicago on

I highly recommend getting a jumperoo. We had one for our sons and they loved it! We had the jumperoo that was connected to its own frame (as opposed to the ones you put up in a doorway). I can't remember the brand; Fisher Price? Anyways, the jumperoo that we had was safe and secure but still allowed our twin boys a lot of room to jump. Hope this helps!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.W.

answers from Chicago on

Not sure if anyone suggested this website: http://www.babycenter.com/ go to their store

I bought this Leap Frog Learn and Groove Music Table and my daughter loves it. She was the same way, not interested in her jumparoo, toys etc. She was advanced with her motor skills and needed to find something that will grow with her. It is her favorite toy and I bought it when she was 8m old, she just turned one. I agree with the ratings, it is a must have.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.R.

answers from Chicago on

Hi Patty,

My daughter just turned one. She also had the exersaucer. Around 7-8 months we got her a Fisher Price: Laugh and Learn Home. We got it from Babies R Us SHE LOVES IT AND IT HAS BEEN THE BEST INVESTMENT. It has helped her with her sitting up and with standing and overall developmentally It is a flat house, One side is inside the house the otherside is outside the house, with a mail box, door bell, water spout. The front door opens and closes, has a key. It is an incredible toy. My husband and I love playing with it. It was around $70. My daughter also loved the jumperoo.
Truely, an awesomen toy. D.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.G.

answers from Chicago on

Try a Fisher Price Jumperoo!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.K.

answers from Chicago on

If he is almost 9 months old, maybe crawling might be an option. He will be able to use his arm muscles to pull himself up and try very beginning stages of walking. My son did this and he was a walker at 9 months. He got sick of his exersauser and door bouncer. Yes, I had to make sure he was safe. But this worked the best for us.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.K.

answers from Chicago on

Hi Patty! My son is 11 months old and since he was about 7 or 8 months he has loved his laugh and learn house. There are a ton of activities that keep him interested and help with developmental skills (cause and effect etc.). One of the play modes talks to the child and says "light on, lights off" when the light switch is activated along with a doorbell, window and plenty of other interesting features. A few of my friends have kids that still play with it at 2 years old!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.W.

answers from Chicago on

I have two boys. I would suggest a walker (but only on the first floor and make sure there is no way he can go down any stairs). A jumper in as wide as a door frame as you can find. A toddler size plastic slide and tunnel. We had the castle from Little Tikes (http://cgi.ebay.com/Little-Tikes-Tykes-Castle-Climb-Slide...) and it was great. The plastic doesn't harm them as much as a wooden table will if they fall and hit their head on it.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.W.

answers from Chicago on

Hi Patty!
I have two sons, one is now 9 and the other is 3 1/2. Anyway, I became pretty good at barricading him in the family room, which I can totally see from my kitchen, and just let him roll, scoot, or scale around the room. i would place the toys all over the room so he could find them, and when he got bored, he could move onto the next thing. I still hung on the exersaucer for time out though, for hitting or biting.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.R.

answers from Chicago on

Well, one thing that my son loved where he was still upright was the stationary Jumperoo. He would just bounce in that thing forever! And it lights up & plays songs. We got ours at Once Upon a Child (a second hand store) & I think we paid like $30 for it.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

N.S.

answers from Chicago on

When my daughter got bored with her exersaucer I would just put some other toys on there and also started putting her in the walker. She loved it, there were different toys and she didn't move around too much at first but when she figured out how to move, she loved it even more. You might want to try a walker if you have one, good luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.J.

answers from Chicago on

Our daughter loved the doorway jumper. We just always made sure not to leave her in it for more than 10 or 15 minutes at a time (as recommended). She also loved the Fisher Price (don't remember what it was called) doorway thing? with lots of activities. We put the exersaucer away for awhile then brought it back out and she enjoyed it some more or if you have a friend or playgroup with similar ages kids see if someone wants to trade for awhile. I know for me it was a lifesaver when I was in the shower. I usually just put different toys around the edges. Oh, and also one of the longest usages toys we got was the Leap Frog activity table. She used that at different times until recently and she'll be 3 in October.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.A.

answers from Chicago on

The jumparoo is amazing and keeps kids entertained for hours, really exerts their energy, and helps build their motorskills as they learn to jump and balance by using their toes and arms, it was a lifesaver for our active son...it's worth every penny.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

B.M.

answers from Bloomington on

Maybe alternate it with other toys etc...our DD loved her saucer and was happy in it until almost almost 2...she didn't sit in it all the time of course but it was fun for her...it was just one of many places she played in...ours had so many cause and effect toys and had over 15 things...they don't make it anymore and I've found the newer saucers not as interesting...my kids also loved their jumpers!

B.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.G.

answers from Chicago on

Hi Patty i agree with some posts about the leap frog learning table it is great and your son can lean on that and the toys on it are very interesting. also if you can hold out until he becomes more mobile a push toy that they lean on gives them some balance and helps promote walking.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.B.

answers from Chicago on

my kids loved exploring by cruising along the furniture, and also their intellitable was a huge hit. not being confined to a "thing" is a big perk once they start being able to cruise, so the intellitable allowed them to pull up and interact but move easily onto something else once they got bored with it.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.B.

answers from Chicago on

Our son spit up alot too, and we kept him upright in a Bumbo next to the Leap Frog Learn & Groove, or the Fisher Price Kick & Play (flipped like a piano). Good for you for keeping your son upright so he doesn't spit up all the time! You are taking good steps to keep your child interested in eating!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.C.

answers from Rockford on

My son is almost a yr and when he got bored with is exersaucer we put him in a wlaker. He enjoyed be able to get around the house and it tought him how he needed to use his feet to get around.

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions