When we had the older two we lived in a small flat in London where we actually really didn’t have enough room to swing a cat! So much so that Bollo the beast cat had to go on permanent sabbatical to my Mum’s house so that we didn’t have to worry about him (there was slightly more to it than simply not having enough room, he didn’t get his nick name The Beast from nowhere)! And lots of fun things for the kids to play with were just a clear no from the start due to their size! Even though I was often offered to be sent things so that I could write about them I had to turn them down knowing that we simply didn’t have the room to accommodate! One such thing was a giant bouncer for a baby to sit in and enjoy freedom of movement before they could actually move while playing with toys. They were all just SO big and imposing there was no way I could have made one work. I staunchly kept my resolve and they simply had to bounce in a doorway bouncer instead – which kind of always worried me a bit! I’m sure they’re perfectly safe but I could never QUITE relax for fear of them falling down with our rickety old architrave…
Anyway… Fast forward to now and instead of a two bedroom flat in Leytonstone with no garden, we live in a five/six (one’s a music studio – get us) bedroom house with enough room for twenty cats. Though we absolutely won’t be getting any more than the two we already have – they are quite the nuisance it turns out no matter how big your house is! And this also means that baby Raffie doesn’t have to bounce in the doorways… I was kind of reluctant still to get something big and imposing like a baby bouncer but I knew that he’d love it and after seeing the Jumpscape Foldaway Jumper on the Skip*Hop website I really wanted him to have it. Luckily for us we were gifted one for a review and I have to say… Yeah, it IS big, but it’s flipping amazing! AND, as the name suggests, it actually folds down flat so IF there ever comes a day when we don’t want it out (Can’t see that happening at the moment truth be told) then we can flatten it and shove it under the sofa… That’s what I do with stuff I don’t want to see so if you ever come to my house please don’t look under there!
And since it’s been built Raffie has gone in it every single day. I HAVE flattened it, just to see if it will fit under the sofa (the toys come off and it just about does you know) but we have left it up because it’s one of his favourite places to be AND it affords me a good half an hour while he plays in it. He’s not QUITE big enough to reach the floor properly enough to bounce (someone on Instagram told me to put a cushion under his feet and that works) but he just loves being upright and playing with the 5 key toys on it! The mirror is easily his favourite – well wouldn’t it be yours if you looked as cute as him!
At the moment we rotate him around as he’s not quite strong enough to do it himself but the seat will spin 360 degrees so that each toy can be found and when he can jump up and down easily one of them is even a jump counter so that Mummy can watch how many he does!
I don’t regret not getting one before as our flat really wasn’t big enough, you DO need some space for this one, but I adore having it for Raffie and am just glad that we are lucky enough to have quite a lot of room. The joy Raffie is getting from this toy is beautiful to watch as well as handy enough to let me get the washing out of the machine or other boring things that have to be done but which babies don’t like you doing! I love how colourful it is and how each toy is different and provides something new for the senses. It’s well thought about!
There’s also a couple of jangly leaves on the jumper which might be the only flaw… They come off too easily and I’ve no idea where one has gone but aside from that it’s pretty darn everything you’d want from a toy like this including the fold-away aspect, that it’s wipe clean and also that the elastic jumpy cords can VERY EASILY be moved along a bit under the seat (5 positions) to make it a bit higher up as they grown. Not anywhere near needing to do that yet with our little legs but good to know it has longevity! There’s also a parent reminder you can set to track the usage but for me I just like to use it where I can see him for now.
Need any further convincing then just take a look at this face!
The SKip*Hop Jumpscape Foldaway Bouncer was gifted to me for the purpose of an honest review. It is suitable from 4 months and costs £139.00 in John Lewis.
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