Is a play yard worth it?

Question

I am working on my baby registry. I see a lot of people say they have a play yard. I was wondering if it is a good buy? I don't have a very big house and I think it takes up a lot of room. My mom said when I was young I never used it. I just would cry in it and try to climb out. For her it became a toy bin. Did you like yours? Do you recommend it?

Answer 1

Well we used ours as his crib. So it was essential for us:)

Another plus is if you need to take the baby over to someone's house he'll have a semi-familiar, safe place to sleep.

So we didn't really use it for play, but for sleep.

Answer 2

We only used ours when our children were infants and could fit in the bassinet portion. It was nice to have a place to lay down the baby without having to worry. But we never used it much after they grew out of the bassinet.

Answer 3

YES!!! I got one that had a bassinet that could be lowered for the play yard. Most valuable baby item I bought hands down. He can play in it, sleep in it when we go camping so he's not on the dirty ground, and he loves it. When I'm making dinner he can be in there, or cleaning. Its a lifesaver for me. It also has a changing table.  

Answer 4

We have a pack -n-play.  It's great we take it everywhere.  If you stay away front your house.   It makes a great place for naps and  nights.

We really started using ours around 6+ months.  Take it the beach or a cook out!!

Answer 5

Well, yes, because the baby will have somewhere to play and have a good time. You don't have to get a big huge one, but big enough for your baby to move in. And don't worry, your baby won't go all monkey on ya and climb out!!! But when your baby grows out of the play yard, you could turn it into a garden, or a patio to sit out with your friends. Hope this helps.

Answer 6

I have used Emma's, but not in a traditional way.  We pack it on trips for the motel (although you can rent them).  I take it if we are going to stay at someone's home all day for her to nap in.  When we go in our camper, it is her bed.  A couple of times I have put her in it outside.

Answer 7

They're nice to have because you know your baby is safe and you can get some things done.  

Answer 8

Are you going to be traveling places with your baby where there won't be a crib or other safe place to sleep? If so, a play yard is a great thing to have...most have removable bassinets for the early months, and some even have detachable side changing tables.

We used ours instead of the crib for the first month. We have a small house, also, and we set it up at the foot of our bed. It took up a giant amount of room, however, so we quickly transitioned her to the crib. It still goes wherever we go when we'll be somewhere for an extended period of time...say, longer than 8 hours or so. It's a safe place for her to nap during the day or sleep at night when we're not home. I don't know how much we'll use it when she's mobile, but it has already proven itself useful in her short life.  

Answer 9

I absolutely recommend it!  It can be very helpful when you need to do something, like cleaning or cooking and you want to make sure the baby is safe.  Eventually he/she might learn to climb out, but it will be helpful before that happens, and to be honest, mine didn't try to climb out.  I made it a ritual that everyday at the same time I would put them in there.  They got used to it.  I made sure to have toys in there and switched them out every so often.  Good Luck in your decision.  

Answer 10

Play yards are DEFINITELY worth it. It's somewhere where your baby can take his/her naps, and you can just use it to put them in it if you need to get some things done around the house. Plus they're handy for travelling because you can fold them up and just load it into your car. They come in all different sizes, the one I had for my daughter when she was first born was made by Safety 1st, and that was a good size for her up until she was maybe 9 months old. My brother gave me the one that he used for his daughter then because it was a little wider and it gave her a bit more room to move around without feeling constrained. I only use it now to put her in for her naps because she's walking now, but they definitely are a must-have!

Answer 11

I use mine constantly.  It's where he takes his daily naps and where I put him down to play throughout the day.  Whenever we travel anywhere, it comes in handy too.  Or if you just want to sit outside set it up next to you and baby can also enjoy the outside.  I love mine and don't know what I would do without it.  It is such a lifesavor, especially if you need to clean, wash bottles, do the dishes etc, you can just put baby in there and not worry

Answer 12

One thing that wasn't mentioned was that if you have a 2 story house, going up and down stairs isn't easy after you give birth.  So having a play yard with the bassinet and change table on the main floor really helped!  And it's good place to put them in quickly when your bladder decides it's going to empty itself before you get to the toilet!  Which does happen after giving birth!  I wish someone told me that!

Anyways, I do recommend one.  

Congrats!  Good luck!

Answer 13

We use ours in our living room for naps and love it.  We also use it when we travel with her.  we didn't want a big one so we got the Evenflo minisuit..it is the perfect size for us!

Answer 14

I have worked in child care for 22 years and for the last 8 years in my home. The only time I use a play yard is in the yard before they are able to crawl. Once they are able to crawl they get to crawl around the yard. I would say if you travel a lot then they are great to have for your child to sleep in, otherwise; I wouldn't even bother.

Answer 15

The only time ours gets used is as a portable crib when we stay in a hotel or grandma's house.  For that its been essential.  I wouldn't go way overboard on one with tons of bells and whistles if you plan on using it sporadically.

Answer 16

It is so worth it.  You can use the bassinet feature when the baby is sleeping in your room, it's also great to have if you have her spend the night at grandma's.  My oldest can now climb out of it if she wants to but we still use it at my mom's house and now as my newborn's bassinet in our room.

Answer 17

Play yards are well worth it until they get old enough (3-4) and start climbing out of it. I had one for my children and it came in handy for the first year or 2 but then it was pretty much just an area to store toys. So it's up to you.

Answer 18

I never used one for my 4 kids.  I just was careful and made sure that things that could harm them was up high.  I also tried to keep them within my sight at all times.

Answer 19

I suggest one if you plan on traveling (makes for a make shift crib and safety area at other's homes who aren't baby proofed....also we started keeping ours at my moms bc we visit so often...it gives him a place to nap in while we're there. We used ours the first month at home and then packed it up for traveling.