Category: Parent Talk
I just started on my baby registry about two months ago and I discovered something rather disconcerting. The playpen has become extinct. I picked out the crib, the changing table, the dresser, the glider and ottoman, the basinet and the stroller. I then went looking for a playpen. To me and to most of those I have spoken with who remember the playpen, it is a squarish structure with sides made of netting with metal x-shaped supports holding it up on at least two sides, a thin hard floor, perhaps of plywood or particle board, with a pad covering it, no top, and a heavily padded rail around the top edge with a strong metal rail at it's center beneath all of the padding. They were short, with the top rail coming perhaps up to an adults hip, and they folded easily to be moved from room to room. They usually came in bright-soft colors like yellow, pink, blue and green and they were relatively inexpensive. Well, in the main baby furnature stores they no longer exist. They have been replaced with playyards. Now, I have nothing against playyards: they're quite nice, but I want my simple, inexpensive, functional old playpen back. Playpens might cost forty or fifty at the most, whereas playyards cost upwards of a hundred and usually run closer to one hundred and fifty. Playpens maybe weighed two pounds to five pounds when folded up: whereas playyards weigh twelve to twenty. I am probably off on those figures of weight measurement, probably under-estimating, but the ratio I've given should be accurate. Playyards have a lot of extra features, but the basinet and the changing table cover those functions quite nicely. It is basically a play pen, but smaller, more of a rectangular shape and with higher sides, perhaps to an adult's ribs. It has an attachment so that an elevated basinit type mattrece can be hung inside the top of the unit and lowered to several positions as the baby gets bigger. It also has an attached changing station that folds out and rests across the top of the rails shortwise at one end of the unit. Like a basinet or a playgym it also has a toybar or mobile. Many of them also have an auning or shade similar to that on a basinet or a stroller. As I said, nice features, lots of them, but much more pricey and complicated. Also they tend to come in darker, more somber colors, although that could simply be the style this year. The sails lady told me that if I want a playpen I'm going to have to hit some garage sails and hope for the best. The only other thing I could find that was remotely similar was a metal adjustible structure that sets on the floor and has no padded bottom, only whatever your floor happens to be made of, no netting, no padding, just metal bars. Frankly it looks more like the ex-pens I used to put my puppies in and I wouldn't use it for my child. Can anyone relate to this annoyance?
Hi. I have seen the playyards that you are talking about. For my nephew, my sister bought a Pack 'n Play. It's pretty much just like a playpen. It's not as high as the playyards, and it sounds like what you are looking for. You can find them anywhere, from Wal-Mart, Babies r Us, Target, etc. Some of the Pack 'n Plays do have more features, such as the ones you find on the playyards, but you can also get a basic one, that acts as a regular playpen. Hope this helps.
Hey there. My daughter is 14 months old now and is currently in her play pen. lol We didn't buy the usual play pen. We bought something that looks exactly like you described. It's called a travel cot. It folds up nicely and you can bring it on trips. It's just everything you're looking for. It's on wheels as well and has breaks for them. Hannah has fun playing in it and we brought it when we went camping in a trailer. So, try looking for a travel cot. Let me know if you need more info. Hope this helped.
Lizzy
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that the Pack 'n Plays have wheels as well, so it makes going from room to room much easier.
I really, really, really miss the playpens too!
My nephew is using a pack and play, and they are easy to use and move. I liked it when we had him on Saturday...Though the first time I had to unfold and fold it back up was a pain because I'd never done it before. Though, I do remember the simple play pins. But, I guess as we progress the simpler things are going to disappear.
Well, my little guy is an absolutely savage, and I don't think a pack 'n' play would withstand his fury for very long :-). Also, they are just not large enough for a very active 13-month-old who wants to explore. I suppose playpens were phased out because they reminded people too much of cages...
I can certainly understand the caged impression. There are different sizes of Pack 'n Plays, though, if you're interested in getting one. I've seen small ones that don't seem like they'd be much for a little one who needs room to play, but I've also seen some fairly good sized ones. My sister has one of the bigger ones for my nephew, who is seventeen months old. He doesn't go in it that much anymore, since he's now walking and running, but when he did go in it, it seemed to be room enough for him.
All of the pack and plays at babies r us were grouped with and looked exactly like the playyards and they had tuns of features and were very expensive. Even though we're registered at babies r us I'm going to look for pack and plays on other sites and maybe I'll find the simpler, cheaper versions. Hmmm, I'll google travel cot, although that sounds to me like an UK product, not an US product. Hell, if it is I can always order one online even from the UK or another country. I know a woman who ordered her stroller from Germany and her front pack carrier from Britain. It's nice to be able to register all in one store, but perhaps this is one of the limitations of baby registries that I will have to work around. Thanks for the feedback.
The Pack 'n Play that my sister got, only cost around $50. You'll definitley have to do some shopping around to find out the different prices, but they're out there. It's nice that they're sold at multiple stores. It helps when price comparing.
i don't know if you have something like walmart. i know they have the old plain play pens. we were shopping the other day and a lady was asking don't they do just plain play pens anymore? hehehe anyway, she said all she sen was the pack and play, she then shouted out here's what i'm looking for. so i take that as she found one. heheheh don't know if that helps.
If you aren't opposed to having used items, I'd check Craigslist.org for your city, and just buy a used play pen.
I know the world is changing, but I didn't know that extended to baby things, too! Kind of depressing.
I'll have to mention this to my sister though; she's expecting her first baby in May. I wonder what she got for this purpose.
Gosh! haven't seen a boring ol' wooden playpen for oo, 15 years now, not since my Aunt had my own playpen for Joe, now nearly 16. This was just a fairly shallow square pen with a 2 Ft high wooden railing round the edge with rounded corners and this plastic mattress thing where the baby plays inside it. I don't think we had much need of it for me either, as I just go so, so much attention from everyone in my family as I was just so special to them, lol. I also had the run of our living room, our hall/dining room area and both my bedrooms upstairswhen I was a toddler. It was the same at my Grandparents house as well, they just let me check it out.
I don't think Joe's sisters, now 10 and 13 and Robbie, 10 months have ever been in the playpen. They were all just happy to either sit on the floor propped up by cushions and pillows playing with stacking toys, rattles and things. With Robbie though, I don't suppose a playpen would go down very well. He loves his freedom, so Lou's just going to have to put baby gates up at the top and bottom of the stairs, across the kitchen doorway and outside in the garden to create safe playzones for him since he's managed to climb all the way upstairs when he was 9 months old. He'd probably just wipe the floor with the playpen and either gum it or pull it to bits, lmfaolmfaolmfaolmfao!
Jen.
I didn't realise that playpens were on the way out. Oh, it'll be a sad, sad day when the last one of those is made. I'm all for giving babies freedom, but it's nice to have somewhere contained for them when you're cleaning the house, especially hoovering, when you can't hear them until they scream because you've just knocked them over. We had a travel cot for most of the cousins when they were small. It's just like a playpen, only the sides are made of netting and the top rail is well padded. It was about 3 ft high, meaning it was great for toddlers as well. The kids loved it. Because the netting was soft and pliable, one of their favourite games was to run from one side to the other, bouncing off the netting and being knocked onto the soft matress.
Hmm, thinking about it...All my nephew did in his pack and play was sleep. The rest of the time he had the run of things. Though, a baby gate or two would be nice...Hmm, just things I'm going to have to work on for having our own. Anyways, it was great for him to sleep in, but he didn't play in it, and thinking about it...I don't like the little room there is for a one year old to play...Just doesn't seem enough to me.
My daughter still goes in her playpen when I need to get stuff done. She mainly stands in it throwing all the toys out of it one by one. lol She's 14 months old and won't be able to use it much longer. No more rest or baby free house chores for me. lol
My nephew didn't use it all that often, unless someone was cleaning, and he needed to go in it for a while. He played around in it, and sometimes fell asleep, but most of time, he had the entire room to play in. Now that he's walking, everyone uses the baby gates. They're definitely handy.
Hmmm, I haven't ever seen a wooden playpen. I take it they're pretty old fassioned? Well, to those concerned; I certainly wouldn't keep my child in there most of the time. It would be more for when I am vacuuming, sweeping, cleaning the bathroom, or for when we take the baby to someone else's house, as many people who do not have kids of their own have no idea how to properly baby proof. I also want one so that we can take the baby camping and not hold them or leave them in the stroller the entire time. Setting the baby on the grass would be fine, but most camp sites are mostly dirt covered in pine needles and you can't put up baby gates in the woods. lol I'd really prefer not to get one used, but if I get desperate enough and can't find one at Wallmart, Kaymart or Target I may have to resort to Creg's List or garage sales. I also have three cats and a German Shepherd, and my mother will probably have a Shepherd as well by the time I pop so it isn't practicle to leave the very young baby sitting on the floor with a couple of toys and some pillows propping them up. God, the playpen chrisus is sort of averted, now it's time for the nipnap chrisus. rofl
Ok, how about a 9FT sq playpin? It appears to be the size of the older ones(or nearly I think), and I liked what I read...LOL, you've gotten something started around here. If your interested, it's at BabiesRUs, and it's called "Graco Pack 'n Play in Bugs Quilt Totblock". Hope that helps.
As others have said, you might have to resort to a used something.
have you searched on ebay?
www.ebay.com
You might be able to find someone who **makes** them which would be even better because they would be new and still cheap, :).
If you've already done this I'm sorry but you didn't mention it so I thought I'd suggest it.
I'm curious, now.
I think i'm going to go look just for fun!
:)
On a totally off topic note, congratulations!
Do you know if it is a boy or a girl and what you're going to name it?
De Candy Man
My daughter's crib is big enough that I just sit her down in it with a bunch of her toys while I get stuff done. It works for us.
Oh, and since we're on the topic of play pens being phased out, I'd like to share that so are regular standard cribs. Now, you get all these fancy schmancy 3-in-1 or 4-in-1 convertible cribs. Arg! LOL. We got a 4-in-1. It's supposed to grow with your baby, first converting into a toddler bed, then into a full-sized bed. I'm forgetting something, but yeah. You get the idea.
-- Allie
We did not think of Ebay, but I think we will, if only to get some brands to look for, and possibly to purchase via the site it's self. I will have to go back to babies r us and ask about that spacific model; thanks. They didn't have anything like that out on the floor, but that doesn't mean they don't carry it. Thanks again, will check into that. I do not know the sex of the baby yet, but we should as of the eleventh of this month and I will post that when I find out. As for names, we have some ideas and i might post a topic for that later, once I know the sex since that will be only nine days from today. I know what you mean about the crib. We picked up a product guide which helped a bit, but was very intimidating. I was thinking, "hmmm, what wood would I choose? What other pieces will come in the set I pick? Do I want an antiqued look or an art deco look?" Then I looked at the product guide. Good lord. Single drop side cribs, double drop side cribs, anckle press drop sides and shin kick drop sides, three position mattress or four position mattress, porta-crib or regular, cradle or basinette, standard or convertable. It is truly insane, but that's a topic for another day.