Finding a play yard for your baby

A play yard an essential baby item for every mom or mom-to-be. Not only will a well-made play yard be fun, safe, and educational for your little one, but a play yard will buy you some free-mama time. For example, a play yard buys you some time when you need to cook dinner, toss in a load of laundry, or you know, have a shower! They are also the perfect portable and safe place for your baby to sleep when you are traveling or visiting relatives. The bassinet provides a secure sleeping environment for your baby who has not yet begun sitting up. Once they get older, the bassinet can be easily removed allowing a great spot for your older baby to play or take a nap. The play yard easily folds up to fit in your trunk, leaving plenty of room for your stroller. One perfect play yard for your new baby is the Fisher-Price Rainforest portable play yard. This adorable rainforest playard comes with six different musical rainforest selections, fun rainforest friends who hang overhead in a detachable mobile, rainforest twinkling lights and a nightlight. Baby-friendly features include a removable changing table, removable bassinet, plus ample storage for diapers and other baby essentials. I love all the options; you won't even need a separate bassinet. There's a carry case for easy travel, and even wheels on one end so you don't break your back when you need to move from room to room.

Safety information:

• Babies who can climb out of the playard should not use it. This playard is meant for babies under 35" tall and who weigh less than 30 pounds.
• Changing table for use by baby less than 25 lbs.
• Bassinet for use by baby less than 15 lbs.

 For a detailed checklist on play yard safety check out the US Consumer Product Safety commission’s play yard safety checklist.   Special thanks to Fisher-Price for their contributions to this post.