Joovy Spoon
When our daughter turned 6 months, a new era began […]
When our daughter turned 6 months, a new era began in our household. She started eating solids and became extremely mobile, crawling and wanting to stand constantly. Gone were the days of low-key playing on her activity mat. Her stationary bouncer provided a good 10 to20 minutes of entertainment, but she was clearly ready for something that would allow her more mobility. That’s when we knew it was time for a walker. We decided to give the Joovy Spoon a try for its duel functionality; it’s part walker, part highchair. It’s essentially a walker with an extra-large tray that doubles as a place for your baby to feed or snack. It quickly became a fixture in our household.
The Spoon arrived almost ready to go, straight out of the box. The only assembly required was attaching the the seat pad, which only took a few minutes. The seat has three different height positions and can hold up to 30 pounds, so it can grow with your baby.
At 6 months, our daughter is just learning the basics of standing and stepping with our help, so it was fun to watch her scoot backward in the Spoon at first, not quite mastering the forward walking motion. We know it is only a matter of time before she learns how to walk forward, and it’s nice that the Spoon can help her practice this skill. While lightweight, the Spoon is extremely sturdy, and we feel completely assured that she is safe, thank to the ultra wide and stable base. The seat pad is super comfortable and supportive (and machine washable!). And you can’t beat the simple and stylish design. It is definitely one of the more aesthetically pleasing entertainers in our household.
The Spoon has an extra large tray that can be used for meal/snacktime or for playtime (the removable tray insert can be wiped clean in a snap, or thrown in the dishwasher). We absolutely love the large tray and fill it with all of her favorite toys. We rotate her toys out regularly, so that she never gets bored. She will walk around a little, stand still and play with some toys for a bit, and then move around a little more. Often, she will throw her toys off the tray, and we are stuck picking them off the ground for her, but we know that’s just her way of exploring and interacting with her surroundings. She’ll watch as she drops a ball off the tray and follow it as it rolls across the room.
I have found the Spoon essential for getting quick things done, especially in the kitchen/dining room area, as it keeps her entertained and within eyesight. She is less fussy if mom is within eyesight, so this affords me a little time to cook or wash dishes while she plays. She is too active and alert for her bouncy seat now—she wants to be mobile and standing upright, with the freedom to move around! Another secret use for the Spoon: providing extra time for me to pump in the morning! I found it almost impossible to keep her in one place and entertained while I pump, but when she is in her Spoon, I know she can’t crawl somewhere dangerous or out of site. It keeps her in one place while still letting her be mobile as she moves around the room where I pump.
We haven’t used the Spoon for feeding time as much yet, as she is still new to solids and you kind of have to sit on the ground to feed her (since the Spoon sits close to the ground). However, I can definitely see us using it more for feedings in the future, when we start giving her little finger snacks. Sometimes we will give her a food pouch or a water cup that she can sip out of on her own while she plays in the Spoon.
Although we typically keep the Spoon in our kitchen and living room area, where we have wood floors, it is very lightweight and folds flat easily, should we need to travel with it or move it to another room of the house.
Given the Spoon’s duel-functionality, and our daughter’s constant need for mobility, we are so happy to have the Joovy Spoon to keep her content. Retailing for $99, the price point can feel a bit high, but I think it is well worth it, given the fact that it provides safe playtime for our daughter, freedom to move around, and affords me additional time to do quick things around the house (in the same room as her of course!).
Price: $99
To buy: joovy.com