Significance

• Increasingly, parents just don't have the time to always hold their babies and walk them around or otherwise interact with them. Besides, children need something other than their parents to keep them entertained. The baby bouncer and baby gym were created to fulfill these needs and give baby something to do while giving parents a little time off. They are also great educational activities that give the baby some exercise as well.
  
  

Features of a Baby Bouncer

• A baby bouncer provides physical activity for the baby and helps strengthen the muscles of the legs, arms, back and abdomen. Some are just simple harnesses that attach to a door frame and allow the baby to dangle his legs down and bounce. Others are more like elaborate recliners that allow the baby to rock or bounce and play with toys at the same time. Some baby bouncers even play music for the baby; others vibrate, rock or glide back and forth. Most bouncers have a maximum weight capacity of about 30 pounds.
  
  

Features of a Baby Gym

• A baby gym is often an activity center situated above a mat or inflatable base. There are curved bars that extend up above the child when in a laying or sitting position. These bars have different items hanging down for baby to interact with. Examples of play items include mirrors, stuffed animals, rattles and other toys that encourage motor development. Baby gyms can be used with infants who are just a few weeks old, and toddlers and even some preschoolers find activity centers engaging. Some gyms have straps to help keep the baby in place if she starts squirming around.
  
  

Major Differences

• In most cases, both bouncers and gyms have toys to encourage baby's development, but this is where the similarities end. A bouncer is more of a seat for the child to sit or lay in and promotes bouncing and physical development. A baby gym is geared more toward cognitive development and fine motor skills, like manipulating objects of different textures or learning to recognize himself in the mirror.
  
  

Other Considerations

• Both items are useful for teaching your child about different things. But if your primary aim is to strengthen your child's core, a reclining baby bouncer is probably your best bet. If you want to give your child practice using his legs, a hanging baby bouncer is ideal. For cognitive stimulation and fine motor skills development, a baby gym is most likely what you should choose. All three serve different purposes, so if you can afford to give your child experience with all of them, you will be stimulating your child's growth in an accelerated manner.