Creative Child Magazine’s Awards Program is unique in that all products submitted are reviewed by moms, educators and early education professionals. First Toddle® is honored to receive the “2009 Top Toy of the Year Award” in the “Infant/Toddler Educational” category.

One of the primary benefits of First Toddle® is that it can help infants learn to stand and walk and provides a safer environment for new toddlers to practice these vital skills.

Standing and walking are especially important because they change an infant's perspective, improving self-esteem and encouraging motor activity and exploration without having to fully depend on others.

The upper horizontal bars of First Toddle® adjust to three levels, providing a stable framework for older children or children who need a little more support.

The Toy Man® Product Guide (created in 1971) provides an exclusive, credible, independent and unbiased method of evaluating children’s products, awarding “The Toy Man® Seal of Approval” and other exclusive awards. First Toddle® is honored to have been awarded “The Toy Man® Seal of Approval” (2009 and 2010) and “One of the 50 Best Products of 2009”.

The National Parenting Center’s Seal of Approval program (created in 1990) identifies the finest products and services being marketed to parents for their children. This award signifies to other parents that their peers have acknowledged a product’s quality and desirability based on a wide variety of factors.

iParenting.com, a subsidiary of Disney, operates iParenting Media Awards, a premiere product evaluation and testing service. First Toddle® is an honored recipient of an “iParenting Media Award” for 2009 in the “Gear and Equipment” category.

The Mom’s Best Award provides moms with an objective way of determining the “best” products available today on the market for prenatal, infant, toddler, and children. Products meeting certain criteria established by MBA are evaluated by real moms and childcare experts and are recognized be earning the distinguished Mom’s Best Award.

WTS Toy Review awarded First Toddle® with its highest rating – 5-Star Certified – for Ease of Use, Durability, Visual Appeal, Functionality, and Originality.

The First Toddle® Baby Gym is a 5-in-1 play and development system that gives babies a safer environment in which to learn to stand and walk. Emphasizing Gross Motor Skills, the First Toddle Baby Gym stimulates your baby's creativity and improves Cognitive Development. As your baby grows, First Toddle's advanced play features and accessories expand and change to entertain for months and years to come - infant play, stable support for new toddlers, advanced toddler play, and sports. The First Toddle Baby Gym has parallel bars that are adjustable - able to be set to three different heights - 17", 22", 27"- important for infants who need the lowest setting and growing children who enjoy the higher settings (adjustable height also allows for additional accessory use). The First Toddle Baby Gym is also designed to help children with Special Needs. Play-based growth and fun - all in one easy package. Can be configured in 6+ designs. Includes 10 sports toys and accessories.

INDIVIDUAL CATEGORY RATINGS

EASE OF USE  

First off let's say this - First Toddle Baby Gym can be put together in an almost unlimited number of configurations - and Dads are going to love it - because it all goes together easily! With no tools required! And once configured, whether for infant play, first steps, toddler play or a sports center - just step back and let kids do what they do best - play and learn! Designed for infants, First Toddle is a safe place for them to lay and play. And when it's time to learn to walk, First Toddle Baby Gym creates a safe area for them to hold themselves up and walk along. Is First Toddle easy to use? For parents? Absolutely. For kids? Even easier!

DURABILITY  

First Toddle Baby Gym assembles and disassembles very easily - but that doesn't mean the parts and components are made flimsily. When assembled properly, there are absolutely no durability concerns. First Toddle is designed to handle everything your growing child can throw at it - and it stands up to the test very well.

VISUAL APPEAL  

When it comes to visual appeal, we're happy to say this is one of those products where five stars just isn't enough. It's bright. It's colorful. It can be configured in so many different ways - and when set-up it just attracts children - no matter what the age! There are fun toys and components included for babies and toddlers. From a strictly visual perspective First Toddle has it all!

FUNCTIONALITY  

Functionality? Are you kidding? Short of changing your child's diapers and nursing them to sleep, it would be hard to find something else you would want out of First Toddle Baby Gym! Like we mentioned, the configurations are virtually unlimited. And if you choose to work with one of the main set-ups, you have a gym that goes from infant to young toddler to advanced toddler - it literally grows and changes with your child as they grow! Little ones can crawl, reach, explore, pull, stand, step, cruise, walk, turn, kick, play, discover and create with the one toy. How's that for functionality?

One other area of functionality that is definitely worth mentioning is how strong of a product First Toddle Baby Gym is for Special Needs children. With the support and design, First Toddle seems to be the perfect product to help Special Needs children with walking and balance.

COST EFFICIENCY  

If there is one category where First Toddle Baby Gym takes a small hit, it is in cost efficiency. First Toddle isn't inexpensive. With a retail price of just under $150 you are definitely going to be spending to bring this toy home. Now, in its defense, First Toddle will be the only play gym you'll need for your child as they grow through their first three plus years. So if you compare that to the concept of having to buy as many as three or more play pieces, you may be looking at a saving.

ORIGINALITY  

Play gyms and activity centers for children obviously isn't a new item to hit the market, but by combining so many different areas of growth and exploration in one awesome toy, First Toddle Baby Gym is definitely setting the standard. This won't just grow with your child for a few months, it grows with your child for a few years! Put it all together and you have one unique product building on so many of the best parts of really well thought out play gyms and mats.

OVERALL RATING  

Overall we were definitely impressed with First Toddle Baby Gym. Yes, it is expensive. But if you can get past the price tag you are going to be giving your little one a play and learning center that will grow with them for years. It's easy to configure, and definitely easy for kids to play with. It has a super-fun look that will have your kids running to it (after it helps them learn to walk!). And from a functionality perspective, the uses and designs are virtually limitless. First Toddle Baby Gym is one of the most complete play systems you can find for your growing child!