Fun pod? Any good? Waste of money?

[treehugga]

My wee tot (18m nearly) is keen to join in cooking, washing up and other worktop-level mess making. I've seen these Fun Pod things. They look like a chair wrapped in cardboard packaging with the top open so that young uns can stand on them safely and join in high level activities (ahem, making banana muffins). At the moment my LO stands - rather wobbily - on a chair and I pray she won't fall off. Should I just wrap said chair in cardboard packaging until it gets soggy, or should I spend £100+ on a registered trademark item made out of wood?

i sat child on worktop if too wobbly to stand. then on step stool thingy.

funpod looks daft.

Personally I think a tripp trapp chair is a more long term functional piece of furniture which you can still use in a similar way. my ds found his really good to use for reaching work tops at a similar age and still uses it daily at 4.

Thanks fishie - I have same doubts about daftness, but maybe they're just genius?? Could never sit C on worktop because (a) worktop too small and knives too close, and (b) child too wriggly/ignorant about falls. Will consider step-stool and tripp trapp FTG (though already have good & adaptable highchair so don't really want another one).

Also here is less confusing pic of Fun Pod. Has anyone actually used one and thought they were good? I see it is just in shot at MyDaddyCooks blog, which is inspirational in all other respects.

We have one and like it but have recently taken to using it as a substitute naughty step (having no actual steps), giving the name a Joy Division-esque ring of menace. DS still likes it though. We got the wooden top as well so it is like a tiny kitchen island when not in use, very handy.

It is probably very handy for about 4-6 months, I looked at them but once DD was 2 she just stood one of her little IKEA chairs. She stood on a proper chair before then but I always had to be near her. You are never going to get them to stand in it for hours on end so I don't think its any hardship just a normal chair.

I don't think I'd say it was an essential, but it works for us.

Our normal chairs aren't safe to stand on anyway; plus they are the wrong shape/size to be used as a step stool for DS without getting in my way in the kitchen.

Also, DS has always been extra-daring and wriggly, so the containment aspect of the pod (which he thinks is enjoyable -- he "hides" in it and pops up) works for us and means I am not constantly worrying he's about to fall/overreach himself and grab a knife/whatever.

I'll use it again for DC2 and if it was taken away now I'd really miss it, so it's worked out for us -- it is expensive, though. We bought it as our first birthday present to DS (toys came from everyone else!).

I made one out of scraps of wood - cost: free!

if you cat me I'll send you the pictures!

They achieve a very good second hand price on ebay when you get round to re-selling it (been trying to find one for ages on there!)

i did baking stuff with dd at teh table. and she had a tripp trapp.

it is a god awful waste of money.

It worries me more that the LittlePod Highchair can be used for "weening" .

Oh its the coffin thing again

They need to learn how to do these things safely. I sit at the table with my nearly 2 year old to do things like that, with my 4 year old he kneeled on a chair but now stands on a step stool my 6 year old doesn't want to do it any more

what is the worst thing that can happen? they fall off a chair adn howl?

snort @ coffin

if it was £20 fair enough waste your money and move on but 159 quid, i am genuinely outraged

I think it is probably safer to stand on a chair or a bench or stool than in that fun pod.

I like the idea of it being used as a naughty step though - "Stop that Farquar or you will go in the pod"

You can et a lid for the top [evil cackle]

well his name's not Farquar but I have been known to say that I'm not proud ...

Whatever, sorry if you think it's shit but we quite like it!

I read all the MN joshing and general hilarity and still got one (off ebay though, so nearly half price, plus was with a birthday cheque) and I love it, so there. DD is only 16 months so not at the baking stage yet, but she will sit in it happily for ages with toys rather than emptying all the cupboards and having to be supervised. Basically for us it is a very small, very expensive, playpen, but it works so far and I'm sure we'll enjoy wholesome baking activities together when she's older

Sorry too frivolous on a serious thread.

I looked at them once at a baby fair. I am sure my DCs would have climbed out of them or tipped them over - yes I know they are designed for this not to happen - but my DCs are quite inventive with finding ways to injure themselves. So we just use kitchen chairs instead, less far to fall!

You don't need it, you just think you do

Get some wooden steps from Ikea or a Tripp Trapp (we have both) and find something else poncey to spend your cash on

FWIW, we have a tripp trapp too that someone gave us later on (tbh, I have always regarded that as more poncy!). It's great, but DS does clamber around on it like a gymnast and tries all kinds of balancing & climbing from it to the counters, falling off frequently (and that's just at mealtimes...).

Doesn't seriously hurt him of course, but I do like having the option of something more stable if we're doing messy/fun stuff at the counter. And wooden steps are fine but probably not from as young an age -- DS used his pod to stand and play at the counter for short periods from about 1 year, when steps wouldn't have really worked I don't think.

You can't justify it that's why

DS2 was standing on the steps in the kitchen from about 18mths without incident. Both boys now prefer to push their tripp trapps into the kitchen to clamber up like steps.

There is no way a Tripp Trapp chair is more poncey than a Fun Pod!

We have one and love it, have been using it for nearly 18 months, DD is now 2+4. Use it for all sorts of kitchen activities, doing washing up, cooking, preparing dinner, plus she loves to play hide and seek in it. It adjusts to her height so really think it would be hard for her to fall out of. We use chairs from time to time but she prefers this as she has something to lean on.

Someone left a child in here!!