Did you use a play pen?

[Lemondrop99]

My 7 month old has suddenly moved from inching to very whizzy commando crawling. I was thinking of getting a play pen so I had somewhere safe to pop him for a minute if I need to dash to the door/pop to the loo/make a bottle etc. Problem is play pens look huge and expensive.

Life saver or waste of money? Any tips for crawlers?!

it comes in more boyish colours too. Cannot recommend highly enough!

I did but it was actually just a gated off end of the hallway. Cheap, safe, and very very useful

We had a big wooden circular one - cost a small fortune and DD hated it - would pull herself up and just stand and cry until someone picked her up.

We preserved for about three months and gave up and sold it on as she just didn't want to be in it. As soon as she could crawl she just wanted to be free!!

I wouldn't buy another one

Yes, had the hexagonal one. Fantastic for having the children near me whilst I cooked without tripping over them or having them climb up my legs.

We used it to divide off sections of rooms by opening it up which it was designed to do.

I think you need to start them off young so that you don't suddenly introduce this huge thing that will confine them.

Thanks Bauble

Friends mother used to sit in the playpen to do her embroidery.

Yes our playpen was used loads. Lots of soft toys in there, you can take it outside as well and even to the beach. Perfect if you need to nip to the loo or keep them safe from ironing etc

I used playpens for both my Dc's because I needed to know they were safe when I needed to do things at home without them. An absolute godsend. The first one I got from Freecycle was huge and needed a lot of repairs to the top but, I did it and it was brilliant. I also got a smaller one - Freecycle again - for my parents who were my childcare when I was at work. Dd is much younger and I had to start over with equipment and got a BabyDan from Freecyle again. No bottom in it but, that wasn't a problem. So, you see they can be free or cheap, big or small but, a blessing at any rate ime.

I used a travel cot with toys in the garden when I was hanging out the washing and things, but DS didn't really like it, he just cried and tried to climb out, so I never bought a proper one.

I use a summer infant pop n play for DD (3 months). We have a dog so it is used just as much to keep DD toys safe as to keep her safe.

It folds up fairly small and we have also discovered we can loosely fold it with all the toys/play blanket inside and store it neatly in the corner. It also has a waterproof base, so good for the garden.

Best of all we got it for half the original in perfect condition off eBay.

had one for twins and dd
made a game out of it and was able to do alot of things
that did not need help from them and still talk and play with them
we would play "ponys" and that was thier corral

I loved mine! It meant they were safe when I needed to answer phone etc.

I bought some special toys just for the playpen that never left the playpen. They were baby and toddler nectar horribly annoying/loud/flashing lights/ cheesy music etc My little ones cried because they wanted to stay in !

Brilliant, had a big wooden one. (They have become unfashionable for the same reason that all children now have "rights"!!!!!!! and are now allowed to behave badly)

Try a second hand travel cot. Then you wont waste as much money. NO WAY my kids would have gone in a play pen and not screamed the house down

I had a Lindam Hexagonal one as well and found it really useful when I needed to do anything and need my DD2 safe. Like pp I kept loads of toys in there so it was useful and she never minded going in.

We had a Lindam hexagonal one too, but usually had it shaped as a rectangle as it fit our room better. TBH, the preschooler usually used it to hide from the baby :o but I did use it if I needed to leave the room, or to keep the baby safe/contained outside while I was playing swingball or something with the older one.

I bought one second hand
Used it in the bedroom for when I was showering. I have a town house and didn’t have stair gates apart from one in living room on second floor
Useful yes but only as it was second hand and I sold it again

We had one for Ds and it was great! Put a ball pit in the bottom of it and used it for when I was cooking etc. He used to sit in and watch postman pat and throw balls out at me

We made a playpen from cot sides, that my Dad found in a skip. The cots themselves weren't useful but the sides made a very nice playpen, and we hinged them so that it folded up flat.

It was brilliant! I did go a bit PFB and get an inch thick foam mat for it as well, so that DS1 wouldn't bump himself, which was covered in a sheet.

Used it for both boys - had toys and cushions in there and they used to even nap in there sometimes. Stopped using it when they were able to climb out by themselves... (around 18m)

Yes - we have one of these (www.<a class="break-all" href="https://amazon.co.uk/Cannons-Plastic-Playpen-Station-Panels/dp/B0187OS47Q)?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-parenting-3240858-Did-you-use-a-play-pen" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">amazon.co.uk/Cannons-Plastic-Playpen-Station-Panels/dp/B0187OS47Q) and it has been probably my best baby purchase (esp for safety given that we have a lot of stone floors/exposed stone walls). Sturdy, strong, big enough to roam in, and entertains the little one. Wouldn't be without it - allows me to take a shower without worrying that he's sticking his fingers in plug sockets/eating something he shouldn't.

We didn't have one for DS as our rooms were way too small but with DD it's been one of the best things we've purchased (we moved between children). DS was happy to be contained within his Baby Bjorn chair (even when he became mobile) but DD has hated it from the day she was born! We bought a fold-up playpen and it's great. We can have it out when needed and just pop it in the corner when it's not (think of a slightly larger camping chair). It can be used outside on the grass due to the material it's made from and DS (6) can get in it with DD (1) and play together - he wouldn't be able to do that in a travel cot.
It's this one;
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00PC74BLU/ref=asc_df_B00PC74BLU52309155/?hvlocphy=1006501&linkCode=df0&hvptwo&psc=1&hvnetw=g&hvadid=255727574598&creative=22110&hvpone&hvlocint&creativeASIN=B00PC74BLU&th=1&hvpos=1o1&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl&hvqmt&tag=mumsnetforum-21&hvtargid=pla-420901377839&hvrand=12452508198903686380
Definitely shop around as you can get it much cheaper or do what we did and bought it second hand (unused!!) for £15 (check eBay or local FB selling sites).
Personally I couldn't be without it and it makes life so much easier.

I often see playpens advertised second-hand, I'm sure you could pick one up cheaply.

I didn't have one but always wished I had, by child number 3 I didn't think it was worth getting one.

What kit is useful to whom depends on your circumstances, I visited a friend which a very happy baby whizzing about in a walkers with wheels - she had a large open plan area with wooden floor, ideal, although these aren't much good for small rooms or carpet.

My most useful piece of baby kit was one of those doorway clip-on bouncers which all 3 of mine absolutely loved. I could pop them in there and chat to them while I hovered, peeled veg, etc. I used to move it around the house to whichever room I needed to be in, and could even have a quick bath while they jumped up and down giggling. (My 3 were all early walkers and wanted to be held upright/walked about - this freed up my hands so I could still get things done).

Thanks everyone! Hadn’t expected so many replies, really helpful.

So the majority seem to think they are helpful. I’m really not sure what to do

I like the idea of just using a travelcot as he’d only spend a few minutes a day in it and it would double up as a functional travel cot. But the cot is big and bulky and I’m not sure I’d want it taking up floorpace to only be used for very short periods during the day.

I like the pop up ones. I like that they fold down to store, that we can take it with us (say to the grandparents) and use it in the garden (we also have a large clumsy dog). But I wonder if folding it up and down would be a bit faffy. Say the doorbell goes and these couriers don’t hang around, plus I’d need a clear toy free bit of floor to put it down on.

I had dismissed the idea of the large permanent plastic pens, but actually I’m wondering whether to try and put a perimeter around his main play area.

But then actually there’s very little in this room he can harm himself on. I wonder if I just strapped the tv unit to the wall and the tv to the unit, whether the room would be essentially baby proof and I could just put a baby gate up/shut the door to contain him safely for a few minutes 🤔

Here’s his main play space

I used the lindam hexagonal one too. it was necessary for me. DS incredibly fast commando crawler and not content sitting playing with toys and flat with lots of stairs. Happy in playpen for short periods. Not least because he was up on his feet by 8 - early 9 months round and round the playpen holding on with one hand. Friends couldn't understand why I needed one as their little ones quite happy sitting and playing with things - some didn't crawl till late. My DS never sat - I was worried about it for a while. Do what's right for you and your family.

Codswallop, yours sounds like my DS! He’s determined to be on the move and has been from an early age. He started rolling obsessively at 3 months and is now commando crawling everywhere. However he has zero interest in learning to sit up. It’s boring, he doesn’t want to be stationary and will throw himself out of a sit deliberately to get back on his belly. I imagine once he can pull up, he’ll be keen to cruise ASAP, so good point about a playpen being a safe place to practice that.