Galt Folding Trampoline

We take Kira to a gymnastics class every week and she loves it. One of her favorite parts is going on the big trampoline, but she's not really able to jump yet. Jumping is a skill that typically emerges around age 2, but since it's great exercise and a good way to have fun on a rainy day, we decided to get her a trampoline for the house.

Since our townhouse is fairly small, we wanted to get something that wouldn't take up the whole living room. We've since sold our house and will be moving soon, but I'm still glad that I will be able to put this trampoline away when we don't need to use it. We ended up choosing the Galt Folding Trampoline. This model has folding spring legs and the handle is removable, meaning it can be slid under a high couch, under a bed or into any tight space.

The trampoline takes some assembly and I would certainly recommend a second person to help you. The hardest part is putting the bungee cord on, since this has to be very tight to give you the tension needed to bounce. Once you get the hang of it it's not too bad, but I would say it took my husband and I about 45 minutes to put this together. The instructions could definitely have been clearer. I have read this complaint about many trampolines.

Now that it's together, we love it. It's sturdy, folds just as it's supposed to, and Kira loves it. She bounces and counts, she makes her stuffed animals and other toys bounce with her, and she even wants baby sister to bounce! The fabric even wipes clean from milk spills and general toddler crumbs. The padded handle is nice, since she has bumped her chin a couple of times.

Since we've had this trampoline, Kira's jumping has improved a lot and she's getting much closer to being able to jump on the floor. This was certainly not the cheapest toy we've ever purchased, but I am sure that we will get our money's worth when it keeps both girls busy and gets them some much needed exercise on days when we can't get out of the house.

Melissa and Doug Jumbo Cardboard Blocks

Building and destroying is huge in our house. There is nothing more fun to my 20 month old than creating a tall tower, hiding her little figures on and around it, then knocking it down. The Melissa & Doug Deluxe Jumbo Cardboard Blocks are wonderful for building and creating all kinds of structures.

 The set comes with 8 large red blocks, 8 medium blue blocks and 24 smaller yellow blocks. As you can see, this is more than enough to create large towers and other structures. The blocks come flat packed, and they do take a fair amount of time to put together. Each block needs to be folded in a particular way. Once constructed, the blocks need to be stored somewhere and they take up quite a lot of space. We have about a quarter of the blocks out for daily use, and store the rest in a box in the basement to be brought out occasionally for more playtime.

What I love most about these blocks is the opportunity they provide for open ended play. Sure, you can just make towers, but you can also create houses, cars, hide yourself or your friends etc. The blocks are also very strong, and can be used as balance beams to be walked on. Kira loves to do this, and it has been great to help her learn to step up and down from different heights. While the blocks are light for little hands to carry, they can cause some pain if they fall from any height. We have to watch out when baby sister is laying in Kira's play area, as falling blocks would not make baby Katy happy!

These blocks have been a great investment, and I know as the girls grow their creations will become more elaborate, and they will help to foster creativity and construction skills.