Lovevery The Play Gym

Newborn to 12 months. The one big-ticket buy here, at about $150, and the one designed to cover the whole year. The gym has five development zones that let you reveal or hide activities, so a young baby is not swamped by everything at once. It arrives with a high-contrast ball, a wooden batting ring, a cotton teether and silicone rings, plus card sets, so it moves from gazing to swiping to grabbing without new purchases. Materials are organic cotton, silicone and FSC-certified wood with no flame retardants or PVC, and the mat goes in the washing machine on a cold, gentle cycle. If the budget will not stretch, a blanket on the floor and the cards above do the early part well.