Playpen
Encyclopedia
A playpen is a piece of furniture
in which an infant
or young toddler
(typically those less than 35" tall and 30 lbs) is placed to prevent self-harm when her/his parent
or guardian is occupied or away. The earliest use of the word playpen cited in the Oxford English Dictionary
is 1902. More recently they have also been called "playards".
Playpens were traditionally made of wood
, and consisted of a flat rectangular platform, usually square in shape, with vertical bars on four sides, so that the child can see out. The floor of the playpen is usually a soft mat. The walls of the playpen are usually higher than the height of the child, so as to avoid climbing injuries; playpens may also have a detachable lid. There are many more modern and portable designs.
Modern playpens are portable and typically consist of a basic metal and plastic support system and mesh, soft plastic or nylon sides. An optional removable bassinet
can be attached at the top for the child to sleep in or be changed in until four months of age. Some models have attachments such as mobiles
, side pockets for supplies and toys, and clip-on adapter for CD player for the child to listen to music while sleeping or playing. Portable playpens come in different sizes, but most are expected to be collapsed into a small roll for easy storage and transport.
It is important to ensure the playpen being used is safe for the child. This is especially relevant when the playpen has been bought second-hand
which may have been subject to a product recall
. Unsafe playpens may collapse which could result in (possibly fatal) injury to the child.
Furniture
Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
in which an infant
Infant
A newborn or baby is the very young offspring of a human or other mammal. A newborn is an infant who is within hours, days, or up to a few weeks from birth. In medical contexts, newborn or neonate refers to an infant in the first 28 days after birth...
or young toddler
Toddler
A toddler is a young child, usually defined as being between the ages of one and three. Registered nurse, midwife and author, Robin Barker, states 'Any time from eight months onwards your baby will begin to realise he is a separate person from you...
(typically those less than 35" tall and 30 lbs) is placed to prevent self-harm when her/his parent
Parent
A parent is a caretaker of the offspring in their own species. In humans, a parent is of a child . Children can have one or more parents, but they must have two biological parents. Biological parents consist of the male who sired the child and the female who gave birth to the child...
or guardian is occupied or away. The earliest use of the word playpen cited in the Oxford English Dictionary
Oxford English Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is the self-styled premier dictionary of the English language. Two fully bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989. The first edition was published in twelve volumes , and...
is 1902. More recently they have also been called "playards".
Playpens were traditionally made of wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
, and consisted of a flat rectangular platform, usually square in shape, with vertical bars on four sides, so that the child can see out. The floor of the playpen is usually a soft mat. The walls of the playpen are usually higher than the height of the child, so as to avoid climbing injuries; playpens may also have a detachable lid. There are many more modern and portable designs.
Modern playpens are portable and typically consist of a basic metal and plastic support system and mesh, soft plastic or nylon sides. An optional removable bassinet
Bassinet
A bassinet or bassinette is a bed specifically for babies from birth to about four months, and small enough to provide a "cocoon" that small babies find comforting....
can be attached at the top for the child to sleep in or be changed in until four months of age. Some models have attachments such as mobiles
Mobile (sculpture)
A mobile is a type of kinetic sculpture constructed to take advantage of the principle of equilibrium. It consists of a number of rods, from which weighted objects or further rods hang. The objects hanging from the rods balance each other, so that the rods remain more or less horizontal...
, side pockets for supplies and toys, and clip-on adapter for CD player for the child to listen to music while sleeping or playing. Portable playpens come in different sizes, but most are expected to be collapsed into a small roll for easy storage and transport.
It is important to ensure the playpen being used is safe for the child. This is especially relevant when the playpen has been bought second-hand
Second-Hand
Second-Hand was a 2005 Romanian film directed by Dan Piţa.-Plot summary:The film's plot surrounds the romantic involvement of two contrasting characters: Petre , a Mafioso, and Andreea , a young violin player. The pair meet and fall in love...
which may have been subject to a product recall
Product recall
A product recall is a request to return to the maker a batch or an entire production run of a product, usually due to the discovery of safety issues. The recall is an effort to limit liability for corporate negligence and to improve or avoid damage to publicity...
. Unsafe playpens may collapse which could result in (possibly fatal) injury to the child.
External links
- Playpen safety information from Seattle Children's Hospital.
- Playpen & Gates : Safe Area For Play.