Good Playpen

**Cat Herder** · 07-10-2011, 02:43 PM

Are you fastening the two zelcro straps on the pad under the playpen on the graco's after it is fully set up?

I have 6 of them currently and the sheets that graco sells (Pack-N-Play sheets) work perfectly with them if you keep those straps fastened securely.

**My Daycare** · 07-10-2011, 02:54 PM

Yes, but it is still just not right. My new Large Graco one has a big hill toward the middle of it. My Old one has a crease in the middle. It seems like there is an inner cloth material between the wood and the upper material. That middle material is causing the problems because I can't get it straightened out.

I will try to tighten them more and put the sheets on.

**Cat Herder** · 07-10-2011, 03:00 PM

I noticed with my new ones they have 4 folds instead of three like they used to.

Those do bunch up if you have them turned around the wrong way. The straps have to line up just right, it can be very tricky. I have had my fair share of frustration with them, too...

I miss the old pads that were much less quilted. It worked better for daycare...

Now everyone wants them to be more like bed mattresses so it makes it harder for us to find them that fit our regulations..

Have you looked at the new portable cribs that target is carrying to meet the new daycare requirements? They are still in the $100 range, too.

If I have to buy more, that is my next choice.

**My Daycare** · 07-10-2011, 06:59 PM

Thanks for your help. I think I will work with the new one I have for a while and try to move it around and fix it up.

I'll check out the portable ones at Target for the two new ones that I need to buy. I wonder if the walls are as tall as playpen walls.

**DaycareMama** · 07-10-2011, 07:56 PM

Originally posted by Catherder

I noticed with my new ones they have 4 folds instead of three like they used to.

Those do bunch up if you have them turned around the wrong way. The straps have to line up just right, it can be very tricky. I have had my fair share of frustration with them, too...

I miss the old pads that were much less quilted. It worked better for daycare...

Now everyone wants them to be more like bed mattresses so it makes it harder for us to find them that fit our regulations..

Have you looked at the new portable cribs that target is carrying to meet the new daycare requirements? They are still in the $100 range, too.

If I have to buy more, that is my next choice.

Can you please post a link to the new one at target your speaking of I would love to take a look

**Cat Herder** · 07-11-2011, 03:50 AM

Originally posted by DaycareMama

Can you please post a link to the new one at target your speaking of I would love to take a look

I am not all that great with links and type them freehand...but this link is crazy long and complicated...

It is called a Delta Fold Away 3-In-1 Portable. It has gone up $10 in the last 3 months when I first researched them. They are now $119.

They have also received alot of great reviews, so I bet that is why the price went up. They seem to be very popular, now.

Anyway, I did grab a photo...THAT i can do...

Attached Files

**AnneCordelia** · 07-11-2011, 05:03 AM

I have a mix of Graco PnPs and the Cosco brand playpens. I use the graco PnP sheets on both and if the sheets aren't fitting properly then I use child-size suspenders to hold the sheet on underneath the pad.

I got 4 sets of child-size suspenders from a yard sale years ago and knew they'd come in handy!!

**nannyde** · 07-11-2011, 05:08 AM

Can You Fix The Mesh On A Play Yard? - Daycare.com Forum

https://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26310&highlight=jmason

Daycare Center and Family Home owners, Directors, Operators and Assistants should post and ask questions here.

This is what's happening with infant equipment. It's getting sized down to the point where you have a small window of use. This is good for the manufacturer because it decreases the window of time of use thus decreasing the chances of recall, lawsuits, problems. The bigger the baby the more damage and wear to the product. If they size them down to only fit small babies who are not mobile or barely mobile then they will have made their money and not be fearful of their product being used for the bigger more agile and destructive toddler.

There's a lot of current thinking that kids over the age of one should not be in any kind of confinement. The kids from age 12 months and up are usually the ones to tear up the equipment (mesh, side rails, mattress pad, velcro attaching the mattress pads, etc). If they can make them small enough that the kid can get out of them at a young age then their product isn't being used during that time AND they get to sell you ANOTHER product for the one and up age group.

Even my fave JMason company did this. They sized their safe surround play yards down so much and cheapened the material so much over a period of a few years that they took away everything that made them great. I'm SO glad I purchased a full stock of the first few generations of them to cover the rest of my career. They take up some real estate in my storage but they are worth every penny. They easily work for a kid up till 3 to 3.5 years old. I've never had a kid climb out of them.

They are (IMHO) as safe as any one piece of confinement equipment could be. The first couple of generations of them they made were with excellent stitching, vinyl, mesh and they are a whoppin 26 inches deep. They sit just an inch off the floor so the fall zone from the top rail should one topple over is just 27 inches. They are built on tension poles and they do not have a collapsable railing. All the horizontal railing on the top is flat with no rises so that kids can use the corners as a post to wrap their arms around to get out. The horizontal railing is fixed.

The base of them is thick heavy duty vinyl that is durable and can't be torn up. Other than their safety tags that are stitched in and the velcro swatches that are there to secure the mattress pads ... there is no stitching on the interior that the kids can sit and pick apart. I just remove their product information off of it (takes about an hour or so to remove it stitch by stich) and I don't use the mattress pads that came with them. I have the kids sleep directly on the base.

I would hate to have to buy current equipment. There's nothing really out there that I know of that is deep and sturdy. I wish JMason would put their original product back in production. They were expensive but SO worth every penny. http://www.fantasytoyland.com/elfacplayyar.html

**Crystal** · 07-11-2011, 07:08 AM

I just ordered two of the cribs that catherder posted, except I ordered cherry wood. They should be here this week, I will let you know what I think about them. I didn't used to use cribs or play pens, only moses baskets, but with my puppy and an older group now I went with cribs for safety.

**DaycareMama** · 07-11-2011, 08:44 AM

Thanks Catherder!

**Crystal** · 07-11-2011, 09:32 AM

Originally posted by Crystal

I just ordered two of the cribs that catherder posted, except I ordered cherry wood. They should be here this week, I will let you know what I think about them. I didn't used to use cribs or play pens, only moses baskets, but with my puppy and an older group now I went with cribs for safety.

BTW, I ordered from WalMart with free shipping to the store/ I pick up.

Good Playpen

Good Playpen

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