Wooden Activity Arch and Baby Gym – Jungle

Wooden Activity Arch – a baby gym you won't want to hide when guests arrive

A real-wood arch with three hanging toys — crinkle fabric, wooden chimes, and Vincent the elephant as a little maraca that detaches. It gives a baby on their back something to look at, bat at and eventually grab, and it's suitable from birth.

👀 First they look, then they reach

In the early weeks the arch is something to focus on: three shapes hanging still, then swinging when a foot catches them. Batting arrives somewhere around two or three months, first by accident and then on purpose, and that's how a baby works out where their own hands are. Because the toys sit at different points along the arch there's more than one target, and the crinkle and the chimes mean even an accidental kick gets a result.

🐘 Three toys, and one that comes off

Worth being clear about: the toys are fixed in place. Only Vincent, the little elephant maraca, detaches — and he's the one who gets shaken independently later on, long after your little one has stopped lying underneath the arch. Nothing else can be unhooked, which means nothing to lose and nothing to rehang at the wrong height.

🌿 Real wood, and PVC free

It's made from real wood rather than plastic tubing, which is why it looks like a piece of nursery furniture instead of something to be tidied away before visitors arrive. PVC free throughout, UKCA and CE certified. It also means the arch will outlast the phase it was bought for and can be handed on.

🐯 Part of the jungle family

It belongs to Little Big Friends' jungle range, alongside Gina the giraffe, Tim the tiger, Jackson the lion and Vincent himself — so the arch, the pram spiral and the comforters all look like they came from the same place. Our guide to the whole jungle collection runs through what each piece does.

• Real wood arch, PVC free, UKCA and CE certified
• Three hanging toys: crinkle fabric, wooden chimes and Vincent the elephant maraca
• Vincent detaches for independent play
• W66 x H48cm
• Suitable from birth
• Encourages focusing, reaching and grasping
• Adult assembly required — no tools-required flat-pack drama, but it's a one-off job
• Looks like nursery furniture rather than a plastic gym

• Size: W66 x H48cm
• Materials: real wood, soft-touch fabrics, PVC free
• Suitable from: birth
• Includes: three hanging toys — crinkle fabric, wooden chimes and a detachable elephant maraca
• Assembly: to be assembled by an adult
• Safety: UKCA and CE certified
• Range: Jungle, by Little Big Friends

❓ Frequently asked questions

Can you swap the hanging toys?
No — they're fixed, apart from Vincent the elephant maraca, who comes off. If you want to hang your own toys from it, this isn't the arch for that. What you get instead is nothing to lose and nothing that can end up hanging too low.

What age is it for?
From birth. Newborns use it for focusing and tracking; the reaching and batting follow from around two or three months, and it stays in use until they'd rather roll away than lie underneath — usually somewhere around six months, by which point Vincent carries on alone.

Does it need putting together?
Yes, an adult assembles it, and once it's built it stays built — it isn't designed to fold away between uses. Worth deciding where it's going to live before you start.

Does it come with a mat?
No, the arch is on its own. A padded mat underneath makes both back-lying and tummy time far more comfortable — our padded play mat does that job.

Is it noisy?
Only when your baby makes it noisy. Wooden chimes and crinkle fabric, no batteries, no electronic sounds, and nothing that goes off by itself while you're trying to leave the house.

How do I clean it?
Little Big Friends don't specify a method. We'd wipe the wooden parts with a barely damp cloth and spot-clean the fabric toys by hand — not soak them, and not put anything in the machine, since the toys are attached to the arch.

Why choose wood over a fabric play gym?
Two reasons people give us: it lives in the room without looking like equipment, and it's sturdier, so it doesn't sag or shuffle across the floor. A fabric gym is softer and packs smaller — a fair trade-off in either direction.

Is it a Montessori toy?
It's very much in that spirit: natural materials, one clear purpose, and the baby doing the work rather than a toy performing at them. Our guide to Montessori toys explains what that means in practice.

Does it make a good gift?
It's a proper main present for a new baby — the sort grandparents club together for — and it earns its keep for months rather than weeks.

🐘 More from the Jungle range

The arch is the one for a baby who isn't yet sitting up. Alongside it:

• Jungle Activity Spiral — the same idea for a pram or car seat, so there's something to reach for when you're out.
• Tim the Tiger Comforter — flat, soft and for sleep rather than play.
• Roly Poly Balls — for once they're sitting up and chasing things across the floor.
• Vincent the Musical Elephant — the same elephant, wind-up, for the cot side.

See the whole range in our Little Big Friends Jungle Collection.

❤️ From our family to yours

Carefully chosen products for babies, toddlers and parents. Browse more sensory toys and the rest of the Little Big Friends range — free UK delivery on orders over £25.