Creating a play zone for your baby

This is how I created a play area for my little one. My parents had gifted loads of furniture for my little one even before she was born (my baby being the first in her generation, at least on my family's side!). Among the lot, was a co-sleeper with a bassinet. Although the bassinet (has wheels and a mosquito net) is perfect for when I have to take the baby with me to other rooms while she is sleeping, the co-sleeper is still too big for her as of now.
So I made a play zone out of it. This below is the cot/ co-sleeper.
It is high enough that I don't have to bend too much while picking her up (my father worries about my back and the height of this cot was the main feature that made him think of getting it!), and is at level with most beds (for when I use it as a co-sleeper later). It has a beautiful mosquito net, making it look fit for a princess (which my darling baby is!)

The sides and the boundaries have nets, so she is visible to me even if the side panel is closed. This panel can fall open as shown. The locking mechanism is very good and even an adult would have a tough time closing and opening it- so, safe for kids even if they push it while inside. But you can also just close it without locking it- which I do for now, when my little one isn't able to push it. I have also rolled the excess mosquito net and clipped it to the bows on either side.

Next, I have placed a large baby mattress that has detachable side bolsters, tied in place with strings attached to the mattress. This mattress can also be place on the floor or on a bed. 

Next I placed upon the mattress a play mat (Fischer Price play and learn gifted by my first best friend ever). This play mat has 4 holders at each corner. 2 can be occupied by a giraffe and a tree with monkey soft toy, while the other 2 hold an arch with hanging toys- a penguin, a crocodile and a dog. These are interchangeable and washable. 

Next for some moving toys and music! I hung from the mosquito net holder, a MeeMee musical cot toy- it plays a soft slow music upon winding the spring. It has 5 rattle toys attached to the strings-a ball, a lion, a giraffe, an elephant and a monkey- taking together all the animals in this set up, I cook up stories for my baby.

There is a dented pillow my saasuma made for my baby and on the other end is a little blanket- for when she falls asleep while playing in the cot.

And here's a picture of my baby laying in the cot!

This lets me stay free to work and lets her get some alone play time. Of course I keep the cot next to me, attached to my bed. She plays with the hanging arch toys and tries to reach for the other hanging toys (the MeeMee cot toy can be lowered to the desired level, keeping in my mind that the toys should not hit the baby in any way).

This same set up can be made on a flat mattress or even on the ground. In your office or on the bed. I live in a village in a large rented bungalow, and that is why I can keep a bassinet, a rocker, a co-sleeper, and a traditional Indian cradle (ghodiyo) in the house. I would not recommend purchasing all of this for those of you who feel you may not have enough space.

All of these items- the furniture, are used only up to a few years, beyond which it will become storage in your house. So do not invest too much in these. However, if you wish to keep it for later use (another baby, sibling's babies, your baby's baby etc.) you can dismantle most of these products easily and can store and transport these in their respective boxes. Do not discard the cartons in which these items are delivered to you without a second thought. You can reuse them later, if you wish.

Another point- we went looking for some toys with light and music- preferably something like a MeeMee cradle cot toy but with light and music, as our baby is now attracted to multi-colored lights. However, most of the toys we found had crude or scratchy music- not so pleasing to the ears when you're used to the excellent audio quality of classical music lullaby that we play on a JBL clip speaker. And the lights were such that it would hit my little one's eyes directly. So we ended up buying a disco light bulb. Which plunges the whole room into lots of different shapes of colored patterns and can even stop her from crying! And as for music- we play it from lullaby apps online.

I do not wish to accumulate toys, despite the great collection you get in toy shops (it's a whole new world there). Because, one day they will end up in a huge nostalgic pile. My suggestion would be to buy few but quality, age appropriate toys-  little research about the type of toys in accordance with the developmental stage of your child will help.

Here are some examples:

• In the first 2 months: Rattles, which are easy to hold for you, and have a sound that wouldn't irritate your ears or the baby's ears
• Up to 4 months: Colored toys with faces and which rattle upon kicking or shaking, from here on you need to see to it that there are no small parts and no small object- pen caps, coins, buttons anything that can go into the baby's mouth, is placed near the baby. Because from here, your baby is going to try and pick up anything and everything he/she possibly can and taste it. Although most babies do not hold things as early as this, but you never know. With great difficulty said toy will be held between two hands and immediately be brought to the mouth. So yeah, keep that in mind!
• Beyond 4 months: 
• Squeaky balls- these are so soft and squeaky that even a light bump with it will produce a squeak. 
• Also, teethers and toys that can be sterilized or washed easily- because without a doubt your baby will be tasting toys by now!