Play Pens

What does everyone think of those wooden play pens?
I'm considering buying one to keep DS safe/contained when he is on the move. Mostly due to our house layout - come in front door to small hallway, large opening on the right to loungeroom, opening end of hall into huge open plan kitchen/dining/lounge area. So basically no doors in this part of the house.
Thought he could play in the play pen when I'm running around doing things & I could extend it across the kitchen when I'm cooking.
Or are multiple baby gates the way to go?
Any thoughts?

I have one for the same reasons you have expressed -- open plan apartment so baby gates are pretty impracticable. It is as big of a space as if I was fencing off doorways etc and she enjoys standing on the edge/cruising around it. I usually have one join left open and only close it off completely if I need to run to the bathroom so she can get out and the curve shape still blocks off the area with the TV and all the cords etc. This works well since my place is small so I can keep an eye on her from everywhere (my laundry is hidden in a bench top along the wall). The good thing about a play pen is you can block off more than just doorways -- TVs, computers, cords, wall sockets etc.

My friend bought me the jollykidz playpen which can be used as one large playpen or 2 smaller ones.

When DD was just crawling i got the small playpen and let her roll around in there. When she started walking she hated being restricted so i used it as a barrier to the lounge room

Then she started knowing how to slide the "gate" open!

Currently it is at mum's house blocking off some rooms when DD goes there but with the playpen being used as barriers you will need something to hold it up or cracks to slide the sides in IYKWIM

Overall, they are quite sturdy and good so will be using them for bub #2.

Oh Yeh, Jitterbug i forgot to mention that I used two of the side to block off our dvd player. Two required to make the gaps smaller.

I resorted to a playpen in our family area - mostly because DH was away for several months and there were times - like getting things in and out the door - that just wouldn't have been safe (too many stairs and concrete etc in our old house). We got a colourful plastic one from Kmart - it had an activity panel - I put a colourful alphabet quilt in there and regularly rotated the toys - DD2 quite enjoyed it in the end. It had a bit of a cubby hole feel to it, and DD1 liked to get in there too LOL. It was put into retirement when we moved to our new house (no room for it) but otherwise we would've got a few more months out of it I think - just play value at that stage.

I used a VeeBee one for DD. It has mesh sides, so she couldn't even stick her arm through, or lose toys easily. It comes as 3 pieces, each with 2 panels - use 2 pieces to make a square, or 3 pieces to make a hexagon. It was fantastic! As the hexagon shape, there is enough length between opposite points for me to be able to completely lie down (I'm about 165cm tall).

And it is also big enough to be able to put the Christmas tree in it to keep little hands away from the decorations!

Thanks for all your replies!!
I dont feel so bad now about using one - when I get one that is. I especially like the look of the vee bee!!

I had and still have a big square playpen it's like a port-a-cot. It was so handy while I did things in the house. Like you my last few homes have been open plan so gates aren't something that always worked. So normally while I cooked and did jobs my kids would go in the playpen. And this bub will need to go in there to as I can't keep a bub out of the kitchen with gates.

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Thanks for all your replies!!
I dont feel so bad now about using one - when I get one that is. I especially like the look of the vee bee!!

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WE have the vee bee- very cute, easy to assemble -