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. ==History== Playpens were traditionally made of wood, and...... Found on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playpen