is it necessary to invest in a play yard?

Not necessary per se, but a good-to-have. My cousin has a play yard for my niece to play in. My cousin would keep most of my niece's toys within the play yard so that there is less clutter around the house. She sometimes joins my niece in the play yard. With a cushion and a book, they could comfortably have a reading session and some quality mother and daughter time. My niece is used to playing by herself in there, my cousin often could do some household chores without having to worry about my niece's safety.

Not really. Before my baby can crawl, i just put him on a mattress while his siblings play/read near him, so my baby won't get bored easily. When he starts crawling, i prepare a playroom for him, make sure no choking hazards around and floor is matted and clean. I have 4 kids already and so far this method works well with me :)

No, it's not really necessary. If you can create a safe environment for the baby in your house, you can easily skip this product. However, keep in mind that creating that environment requires a lot of planning and probably removal of certain items that adults use on a daily basis, e.g., the coffee table with sharp edges.

Not a necessity but it really helps life out. Generally you should only use it when baby is above 6 months and it should only be used for a short period of time. Remember to always keep an eye on your baby as much as possible, even when she's in the play yard .

No, it is not necessary but it is quite convenient for you as compared to the baby because you would know that baby would be safe inside it and there will nothing around that could choking hazards.

No. I find it a total waste of space. And my baby doesn't even want to stay inside. I rather get a play mat.

I used a play pen instead. Much softer if baby bumps against the mesh.

big no for me. waste of time. I'll rather go with a bumper pad.