For every parent, nothing is more important than watching their child grow and learn new skills by playing and examining the environment. If you want to create a safe play area for your baby while providing educational value, then you have to buy a foam play mat. The best play mats and the best baby gyms combine these two characteristics and will help your baby develop his essential skills and protect him from injuries.
What is a baby play mat?
It is a sheet of cloth or rubber that is used to place it on the floor in order that children find a comfortable and safe place to play, crawl or walk.
There are two types according to their manufacturing materials: foam and cloth.
Those made of foam give the baby a great cushion to protect them from bumps on the floor. They are the best for when they still do not walk. They are usually light and easy to clean. They are very sought after because they provide greater stability in the movements of the child.
On the cloth mat, you can also find a good side. They are softer than those of foams and more practical to transport. For your hygiene, you can wash them by machine.
Benefits of baby play mat
For starters, the children’s rug allows toddlers to have fun, to fully develop by developing their motor skills, their tone, and their sense of touch.
In addition to physical and motor growth, as an awakening mat, the baby floor mat also allows the baby to evolve on an intellectual level.
Besides, the patterns, games, and toys that accompany the baby foam mat come in different sizes and colours that vary depending on their age.
By crawling on the mat, your child can play safely thanks to the non-slip with a soft appearance.
And finally, by using the rubber mat as a children’s room rug, it acts as a protective mat against humidity and cold, especially if the floor is made of tiles or cement tiles.
Why buy baby play mat?
On the market, there are different models of baby play mats that you can choose according to your needs. These accessories have many advantages for your toddler. The child can, therefore, learn new things while having fun.
The play mat is useful for teaching your baby to crawl and roll. He will be tempted to follow different noises, such as the sound of the rattle (one of the equipment of the awakening mat). Apart from the tone produced by this toy, the rattle can also be effective in distracting your child.
By leaving your baby on the play mat, he will observe the world around him and he will become familiar with it. The baby can play on a play mat from the third month.
Different types of playmats?
The play mats can be classified under two types. There are the traditional playmats made from foam and those in fabrics, and the modern classification the activity mats with and without arches or porticoes. In the first distinction, the foam training mats have always had the merit of being more comfortable than those in fabrics.
A major fact makes the difference between the two carpets, the size of the baby. Indeed, the fabric awakening mat is more suitable for babies during the first two months. At the start of the third month, the foam mat, whether modular or not, turns out to be more suitable for the baby’s morphology and well-being.
On both sides of these distinctions, the two rugs are washable. Regarding the second classification, the preference between awakening mats with or without arches and porticos is very subjective.
Nevertheless, it is necessary to say that the rugs without arches and porticos offer a lot of space and give the parents the opportunity to play with the baby. But the carpet with arches and porticos is more practical at the picnic where the portable usefulness of the carpet and the ability to put up a mosquito net are essential.
How to choose the best playmat?
Always consider the following aspects:
Comfort
The padding made with soft fabrics is the most recommended to ensure full comfort of the child. They tend to be the favourite of some children because in addition to playing they use them to rest.
Anti-slip
Look for those that have rubber elements that serve as a grip, so there is no danger of accidental landslides.
Colours
It is an element to be taken into account always in the mats because both colours and textures contribute to the child’s visual stimulation and touch. Fortunately, we can find multicoloured designs.
Size
Since there are different sizes, take into account the place where you will commonly use it. Select a practical one that serves to provide a cosy space for the baby.
Easy to store
The best ones will be those that you can fold and store with ease. Those that are assembled and disassembled quickly are also very functional.
Material
Make sure that it has been manufactured with good quality materials without toxic elements because it is the place where the child will stay for several hours in a row.
Easy cleaning
It is an aspect that you must always keep in mind to avoid contaminating the area. Look for those waterproof options or whose material can be cleaned continuously with water and mild soap. The cloth ones, you can usually clean them by machine as many times as necessary.
Thickness
The thickness will be a determining factor in the level of security that we wish to provide. If the child does not walk yet and is starting in the process, it is best to be thick and allow a good cushioning in case of falls or slips.
How to clean foam play mat?
The baby play mats made from foam are the most difficult to maintain. They are maintained differently from other types. To take care of it, you have clean it by hand. So take a basin filled with water and add soap and not harsh detergent which may damage the surface of the tool. Then rub the whole with a soft brush. Rinse everything to finish. Just spread it out in the open air and under the sun to dry it. The use of any device is prohibited.
What is the best baby play mat?
The details always make a difference and to know which is the best option it is important to specify the qualities that will allow us to guarantee the welfare and good development of the child.
Because it is an article that independent of your brand must comply with several elements, I summarize some tips to consider:
- It must be easy to place and store
- Its surface has to be washable so that it can be cleaned constantly.
- If it is elastic better because the fabrics will adapt to any surface.
- The colours and textures are also an element to consider. Find the most attractive for your baby.
MQIAOHAM foam baby play mat
This model is an excellent option for parents who want to have their children controlled in a limited space or want to use it in a traditional way to give them more play space.
They stand out for their smooth rounded edges that look like waves when they work as a fence and facilitate cleaning without recesses when used as a carpet. In addition, its vibrant colours and shapes arouse children’s interest. It helps the development of the imagination through stories or songs for its fun shapes, which invite you to create a world of illusion. Also, since each piece is a puzzle in itself, it fosters the development of fine motor skills.
As more technical aspects, it should be added that its materials strictly comply with the toy safety standards regulated in the United States and in Europe, so it does not contain any toxic component.
To avoid shocks and isolate the baby from the ground, it has been manufactured with a 1 cm thickness that gives it flexibility, durability and enough protection.
But its use does not end with 2 or 3 years. Older kids will love to be barefoot at ease, dance, cartwheel, or play.
Eco-friendly Kids Play Mat Dwinguler
To start your child crawling or exploring the elements that surround it, you can choose this rug that has been designed with robust and natural materials in order to create a safe and pleasant play area. It is hygienic because it cleans easily.
BodenMax Puzzle Play Mat
This puzzle play mat is perhaps the thinnest on the list, but it is undoubtedly one of the most functional. The design, illustrations, comfort and insulation from the ground are optimal. The rug consists of 18 tiles, it offers a plastic texture that many children will find very pleasant.
Padded play mat – LuBabymats
It is a fashion model because it allows you to build a safe area in any corner of the house. They are rubber frames that are assembled and stored with great ease. The 18 pieces will allow you to compose different shapes. The anti-skid quality is guaranteed because it is rubber padded pieces.
Two-Sided Play Rug Baby Vivo
This ecological rug will allow you to create a comfortable space for your little one to start crawling. Also, it will help you design an area to develop your first skills on the ground. It is a product of good quality and one of the largest in this comparison.
Extra large children’s play mat Skip Hop
The softness and safety offered by this mat for children is its greatest strength. In addition, it is very practical because it is armed according to your needs. It is perfect to protect children from germs, insects and bacteria. Its unisex design allows it to be given to any baby.
Tiny Love baby play mat
It is a carpet recommended by buyers because it brings figures, lots of colour and textures that arouse the child’s interest. Some use it for outdoor walks because it will allow the child to play with more protection. It is simple, economical and durable. You can roll it up to transport anywhere.
Foam Play Mat -SMART LITTLE BEE
There are 36 pieces that you can easily assemble in any area of the house. It is one of the most modern options because it allows you to build corners and a small barrier that will prevent the baby from crawling or doing his activities outside the play area. It is foldable and water resistant.
TLCmat Soft Alphabet Puzzle Play Mat
In the fourth position, it has been decided to bet on the TLCmat brand and the classic multicoloured puzzle mat with 36 alphabet letters and numbers from 0 to 9. This feature makes it a didactic toy, apart from fulfilling its main functions: isolating the baby from the floor, protect it from possible falls and take care of the house surface from the knocks of toys. It is suitable for all types of surfaces, very easy to use and clean, and quick to mount.
The experts warn, however, that having so many small pieces that make up the set, it is not easy to move from one place to another because it is easily disassembled, so the best way to change its location is to separate each tile, pile them up and carry them in a package.
Dads will have a great time with this interactive and pedagogical mat that helps teach letters, numbers and colours.
To summarize and taking into account the opinion of the experts, this puzzle mat is the best in quality/price, complete, functional, safe and educational.
This puzzle is made of soft, comfortable, extra resistant and waterproof EVA foam.
Skip Hop Playspot Bold Brights
The Skip Hop Playspot Puzzle play mat is the perfect addition to tight spaces. It consists of 12 pieces of 1.4 x 1 meter that is placed together, separated, or with other of the brand to turn it into a larger puzzle. Its design awakens the senses of the little one and helps him to enjoy and notice the shapes and colours of his padded play area. The dads and their children will have fun assembling and creating different sketches. Its connecting pieces unite the squares, and the central circles are interchanged to create a multitude of colour combinations.
That the baby plays on a Playspot puzzle is synonymous with reliability since, unlike other models that have only passed the safety tests for children over 3 years old, this one has been designed, tested and manufactured for babies from 10 months with high-quality and soft Eva rubber. To wash it, all you need is a damp cloth or mild soap and it will look like new. It is recommended not to use abrasive products because they can eat the colour.
In short, it is a safe puzzle play mat with a very modern and contemporary design.
