Choosing the perfect baby play mat for your baby. A baby play mat is a must-have item for every child. This can be the perfect place to house a new baby and offer them an alternative to cots, Moses baskets, or bouncer chairs. During the first few months of their life, a baby learns a great deal from what they see around them. A baby plays mat can provide a stimulating environment for a baby that can introduce colors, sounds, and movement. There is a huge array of baby play mats on the market so which one is the best choice for you?
Some factors you may want to consider are as follows:
- Do you have room to keep the mat out all the time or do you want to be able to easily store it when the baby goes to bed? Many children’s play mats and activity gyms can be easily folded away to put away. At the end of the day so you have room to put your feet up.
- Do you want a mat for the baby to stretch out on or do you want it to have lots of different features for the baby to explore like toys, colors, sounds, etc? You can find products that are large mats for babies to lie on. They are usually brightly colored and made with different textures for the baby to feel. In addition, you can find baby mats combined with an activity gym. They usually have arches with baby toys that the baby can see while sleeping. This type of mat can help develop motor skills as the baby tries to reach and touch the baby’s toys.
- Are you traveling with your baby? Do you want a travel play mat that folds up so you can easily carry it with you? There are some products available that are designed for people traveling with children. These baby play mats are usually smaller than the one you would have for your home. However, they can usually be folded up and zipped into a small carry bag making them very portable and a useful item to take with you.
- Do you want your baby to be able to spend some ‘tummy time on the mat? Many mats have a special cushion that allows you to prop the baby up on their stomach. Tummy time baby mats are usually smaller than normal baby play mats. They design to give your baby a fun place to spend some ‘tummy time. These mats usually have fun designs for the baby to look at and textures for the baby’s tummy to touch.
- Do you have twins/triplets or multiple children who want to play on the mat at the same time? Some extra large play mats are available that have room for multiple children to play together.
- Most play mats are washable but this may be something you should check before buying
Baby Play Mat – Perfect for keeping your newborn’s attention!
Are you one of those stay-at-home moms who need to keep your baby safe and entertained while you work? Well, why not consider looking at baby play mats available in the market? These mats provide the perfect environment to keep your baby safe and entertained while you continue to work at home.
Baby mats usually make of very soft and cushioned material. Which makes it very comfortable for your baby to either lie still or roll around and play. Most of them make in many colors and designs. But some are more complex and made with attachments and rattles. Attract the attention of babies while they lie there.
Parents are often surprised at how calm and entertained their children are when they are on play mats, and it often confuses them! However, you really need to think about how much work you can get your child to do while entertaining them on their mat.
An additional feature of some brands of baby play mats is safety. This comes in the form of safety barriers made of soft fabric that line the four sides of the play mat. This allows your baby to stay in a confined space if he or she moves around a lot.
Therefore, it would be better if you can identify a baby mat that will suit your baby’s personality and not just your taste. Here are four examples of popular play mats on the market that parents are often excited to acquire for their children:
Baby Einstein Around the World Play Gym by KIDS II. Baby Einstein is a popular name for baby play products. This play gym retails for $59.99
Bright Starts Baby’s Play Place Play Mat by KIDS II. Another popular mat for just under $70.00
Tiny Love Super Mat by Tiny Love Buy. This colorful mat is a favorite of parents and children alike and retails for around $39.99.
Infantino Twist and Fold – This is a simple activity mat for babies that folds easily for travel purposes. It retails for around $39.99
Baby play mat definitely provides the perfect opportunity for you to keep your baby safe and entertained while you work at home. There is really no need to carry your baby while you complete your work-related tasks at home. They will stay completely entertained and protected on a play mat.
A baby playmat or baby floor gym?
Being a new mom means entering a world full of products and terms that most of us didn’t even know existed. Products such as baby floor gyms and playmats. To the novice, these product names may seem interchangeable. They don’t. Not really good.
Defined playmats and floor gyms
Ultimately, children’s play mats and gyms fulfill the same need. They provide a clean, soft surface on which children can play. A child’s playmat is just that: a mat on which children can play. They can be made from foam (think of those cute interlocking foam tiles you see at daycare centers) or fabric.
Meanwhile, baby gyms are much more complicated. While fabric play mats may have crinkle toys and other textured fabric attached to the edges. Gyms usually have toys hanging from overhead arches. Toys vary wildly – rattles, teethers, lights, music, plastic, plush and mirrored. Some baby gyms are even interactive in that the child can activate lights and music through motion or by pressing appropriate buttons.
Things to consider
When trying to decide between buying a baby playmat or a baby floor gym, you should first consider your own needs. Because baby play mats are designed to provide a soft surface for babies to lie on and play on, a play mat may seem unnecessary in a home filled with wall-to-wall plush carpeting. Homeowners like this can use a floor gym to keep their kids stimulated without affording a mat.
However, parents should also consider whether they need all the stimulation that gyms provide. If a work-at-home mom is looking for a safe and quiet place for the baby to play next to her while checking her email, a playmat can be a good option.
Parents should also consider their child’s age and needs when deciding between baby play mats and gyms. Very young children may be overwhelmed by the number of toys and variety of sounds that accompany a baby gym and may thrive with fewer distractions.
At the same time, however, a room covered in foam tiles—while great for protecting tumbling toddlers—will rarely give that young child the stimulation he needs. Most parents like to find a middle ground by using just one or two of the gym accessories that their child seems most interested in or buying a fabric playmat with a few simple crinkle toys attached.
Conclusion
Don’t worry if you’re still not sure how to tell a baby playmat from a baby floor gym. Both deliver the same result: safe to play anywhere. What’s more important is that you think carefully about which of the many products on offer best suits the needs of both baby and parent.
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