If you’re a normal first-time parent, you may very well cry the first time you meander into a baby supply superstore. You’ll be handed one of those gift registry guns and set loose into unknown territory with no one to guide you. You’ll spend hours wandering aisles of safety gear, unheard of numbers of bottle and pacifier types, and toys that all seem very similar to unfamiliar eyes. As discussed elsewhere on this site, two such toys are the floor gym and the play mat. Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’ve already settled on purchasing a playmat instead of the gym. If so, here’s our guide to three of the top playmats on the market.
This gem of a mat is a full 59 x 59 inches, one of the largest sized playmats available and certain to provide your child plenty of space to play – even after they start to crawl. The quilted fabric is not only soft but beautiful with vivid pictures to keep your child occupied. Best of all, the mat folds nicely into an easy to manage shape for transport and comes equipped with carrying handles. Because it’s made of durable material and has this handy transport feature, the Tiny Love mat is ideal for indoor and outdoor use and will make a welcome accessory for any picnic. One fairly major drawback may be the mat’s washability. Such a large play mat may prove a challenge for smaller sized washing machines and trips to the laundromat may be necessary.
The Edushape combines the easy clean-up of foam mats with the entertainment value of fabric ones. While most foam mats come without any toy accessories, the Edushape mat includes one mirrored tile as well as musical foam flowers. Babies will love gazing at their reflection and playing with the interactive music while parents will love spray cleaning any messes that may occur. Additionally, at almost an inch thick, this mat will provide plenty of soft cushion should baby take a tumble. However, as with any foam tiled mat, this one will prove difficult to transport.
This fabric playmat is beautifully patterned on both sides and babies will love seeing the images change as the mat is moved. The fun textured fabric sewn along the edges will provide lots of tactile play as small babies slowly explore the world around them. This mat folds into a fun “play triangle” and is great to keep children occupied on road trips or in their cribs. However, if you’re looking for a large mat to serve as play area for your child, the IQ Baby Busy Bee, at only 14 x 14 inches is not going to be the best pick.
Also on the market are excellent mats that are constructed so they can be rolled up and taken when one goes elsewhere. baby mat
ReplyDelete