Everything You Need to Know about Baby Play Mats and Activity Gyms
Our aim is to provide you with all the help and information you need before choosing the ideal baby play mat for your little boy or girl.
What sizes are available? What is the most popular material and style? How do you clean a baby play mat? Should you buy a combo mat and play gym? Which mats are the most durable? Are play mats safe?
These are just a few of the questions we’ll be providing answers to in order to make it easier for you to find the perfect mat for your little one.
A play mat is a great addition to any household with a baby or infant and it will certainly provide a feast of fun and excitement – but it’s so much more than just a play thing.
A play mat has the potential to enhance a baby’s cognitive, gross motor and visual development, as well as encouraging essential physical activity in the early stages of your little one’s life.
• Fun time for your baby • A break for parents from baby duties
• Healthy exercise for little ones • Aid to cognitive development
Many mats come with a range of motifs, cartoon characters and other visual attractions to capture the attention of babies and infants – some, for example, have houses, roads and other traffic features on them so your little boy or girl can push a toy car around the mat. A railway track printed on a mat is another choice which lets an infant push a wooden train and carriages around the track. An airport, farmyard and zoo are other popular themes.
Some mats feature large interlocking alphabet jigsaw-style letters or numbers sections, while some grab baby’s interest by featuring a range of animals including rabbits, dogs, cats, pandas, monkeys and farm animals.
Our site store features an impressive range of single section foam, fabric or rubber play mats and play rugs, activity play gyms, canopy mats and also play mat and gym combination products.
We’re confident you’ll find a play mat or rug to meet the needs of your little boy or girl – options range from basic and cheap foam mats to deluxe mats adorned with letters, numbers or favourite children’s characters to help with your little one’s learning skills.
We also have dedicated pages on where you can read about the various types of play mat, the benefits of owning a play mat and get tips and advice for choosing a play mat.
Babies and infants need plenty of stimulation to encourage the development of their co-ordination, dexterity and imagination – a baby mat has a role to play in all these key areas of development as they improve their ability to think and make decisions.
There are different types of baby and toddler play mats to choose from so you should take some time to decide which one’s right for your child – there are dozens of styles available and we’re confident you’ll find a mat here that meets your needs.
Mats Come in Many Shapes, Styles, Materials and Sizes
Soft and safe padded play mats are ideal for baby boys and girls who love to lie on their tummies, with their legs kicking and arms waving in the air. Your little one won’t go short on exercise when they get down to some serious fun on one of these comfy, but durable, mats in your home.
Play mats and rugs are available in many different types and sizes – which one is best for your baby naturally relates to the age of your little one – is your baby at the crawling stage yet? If not, an activity play gym mat is probably going to be the best option for you at this stage.
You’ll find play mats and gyms for sale in just about every high street or online store which stocks toys and baby care products – Argos, Tesco, Amazon, John Lewis, Mothercare, Asda, Ikea, Early Learning Centre, My 1st Years, Not on the High Street, Aldi, JoJo Maman Bébé, Ikea, Smyths Toys, eBay and shopping giant Amazon all sell top quality mats for babies, infants and toddlers.
If your baby is very young and not quite ready to use a traditional play mat yet, there are several excellent introductory alternative products including tummy time play mats, prop pillows and tummy rollers.
If you only want a mat for a few months, then maybe a cheap one may be suitable for your needs. However if you are thinking longer term, you really need to consider buying a deluxe mat made from top quality material that will stand the test of time and last until your little boy or girl grows to the infant and toddler stages.
A cheap and basic play mat or travel mat will cost around £5 to £15, but you can expect to pay a lot more for a luxury large foam play mat, or a fun-packed baby gym, decked out with a range of little toys and hanging play things.
These mats provide a great opportunity for parents to develop the bonding process with their babies – mum and dad can sit alongside baby on the mat, encouraging their little one during these exciting play sessions.
The portability of these fun mats and gyms is also a very appealing factor – most of them are lightweight and can be rolled up or folded and stored in a mat bag which comes with the item or travel bag, ready for moving to another room or putting in the boot of your car for a visit to see a friend or relative with your child. Most activity play gyms can be easily folded down also.
Put Safety First When Choosing a Play Mat for Your Child
Babies and infants love to roll and toddlers like to tumble – it’s all part of growing up. But, of course, it’s important for parents to know their children are playing safely and their heads and bodies are at no risk of injury. Therefore you should always choose a play mat that meets the necessary safety regulations to ensure your little wriggler, or acrobat depending on the age of you child, is playing on a mat with a soft and safe surface.
A damp cloth is generally all that’s needed to clean up stains on most play mats and a drying cloth will sort out any spills. Many mats are waterproof and some have been designed for indoor and outdoor use.
Most mats are large enough for a baby learning to roll or crawl or the toddler pushing a car and other toys around their mat. Infants and slightly older children will find a mat is a good place to sprawl out with their colouring crayons and books.
Some mats come with an activity gym on top of them which offers even more mental stimulation for babies and infants. These activity gyms provide countless opportunities for young minds to be engaged. The combination of lights, music and bright colours creates stimuli that are known to aid in a baby’s mental development.
There’s certainly no shortage of themed mats for children, based on a range of cartoon, book and movie characters – Winnie the Pooh, Peppa Pig, Minnie Mouse, Thomas and Friends, In the Night Garden and Pokemon are among the most popular. Others feature various pets, wildlife, farmyard, safari and zoo animals.
The sights and sounds of a gym mat help to engage a little baby’s mind, and the overhead arches and dangling toys do the same to help aid its physical development. While lying on their backs, babies can reach up and touch, spin, or grab the plush toys clipped to the arches above their head.
These activity mats often include mirrors which allow babies to discover themselves, as well as the sights and sounds around them. Tummy time can prove a real feast of fun and enjoyment when you place your little boy or girl on an activity gym play mat.
A brand new mat will sometimes smell of the plastic packaging it arrived in, so always air it out well before placing your child on it. You could even wipe it down with scented water to make it smell fresh and welcoming.
Whether you’re looking for a small, medium, large or jumbo sized mat, you’re sure to find a suitable one here. Leading brand names include Fisher-Price, Mamas & Papas, Bright Starts, Lamaze, just4baby, Ustide, Big Tree, VTech, Surreal, Mamas & Papas, Mothercare and Baby Einstein.