You can call it an activity mat or a baby play mat, but either way, it is one of the must-have essentials for your little one. There are so many different types that you won't have a difficult time finding one that suits your family and your home.
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Play mats provide a portable, safe, and stimulating environment for a young child that is much less hazardous than the floor. With the latest non-toxic and eco-friendly activity mats, you can even provide an organic and hypoallergenic environment for your little one. Our guide sets out everything you need to know to get the most out of your baby play mat.
What is a play mat?
Play mats are essentially flat foam or padded fabric surfaces that are safe for a baby to play on. Activity mats are available in a range of designs. You can wash some of these mats in a washing machine and wipe others clean. Many parents combine the mat with an activity gym for their baby. This is a wooden or plastic arch structure with toys suspended from it. You could also purchase a baby play gym that combines the dangling toys with the play mat.
Luxury Baby Play Gym - Musical Safari Play Mat
What are the benefits of using a play mat for babies?
A baby-play gym is not just about having fun. Here are the main benefits they bring:
It's a safe and hygienic place to play.
Floors are never going to be the cleanest place in the house. Babies are very vulnerable to household germs because their immune system has not yet developed. A play mat provides an area that you can keep free from dust, germs, and dirt. They also provide a soft and supportive surface for your baby to practice moving around on.
They are portable.
If you plan on visiting a friend's house or even the park, taking your baby with you is no problem because you can also take the mat. It's a portable play area that's easy to fold up and lightweight enough to carry around.
Done by Deer Activity Baby Gym Playmat
They encourage hand-eye coordination.
A play mat can help with developing hand-eye coordination by encouraging your baby to reach, grab, and point. This helps train the brain to use visual information from the eyes to guide the hands' actions. The process begins at about one or two months [2], when a baby realises that their hands are part of their body.
They encourage motor skills.
Grasping is one of the fine motor skills and important developmental milestones that babies reach. At between three and five months, the dangling toys in a play gym encourage babies to try to reach out and grasp them.
They help with cognitive development.
The best way to help with cognitive development is to keep your baby busy. A play mat is ideal because it has plenty of lights, colours, textures, and sounds for your baby to interact with.
They are useful for baby muscle development
When you first place a baby on their tummy on the mat, they start to use their neck and shoulder muscles, which makes them stronger. Your baby needs muscle strength to be able to roll over, crawl, and sit up. A mat encourages movement, and this strengthens the muscles.
At what age can babies use play mats?
Because these are some of the most versatile baby products you can get, they provide different benefits for different ages. As soon as your child is comfortable lying flat without holding, you can begin using play gyms.
- Newborn babies: From day one, your play mat is a safe area for your baby to chill out for short periods of time while your arms have a break! Your baby will enjoy the movement of dangling toys from the baby gym. Because babies cannot see too far [1] in the distance, the toys need to be quite close to their faces.
- 3 months: This is when your baby will get the most from the play mat. You can place them on their tummies on the mat for short periods of time, and they will start to explore.
- 4 months: Around this age, your baby will start to roll over, and the play mat is a safe place for them to practice this new skill!
- 6 months: Your baby will be moving around the mat and reaching for toys. They'll probably pull themselves onto all fours in preparation for crawling.
- 9 months and above: By this age, your baby will probably be crawling off the mat! They will think that the play gym is boring, and they will leave to explore the rest of the house. However, by introducing new toys and activities to the mat, you should be able to retain their interest for a few more months.
Ideas for baby play mat activities
Are you running out of ideas for baby play time on the mat? We've got some great ideas for parents to try with their little ones.
Tummy time
Tummy time simply involves placing your baby's tummy on the mat. Start with short periods of time (just a minute or so), as not all babies will initially enjoy this. Put some toys within easy reach, or try singing or interacting with your baby.
Interactive baby play gym
Play gyms have dangling toys that often make sounds and have different colours and shapes. Encourage your baby to play with the toys by moving them around you. Engage your baby in singing and conversation, and consider removing a toy and placing it in their grasp.
Rolling around
Once your baby learns to roll, you can play a variety of fun movement games to encourage movement. Move toys from one side to another. Put them close to your baby, then move them away and back again. Give your child a round of applause when they roll over.
Give your baby some time on their side and on their back too, because once they start to move, they could find themselves in any of these positions, and this can come as quite a surprise!
References:
1. BBC Tiny Happy People. (n.d.). Baby Vision: How Far Can Newborns See? [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people/articles/z39g3j6
2. nhs.uk. (2023). Baby moves - Start for Life. [online] Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/start-for-life/baby/baby-moves/
