Baby Play Mats, Plat Gyms and Play Nests
A baby play mat may not be at the the top of your list of “essential things to buy” but its actually an important piece of equipment that can play a crucial part of your babies early development.
Baby play mats are available in a variety of shapes and designs which we can split into three main categories: play mats (including tummy mats), play gyms and play nests.
- Play mats (tummy mats) – are padded cushioned fabric mats with developmental toys and activities.
- play gyms – are usually padded or cushioned fabric mats with an arch for adding additional developmental toys and activities.
- Play nests – are an inflatable fabric covered ring that allows younger babies to sit to see and touch the textured surface and the included toys.
All of these mats are designed to help your baby to exercise and build control over his/her muscles. They provide a stimulating environment which encourages your baby to explore the world around them. They Boost hand-eye co-ordination skills encourage them to reach up and grasp toys.
So why buy a play mat?
A baby play mat is basically a learning/play zone where he or she can play safely (obviously with mum and dad supervising at all times!). You may have already brought many individual toys (educational and play) for your baby, but a playmat has the advantage of having all these sensory textures and learning tools in one place.
Things to consider when choosing a baby play mat
All play mats should provide a comfortable surface and environment for your baby to crawl and play (a soft and fun surface for tummy play!). Activity playmats boast a number of different developmental toys (contrasting textures, sounds, bright colours and toys), so your babys preferences (likes and dislikes) will go some way in helping you decide which play mat has the most appropriate features.
Another important requirement is the need for easy cleaning. Its very probable that the play mat will get dirty very quickly, so a hard wearing durable mat will look as good as new after a wipe with a damp cloth.
So how will a play mat benefit my baby?
They provide healthy exercise, can help to improve hand eye co-ordination skills and the soft comfortable textured fabrics provide a safe surface for your baby to spend their time when playing.
If you want something that’s a little more substantial, then you should look for a suitable “activity mat and play gym” which has the added benefit of having an additional surface (arch) to add further toys and activities.
Lets take a look at an example from each category?
The Taf Toys range of play mats includes the “I Love Big Mat” which is ideal for homes with wood or stone floors. The playmat also features textures and sounds and a mirror to entertain junior. It features great graphics with a spotty lime underside and comes complete with its own carry bag.
The Taf Toys 2 in 1 Smart gym is both a huge soft play mat and a soft play gym. It is loaded with developmental play features for your baby to enjoy whilst playing.
And finally the Galt Playnest is a fabric-covered inflatable ring, which provides vital support for baby during both rest and play with its unique combination of a soft resting area and a self contained play environment for babies and toddlers. The fabric cover has quilted centre for baby’s comfort and is machine washable.
Watch the video related to baby play
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Help answer the question about baby play
Things to let a baby play with in a pool?My niece just called, and she is bringing her baby to my pool. What kind of things can she play with that I have here at home. She is two and a half?
About Author
Childs Play Sussex is an online baby and nursery store with several years experience selling infant products. We are putting together a series of informative articles to aid parents when making important decisions about the pros and cons of different products.
depends on the toy; for instance, not something she could fit in her mouth quickly, but a stuffed animal with hard eyes would be ok if she's being watch bc that takes more work on her part and she's less likely to be able to do it when we turn our head for a sec….
she also has those alphabet/numbers playmat that says it's not for children under 'x' age, but i just removed the small parts that she might be able to get in her mouth and now it's safe for her to play on/with…common sense goes a long way; unfortunately, some ppl don't seem blessed with it…LOL
floats, squeeze toys, water bottle, anything that can get wet, ball and she should be pretty happy with that. kids this age love cups in the water too, they like being able to scoop water and poor it out or all over them. you should be good to go
There's some great ones on amazon, like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GKW6CY?ie=UTF8&tag=innovatincuba-20
Hay im doing my exam at 1:15 GCSE too its basically crinkle material im doing a baby blanket but stuck for another guess its me and my doodles now, Good Luck!
xx
Remote.
Cell phone.
The dogs tail.
My 8 month old daughter can play contently (with or without me present) for about 45-50 minutes. My oldest son, who is almost 3, can play by himself for up to 2 hours! Once he's into something it's got his full attention for a while
Quite often my son will go to his room and my daughter will crawl after him and they have played together in his room for up to an hour. I'll admit, it's nice!
Name That Poop
Melt little bits of candy bars in disposable diapers, and pass them around the room – see how many people can guess which candy bar is which….
The grossest ones are snickers and baby ruth, because of the chunks of course.
Encourage them to put the opened diaper up to their noses and sniff, or to push it around with their fingers.
YES. My son LOVES tags!
We got him a 'Taggy Book.'
HE LOVES IT!
You should get your daughter a TAGGY BLANKET.
Look at this website:
http://www.taggies.com/cgi-bin/estore/show_entry?index=38
It's dedicated to babies who love tags =]
They make blankets, toys, books, etc.
ALL made of tags! =]
You can use a playpen, but don't add any mattresses or extra padding. I used mine, and just wrapped a bigger blanket flat around the edges, so it was soft to lay on but the blanket wouldn't get bunched up and be a hazzard. Don't add a mattress, use the bottom it comes with. The baby could get stuck between the sides of the playpen and the mattress you put in, and cause a problem.