Play Mats

One great gift for a new baby is a baby play mat. Young babies will spend hours and hours amusing themselves with the toys that are typically suspended above these mats.

Play mats allow moms to put baby on the floor for some playtime, ensuring that he has a clean safe place to lie. The mats are often made from cloth in bright stimulating colors. You’ll also find foam play mats and rubber play mats too, though. Cloth ones can typically be washed in the washing machine, while rubber and foam play mats are usually cleaned with a wet cloth.

Most play mats have an arch that connects to the perimeter of the mat with hooks or fasteners. Toys and mobiles are suspended from the arch to provide baby visual and tactile stimulation while he’s lying on the mat. The arch can be removed for cleaning the mat. In addition, when baby is old enough to sit up, you may want to remove the arch permanently, since baby will be able to play with toys on the floor at this age.

These play mats are also great for giving baby some “tummy time”. Because pediatricians today recommend that all babies sleep on their backs to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, it’s important to ensure that your baby spends some time on his tummy when he’s awake. A play mat is a clean, brightly colored surface on which baby can lie on his tummy to strengthen the muscles in his body. Put a few toys around for him to view and reach, and he should enjoy this view from the other perspective!

Play mats are a great way to amuse babies when they’re young. However, the day will soon come when it’s no longer safe to leave baby unattended on the floor. Even before babies can crawl, many will scoot on their bellies away from the spot that you placed them. Be certain that your child hasn’t gained the ability to “escape” before you leave him alone on the mat, even for a minute. It’s also wise to keep pets and other small children out of the room if you plan to leave baby alone. And, of course, at any age, he should be checked on every few minutes. When your baby is in danger of scooting away from the mat, it’s time for him to graduate to a play yard or upright walker type seat.