Playmats

As your child grows and becomes interested in more and more of the world around them, you will likely find that the way they interact and engage with open spaces and toys starts to change as well. One of the best ways to keep them safely contained is with a playmat, ranging from the support of a baby playmat to the soft play design of toddler playmats, right through to more intricately designed and engaging playmats for older children to interact with.

Playmats for babies

Playmats for babies are likely to be the most engaging in terms of additional features and technological add-ons, as parents strive to surround their children with objects which will stimulate their different sense and cause different reactions and responses. From hanging mobiles above the playmat to flashing lights and soft sounds and textures, babies are encouraged to experience as much as possible during their early months, and so most of the baby playmats on the market support this with different ways for babies to entertain themselves and for parents to play with them.

Some of our favourites can be found in high street baby retailers and tend to be built onto very soft fabric cushioned bases, with a framed structure which stretches over the top and allows different things to dangle down over your baby’s head.

Playmats for toddlers

The early toddler years are when your child is most adventurous, and so this is where we see playmat designed start to come complete with a more obvious boundary line – often inflated or made from a soft fabric which encourages your child to stay within the walls outlined by the playmat. Many toddler playmats are made with a soft base, and feature designs which compliment different toys you can purchase to match the theme on the mat – for example a playmat which features a train track, and can be used alongside a train set which you could buy for your child.

One of our favourites features a very simple game of snap, whereby the playmat design is broken into different segments and images and comes accompanied with a complimentary set of play pieces which the child can match to the images printed on the mat. This, and lots more design, are available across toy and baby stores.

Playmats for older children

By the time you get past the toddler stage, your child will have a far better understanding of the world around them and its dangers – but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they will heed them, with many members asking us how they can keep their child interested so that they don’t become distracted and wander off. And whether it’s a jungle scene, a large train track aerial view or even a simple pattern which joins together to create a large thematic scene, the options of large playmats for older children are wide.

One of the best ways to do this is with a playmat which becomes a toy in its own design, for example a mat which is made up of lots of different individual pieces which join together to form different patterns. Often made from a very easy to move and lightweight foam matting material, these types of mat act like giant jigsaw puzzles and can keep your child entertained for hours without them straying into different areas of the home.

The added benefit of these playmats for older children is that they are protective for rough and tumble play – something which we know many of our members will be interested in as a means of providing their home with that little bit of extra padding for children’s more rough play when interacting with friends and siblings.

These playmats for older children can be found in most toy stores and department stores.