Truth be told, while we love our kids to the moon and back, we also love breaks even if they are only a few minutes long. With the best baby care play mats, you can keep your baby engaged all the time. They offer the kid with developmental activities that keep your toddler occupied all day long. More to this, these mats also help your kid gets the proper exercise. Some models come large sizes that fill the entire kid room offering a safe and comfortable place to play with their toys. Other models come with lights, soft music, and dangling toys that help in the development of the mental abilities of the infants.
Additionally, the baby play mats also ensure there is proper cognitive development of your kid. Besides fostering visual development, they also help in mental development. With so many features to consider when it comes to selecting the best model, we decided to make your life easier for you. We have done extensive research to bring you the best baby car play mats available on the market.
Best Baby Play Mats You Can Buy
Best Overall: Baby Care Baby Care Play Mat – Magical Islands
Designed to fit the needs of growing toddlers and kids, the Baby Care Baby Care Play Mat offers a hygienic, safe and well-padded space that keeps the baby safe. The mat comes in a generous size that helps your kids play with different toys on the floor. The mat also comes in vibrant and stimulating colors, characters, and educational elements. More importantly, this mat meets current Australia, US, and European standards. It is crafted from durable materials that are Phthalate free, Lead-free, latex free and EVA free. As a fun bonus, the construction materials are waterproof and recyclable. Additionally, the mat comes with a textured surface that ensures a safe place for babies who are learning to play or walk.
Pros and Cons
- Rolls up easily for easy storing
- Tested to be hygienic and safe to babies
- Ensures a soft landing for rolling, tumbling, and falls
- Waterproof design , spills wipe up easily
- Some parents reported that the mat comes with the initial rubbery smell but goes away after a few days of use
Best for Active Play: Fisher-Price Kick ‘n Play Piano Gym
Combining a floor mat for play and toys, this play mat will charm its way into your baby’s heart. It consists of numerous toys that hang overhead to encourage the baby to bat and grasp. Offering four ways to play, this play mat grows with your baby. Your baby will benefit from numerous activities including laying and playing, sitting up, and tummy time. These busy activities at each stage bring enormous fun to the baby from a tender age. Besides fun, these toys are great for learning various development skills. Some of the toys included in this model include roller-ball frog, elephant crackers, and hippo teether. As the baby grows, he/she will learn key developmental skills that help them grow stronger. Moreover, the lights, music, and bright colors stimulate the baby’s senses.
Pros and Cons
- Very cute design
- Soft, comfy mat help your baby learn more
- Many toys help the baby learn numerous things
- Machine-washable play mat and loops for rearranging the toys
- Not easy to attach and detach the toys
Best Large Design: Comfort Design Mats Premium Stylish Foam Floor Mat
Premium construction materials, stylish design, and generous size, the comfort Design floor baby care mat is a great addition to your baby room. These are large one-piece water-resistant foam play mats that are designed with colors and patterns that complement the décor of the baby room. They are well padded to provide a comfortable place where the baby can lay and play with their toys. Thanks to the oversized design, this spacious mat grows with your kid as they learn to craw, walk, and play. From the tummy time, supporting the first step of your toddler to accommodating older kid’s flips, these softly cushioned mats can be used almost everywhere in your house. Moreover, unlike the traditional mats that you need to fold away after use, these mats fit your lifestyle. They come in gorgeous color and design that makes your space look more beautiful.
Pros and Cons
- Large size making it a great addition to your kid’s room
- Half-inch thick comfortable and soft foam
- High-quality construction materials that are waterproof and durable
- Can grow with your child
- No attached toys
Best Budget: Tiny Love Meadow Days Kid Play Mat
For those who would not want dangling toys and would want a large play mat, then the Tiny love Meadow Days mat should do it. This is an oversized quilted mat that comes in vibrant colors. Unlike other models, this mat comes with lots of surprises including a ring that you can attach extra toys. For enhanced safety, the mat comes with a rough texture that supports a baby who is learning to crawl or walk. Additionally, this mat provides developmental fun activities as well as discoveries. Plus, the mat is built on plush padding that offers superior comfort. Some of the other incredible features that come with this may include a padded mirror that encourages facial recognition as well as encouraging texture that encourages motor and tactile development. Besides, the mat comes with comes with interactive toys that nurture your baby’s skills and delight the senses.
Pros and Cons
- Engaging textures that fosters tactile as well as motor development
- Foldable design makes it super easy to store
- Meets ASTM and federal safety standards
- Soft padding ensure your baby is comfortable
- Cannot be put in the dryer
Best Tummy Time: Infantino Pond Pals Twist and Fold Activity Gym and Play Mat
To give your baby the best possible start in life, you don’t always have to have all the answers or do things in particular ways. You can do so by simply allow your kids to play and learn new things. This is a colorful baby care play and activity gym that comes with everything needed to help your baby play and exercise. This innovative play mat is filled with numerous features including pick and sees a mirror, tummy time bolster as well as four push play buddies. Boasting of the twist and fold technology, you can carry this play mat wherever you are going. The mat also brings a magical world where your baby is kept busy with various activities that actually stimulate their growth. What’s more, you get to enjoy the well-padded base that offers a comfortable place to play and sleep.
Pros and Cons
- Comes with four removable toys
- Includes a BPA-free teether
- Meets all applicable safety standards
- Many loops for additional toys
- Not machine washable
Best Travel: Hape Foldable Baby Care Play Mat
Give your wiggly little explorer a safe and comfortable place to play by purchasing the Hape play mat. Unlike other models, this play mat boasts of dual sides that offer plenty of entertainment at the same time fostering baby’s learning and development. Boasting of a soft foam padded base, your baby can play for hours without getting tired from the hard floor. The mat also comes with vibrant colors and innovative design that encourage the kid to work of development skills such as crawling, sitting up and rolling over. The mat also comes in a foldable design that makes it portable and easy to store. This makes it a perfect choice for nurseries, daycare, and classroom rugs. Moreover, owing to its soft and comfortable surface, you can practice tummy time with your little one.
Pros and Cons
- Folds flat for easy storage and travel
- Quality assured meet the highest safety standards
- Comes with a Carrying Case as a bonus
- Waterproof and well-padded mat
- Doesn’t have a place to attach toys
Best for Growing With The Baby: MyLine Baby Play Mat
This is probably the safest play mat for young infant thanks to its construction. Different from any other models on the market, this mat boasts of food grade materials that are very safe. This makes it a great choice especially to babies at the stage where everything goes into their mouth. The mat offers superb cushioning that prevents children from injuries that may result when they fall on a hard surface. This cushioning also offers impressive noise absorption as the baby runs around the house. The surface also offers a warm place for your kid so you don’t have to worry about a cold and solid floor. Another impressive feature that comes with this unit is the impressive colors that help the babies’ visual development. Additionally, it boasts of a double-sided design that features fun and colorful characters, numbers, and letter that stimulates the brain development. This makes this multipurpose mat a great addition to use in your playroom, kids room as well as living room.
Pros and Cons
- Hygienic, Non-toxic Food Grade construction Material
- Waterproof and easy to clean
- Comes with stimulating and vibrant colors, letters as well as numbers
- Soft, slip resistant and well padded
- No carry bag provided
Importance Of Owning A Baby Care Play Mat
While a baby play mat is not an absolute necessity, it plays a crucial role in ensuring that your baby is comfortable. Although most parent would want to hold their new bundle of joy all the 24/7 it is not possible to do so all the time. A baby play mat makes a fantastic substitute that helps hold the baby and keep them entertained. The mats help you get some free time that you can utilize cooking, doing the laundry or even taking a shower.
Offer numerous features: Unlike the swings, the play mats offer your kids with numerous features. They offer your kids with various features such as added toys and music that helps in the development of your kid. They also come with vibrant colors that your kid will love.
Well Padded: These play mats are generously padded providing a safe place for your kid to play. The soft cushioned surface allows the kid to learn how to crawl or walk with ease. Additionally, you don’t have to worry about your baby having to be exposed to the cold and hard surface.
Grows with your kids: Another main advantage of the play mats is that they grow with your kid. These mats come in an oversized design. This means that they will not only provide a safe place for your kid to learn his/her first walking steps but also accommodates older kid’s flips.
Offers a perfect play to practice tummy time: These play mats also offer a great place where your kid can practice tummy time. This practice helps in strengthening the baby’s neck, shoulder, and head muscles. It also promotes motor skills as well as prevention of the flattening of the baby’s head back.
Wrap Up!
As you can tell from the list of products reviewed, the Baby care play mats are available in various designs, features, and sizes. Some come with advanced features such as dangling toys while others have an oversized design that offers superior cushioning. Go through these fantastic options available on the market before settling on the model that you think it will dazzle your kids. Happy buying!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are foam play mats safe for babies?
A: Well, the baby care play mats are often made using safe materials that are free of all toxins. They are free from BPA materials and other harmful toxins that may harm the health of your baby.
Q: What is the Right Age to start using a Babycare play Mat
A: You can start using the play mats from day one. Although newborns may not know the difference, they will learn using it between 3 and 6 months. At this stage, the baby starts developing the hand and eye condition. Since they allow the baby to lay on a flat surface, the mats also give your baby plenty of practice. Note, when using the mat for toddlers, it is recommended to ensure close monitoring. You should also remove the toys until they are ready to use them.
Q: How to clean baby play mats?
A: Most of the baby play mats come with waterproof construction materials that are easy to wipe clean. When it comes to cleaning, we recommend hand washing using gentle formula. Ensure that you only use the appropriate soap to that is gentle on the baby sensitive skin.