10 best educational mats for babies and newborns

What is not in numerous children’s stores. There are countless varieties of rugs for the development of a baby. And a useful thing, whatever one may say. Firstly, different textures, light and sound elements, rattle toys – all this is intended not only to entertain the child, but to activate mental activity. Secondly, such a rug will be a good helper for young parents: put the child under multi-colored arcs with bells, and iron the diapers himself, and everything is in business.

What do experts think about this?

“The play mat promotes the development of fine motor skills, serves as a means of tactile perception,” says child psychologist, emotional intelligence specialist, author of a blog for moms Valeria Weidner. – When a child reaches for toys and tries to crawl towards an element of interest, physical development occurs, coordination of movements improves, and gross motor skills develop. The model with sound effects and musical elements trains the ear.

Consider the best mats for development according to Healthy Food Near Me.

Top 10 rating according to KP

1. Developing mat Tiny Love “Island of the singing monkey”

Bright rug made of soft materials of classic rectangular shape with two arcs. Several hanging toys are attached to them: there is a rattle fish, a bell lion, and several teethers. The icing on the cake is the monkey. In honor of which, in fact, the rug is named.

A monkey with a surprise: a light touch is enough and the holiday begins – flashing bright lights, music. And it doesn’t even require parental involvement. A child can accidentally hit a toy, and then push and kick it on purpose or for joy – an endless carnival is guaranteed. And in order to have fun and look at the pendants more conveniently, the manufacturer included a soft pillow in the kit.

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2. Developing mat Taf Toys 4in1

Cool soft rug in stylish pastel colors, which will come in handy from the very birth of the baby. This is not just a soft rug – the set includes comfortable bumpers, and it can be used simply as a daytime alternative to a crib.

But if that’s not enough, the kit includes two arcs and original toy pendants: a teether, a rattle, a safe mirror. There is also an illuminated musical toy that plays three melodies – soothing, cheerful and the sound of a waterfall.

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3. Educational mat Bright Starts “My lion cub”

Soft rug with a pillow in the shape of a head and paws of a lion cub. When the baby lies on the rug, it turns out as if he is in the arms of a kind animal. The rug is made in bright, but not flashy colors. On the high arches there are various toy pendants that can be interchanged, removed altogether or new ones added. Bonus – a miniature mirror.

If the baby has grown up and spends more time on his stomach, the arcs can be removed, but the lion pillow will still be very comfortable.

By the way, the rug is easy to clean, it can even be washed in a typewriter.

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4. Developing Mat Tiny Love “The Biggest”

Judging by the name, you can guess that this is not even a rug – a carpet! Thanks to the royal size, the absence of arcs with toys is no longer so sad. However, here, even without them, there is something to keep the baby busy.

Firstly, the rug is divided into sectors of different colors with funny pictures, inside of which are hidden “surprises”: tweeters, rustling and crispy elements. Secondly, there is a safety mirror and a couple of teethers on the mat.

The most important thing is that due to the parameters of the rug, it will last for a long time. And it is also convenient to store it: rolled up like a regular blanket and folded it into a closet.

Features

5. Developing Mat Amarobaby “Night Owl”

A narrow, narrow rug in a pleasant color. It is made of synthetic materials thanks to what it is well cleaned. While the baby spends more time on his back, he will be entertained by hanging toys on the arc. Let them be unpretentious.

The rug is equipped with a device with large buttons. Just by dangling their legs, the child will be able to turn on the music himself – so that it is more fun to lie on his back. And when he learns to roll over and hold his head, he will play the mini-synthesizer with handles. By the way, the range of melodies is quite wide, but the sound is not loud, soft.

Of the minuses: the rug is rather modest in size, and it will be difficult to move freely on it – especially for a large child. But the price will please.

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6. Developing Mat Tiny Love “Day and Night”

You know that for the first six months, the baby distinguishes only black and white, and, well, shades of gray. Probably, the manufacturers of this rug were guided by this.

A white rug and white arches with contrasting black accents are beautiful, and it turns out the combination can be fun. The laconicism in the color scheme is complemented by an abundance of toys: these are animal pendants on arcs, and a mirror, and even a baby book. Everything rustles, squeaks, crunches, rattles.

Judging by the reviews on the Internet, the kids (and their parents) really like it.

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7. Educational rug Bright Starts “Dreams of Africa”

What is there just not here: bright pendants on arcs, and a classic teether with a mirror, and a soft pillow, and a musical toy – an elephant (which is removed, and a full-fledged toy is obtained). There is also a set of balls in the kit – they can be thrown into the holes in the side mesh walls, or you can simply sort through and examine.

There are dense soft sides, thanks to which the baby will not crawl away and will not fall. If necessary, they can be removed by making the rug wider.

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8. Developing mat Little Bird Told Me “Puppy”

The unusual design will definitely catch your eye – a very cute dog in a nice brown color. This rug is suitable for both boys and girls. And when the baby grows up, and the need for arcs with rattle pendants disappears, the puppy will surely remain in the room with other favorite toys.

Buyers note that the rug is made of good materials, in high quality. And it can be machine washed – very practical.

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9. Developing mat Giraffes “Giraffe and friends”

This is not a rug in the usual way: it is a pillow on which the baby will be comfortable lying in the tummy position. And in order to not be bored lying down, a small rug with a picture of a giraffe and several bright toys are sewn to the pillow: the very thing is to teach the child to hold his head and motivate him to move more.

By the way, when the child grows up, all the rattles will be abandoned, this bright pillow can be used for its usual purpose – for example, on the road or in the country.

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10. Developing rug I-Baby “Owl”

Good budget option. A simple thin rug in the form of an owl, made of bright materials. There are not a lot of toys – only sound elements: a squeaker and a rattle. As a bonus – a small pillow so that the child is comfortable lying on his stomach.

Of the benefits: this rug is inexpensive, takes up little space, while the child fits on it entirely, and the lack of toys is easy to make up for.

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How to choose the right development mat

– When choosing a rug in the store, make sure that the color scheme is not too bright. The fabric texture should be different. It is important that the fabric is soft, rough, smooth, crispy, etc. – notes our expert, Valeria Weidner. – Many models have arcs on which toys hang. A small distance between the child’s eyes and the toy can contribute to strabismus. Do not place your child face down under the toy, always a little further away. This question can be clarified with an optometrist.

By the way, developing mats are not only for babies. There are also those that will be of interest to the child almost to the very school.

— For older children, I would recommend developing mats in the form of a musical instrument, which features a piano, drum, guitar, etc. In games with such rugs, you can develop large motor skills, hearing. As a rule, they arouse interest for many years, since there is a huge variety of game options, – says the child psychologist. – There is another category – these are handmade rugs. Mom usually sews them herself, or orders them. Handmade rugs have an advantage: they can be supplemented, changed functionality, adapted to the age and changing interests of the child. They can be used both in development and in behavior correction. They are convenient to play the plots of fairy tales and prepare the child for important events in life. But you need to remember that the rug is a didactic material for playing with a child, and it should not work on its own, but only for a joint game between an adult and a child.