Today, play mats are very popular among parents of toddlers. They are bought both for very small crumbs and for children who already know how to independently move around the house. What are their differences and features, you will learn from this article.
Kinds
Play rugs are usually placed on the floor in the nursery. Some types can be placed in another place - for example, in the bathroom or in the kitchen.
Such rugs have the function of an ordinary carpet: they make the floor warm, which is especially important in winter (the baby can run barefoot on it). With a coating, the floor will be soft - it is no longer so scary for a baby to fall on it, which is still not very confident in walking or crawling.
In addition, the play mat is so named for a reason - it is an excellent playground for a child's entertainment. The kid will enjoy spending time here.
Let's take a look at some of the types of baby carpets.
Musical
Musical rugs are designed for the smallest babies (from a month to six months).
Such a carpet is small (usually no more than a meter). It consists of a canvas on which the baby will lie, and arcs with hanging toys. You can also hang additional rattles here. Lying on the back, the baby will play with them.
If the crumb is on the tummy, he will undoubtedly be interested in the bright carpet pattern, squeaking and rustling inserts. Manufacturers often depict exotic animals on fabrics. Touching different animals, the baby will hear different sounds.
One of the most popular manufacturers of such rugs is Tiny Love, which also produces cartoons with this name.
When the baby starts to crawl, the music mat will no longer fit. After all, the baby will simply crawl away to study the world around him.
"Puzzle"
The puzzle mat consists of separate parts, it can be assembled with the child. Thanks to this, it is educational - it develops imagination, motor skills, memory and attention. These rugs are usually made of polymer, and this has its advantages. They are lint free, so they do not collect dust and do not cause allergies in the child. If the rug gets dirty or, for example, a baby uses it instead of a pot, it is easy to clean. It washes well and is moisture resistant, so it is laid not only in the nursery, but, for example, in the bathroom or in the kitchen.
The puzzle mat can have not only a square shape, but, for example, the shape of a cartoon character or an animal. The parts are often designed in various geometric shapes. Round carpets are gaining popularity, as well as making it possible to assemble a three-dimensional figure (for example, a car).
The smallest ones like colored puzzles, with the help of which they remember colors. Older children are better off buying jigsaw puzzles with animals or with letters (they will help to learn the alphabet). An older child can assemble a puzzle mat by himself.
Today, one of the most popular rugs depicting sea animals and characters from the cartoon "Masha and the Bear".
3D
Another type of children's rugs is called 3D, because volumetric parts are located on the flat surface of the carpet. The benefit of such products is that they have a massage effect (due to the different thickness of the pile). In addition, they are very interesting for children to play.
The sizes of these carpets are different. There are different models for boys and girls. A very popular rug for girls, imitating a dollhouse. It depicts furnished rooms and a pool. Many girls dream of such a cozy fairytale house, very soft. You can seat dolls on such a carpet and have a tea party.
Boys' carpets usually depict roads and are convenient for car and boat races.
Manufacturers also produce mixed rugs suitable for boys and girls. They depict dachas and cities. 3D carpets are usually made from the most advanced materials with anti-static properties.
Dear
The most popular carpet for boys is the one with the road. Such a carpet can have both 3D pile and pile of the same length. Outwardly, it resembles a board game.
Manufacturers of such carpets are also engaged in the production of plastic toys in the form of people, fauna, cars, trees. With all this, the rug simulates a realistic city with wide highways for cars, various buildings. The child can himself "revive" the image by arranging the figures as he likes.
Materials
Children's play mats are made from natural, mixed and synthetic materials.
Natural carpets (made of wool, cotton, viscose) are not quite suitable for children - they can cause allergies, besides, these products are difficult to clean and are expensive.
Mixed carpets (polyamide and wool, polyester and silk) are more suitable for children. Thanks to natural materials, they are soft and warm, the presence of synthetics reduces the risk of allergies and makes the cost lower.
Synthetic rugs work well for a child's room. Many of them are considered environmentally neutral. They contain neither harmful nor useful substances. They are easier to care for, clean, and their cost is low. Modern artificial fabrics (as opposed to "ancient" synthetics) are made using modern technologies and do not cause any harm.
We select the size
A small rug is suitable if you want to lay it only on the play area or, for example, by the bed, closet and other places where the child often stands barefoot.
Medium carpets (from 2.5 to 6 m) are more expensive and are elements of room decoration. Guests pay attention to them, so they need to be selected more carefully.
Large carpets (from 6 m) cover the entire surface of the room. They are chosen if the apartment has a constantly cold floor or poor heating.
Tips for choosing
The age of the child must be taken into account. A good play mat should also include:
- Warm... In winter, in some houses, the floor is simply icy; the child should not be cold walking or crawling on the carpet.
- Soft enough to eliminate unnecessary injuries (children often fall). But not too much. An overly soft and shaggy carpet can be uncomfortable for play and harmful to the musculoskeletal system.
- Big size - it should be enough for joint games with the baby. But not so huge that you have to put furniture on it. In this case, it will be difficult to clean it often.
- Environmentally friendly or neutral - so as not to cause allergies.
- Dense, heavy enough not to slip or wrinkle to make it easy to play.
- Make sure your new carpet is well cleaned - after all, children can stain it with anything.
- Take your time to buy a handmade carpet made from natural materials for your child's room. It is not known how a child can stain it - for example, ink. The most popular today are inexpensive carpets (manufactured from synthetics).
- Russian-made carpets are currently not inferior in quality to European ones, but are much cheaper. True, foreign products usually have more interesting designs.
