Shopping Guide: Play Mats
For a few months as your baby’s sight and mobility develop, a play mat (activity mat, baby gym, play gym) is a great place for them to spend a little time playing each day. I know I used ours a lot until my oldest started crawling. It was amazing to watch him start to focus his eyes on the toys and then start reaching for them.
I marveled when he started hitting the toys and making them move.
With the second child, you’re a little busier (sadly), and these amazing moments seem to fly by in the blink of an eye. The play gym takes on the added task of reserving a play area on the floor where the older sibling has to give the baby a little space (or not).
Unfortunately, I didn’t take a lot of care in selecting the play gym we purchased. It was a bit of an afterthought and I bought the best for the price during a quick trip to Target. It’s not the most stylish item in our home, but it served its purpose. Fortunately for you, I’ve since found a few more attractive options and most of them can be found on my affiliate, amazon.
Now these are all-in-one items- with the mat and toys together- but there are also separate play gyms like Ikea’s where you just put it on your own blanket or quilt. That can be another great option. I’ll do a separate post with those.
1- Kushies Shangrila Activity Mat
2- Kaloo 123 Activity Playmat
3- Skip Hop Activity Mat
4- Infantino Twist and Fold Activity Gym, Vintage Boy
5- White Dog Gym Playmat
6- Ikea’s Leka Baby Gym- $25
