The developing mat with bumpers is designed for children from birth, provides a safe and comfortable place for the child to play and spend time. It can be used for up to 1–2 years depending on the model.
Main characteristics:
- has a soft base made of bright canvas with various patterns, appliques and inserts;
- the sides can be soft, hard, inflatable, fastened with Velcro or lacing;
- contribute to the development of fine motor skills, grasping reflexes, hearing, vision, coordination of movements.
A developing mat with sides provides the necessary safety in the first months of a child's life, preventing him from falling out of the soft space. The child can play lying on his back, stomach or sitting. The product can have various shapes, sizes and configurations (removable arches, hanging and musical toys, a pillow for a child).
Criterias of choice:
- The base material must be hypoallergenic and safe for the child. You can buy a rug with bumpers with a waterproof or textile surface. The product should be easy to clean or rub off.
- Toys and all developmental items must not have protruding or sharp parts.
- It is better to focus on the model, the sides of which are lowered. Then the mat can be used as a warm and soft play space for a grown up child aged 9-12 months.
The development rug is a canvas made of a bright durable material with various additional elements: hanging, musical and luminous toys, rustling inserts and other interesting details. Depending on the type, you can buy a developmental mat for a child aged from 1 month to 1.5-3 years.
Main types:
- For babies from birth to 3-6 months. They have a soft base made of colorful materials, can contain appliqués, various volumetric inserts and rustling elements. For babies in the first months of life, models with removable arches are suitable for hanging various toys. The kit may also include a special pad to support the baby's fragile muscles.
- Developing rugs for children 6-12 months. Usually have a large play area, removable music panel or toys that play melodies.
- Models for children from one year old can be made in the form of a house or tent (with a rigid frame and a soft base). You can buy a puzzle mat, a construction mat, or for drawing with water, which will appeal to a child of 1-3 years old.
A developing mat for children can have various sizes and shapes, as well as be made from a variety of materials: textiles, plastic, oilcloth, porous rubber (for puzzles). Some versatile products can be used from birth up to 9-12 months, others are reversible, and some models can be easily converted into a compact bag and can be taken with you on the road.
Criterias of choice:
- Age. Depending on the period of development of the child, various elements and toys are attracted. Therefore, before you buy a development mat in an online store, pay attention to its functionality and the age for which the model is intended.
- The material from which the base is made must be soft, natural and hypoallergenic. It is desirable that the selected model has an additional layer of insulation and a waterproof surface that is easy to clean.
- All removable elements and pendants-toys must be safe for the child - without sharp and protruding parts.
- For babies from birth, it is better to buy developmental rugs with soft bumpers, which provide additional safety for the child.
- Removable arches for hanging toys allow the soft base to be used as a play area for an older child.
The price depends on the type, functionality and manufacturer. The catalog contains both inexpensive and multifunctional play rugs with photos and detailed descriptions.
Developing rugs are very popular. They can be used for children from the first days of life. This is a fairly simple construction made of quality material with bright, but pleasing colors for the baby's eyes. Children's rugs develop fine motor skills child, coordination of movements, color perception, vision and hearing, if the product is equipped with a music panel.
For baby development children's development rugs equipped with various pockets, arches, buttons, buttons, clasps, mirrors, rattles, etc.
How to choose a development mat?
Before as buy a developing mat, parents need to pay attention to several points.
- Safety for the baby. The structure should not be dangerous for the child: it should not have sharp corners, etc. It is desirable that the rug be equipped with high and soft sides so that the child cannot get out of it. Also keep in mind that the product should not have strong and unpleasant odors.
- Comfort. Developing mat for newborns made of durable and warm materials so that the child does not freeze while on the floor.
- Elements for development. When choosing a rug for a child who is not yet a month old, think about the elements that the design should have. If for a baby who does not know how to roll over on his tummy, the most comfortable position is to lie on his back, then very soon he will turn in all directions. That's why it's better to get out child play mat to be interesting to the newborn, then he will roll over and be more interested in the rug itself.
- The bigger the mat, the better. But when choosing it, you need to take into account the size of the room. If you are going to take the product with you to the dacha or on a visit, it should fold compactly.
When choosing a rug, consider your child's age and how they will develop. For babies 1 month old, it is better to choose small rugs made of soft materials and made in soothing colors. He will definitely like hanging toys on arcs to remember their color and shape. By the age of 3 months, the child will begin to reach out and touch the toys, and by 4 he will begin to roll over and examine the rug itself. At this time, teethers, various rustlers, tweeters, etc. will become useful.
Interesting models of developing rugs
The most common models are universal ones that will grow with the baby. For example, such models have removable arches and sides, the first ones are removed with the growth of the child, and the second ones unfold. If parents will be using the rug outside the home a lot, then a bag rug is ideal. It folds easily into a compact carry bag.
Another option is double-sided, models are especially useful where the drawings on each side are for children different ages... Recently, it has been especially popular developing mat Fisher Price... It has a soft base, many additional elements and a music unit.
If you decide buy a musical development mat in the online store, pay attention to the wide range of "Malyutka 190". All mats presented here are made of safe and soft material, they contribute to the all-round development of the baby and can be used from the first days of life.
A bright play rug is an opportunity to create a small world around a child, full of amazing and useful things. If the mat is chosen correctly, it will become a wonderful helper for mom in the entertainment and development of her baby.
Choosing the best developing mat, "Price Expert" drew attention to:
Dimensions of rugs. There are both small square and rounded rugs and large models up to one and a half meters in length;
Materialsfrom which the developmental rugs are made. As a rule, these are natural fabrics or quick-drying synthetics;
Developing opportunities: the presence of a mirror, bright toys, rattles, squeaks, rustlers, teethers, textural elements.
Removable arches. They increase the developmental potential of the rug, since you can hang different toys on them. Important: the arcs must be stable, the ideal option is two arcs, securely connected at the point of contact.
Bumpers - turn the play area into a safe mini-playpen for the little ones. If necessary, the sides are folded out, increasing the size of the rug.
Features 3 in 1. In this case, the rug can be used not only as a bright play panel for visual and tactile perception, but also as a musical toy, and also as an addition to a crib (the arches can be installed on the railing of the crib using fasteners).
Manufacturers of good development rugs
As a rule, developing rugs are produced by manufacturers of children's toys and children's goods (strollers, highchairs, bottles, etc.). European brands Fischer-Price, Bright starts, Infantino and others offer unconditional quality, interesting visual and technical solutions, and also use world and own developments in the field of child development. Most often, their rugs are a real sensory trainer for a toddler, equipped with electronics for light and sound effects, a variety of toys with tactile elements. Especially worth noting are Israeli products Tiny Love - in their assortment there are more than a dozen colorful and original developmental rugs for every taste, who have earned a lot of positive feedback from their mothers... Of course, the cost of such products is considerable, but it is fully justified by the high quality, safety and reliability.
But in search of inexpensive good rugs, you can also make pleasant discoveries. For example, the Russian brand “ Myakishi»Produces very worthy products from natural materials, with beautiful and durable toys and interesting tactile inserts. Stamps MERX Limited (China) also pleases with modern products at affordable prices. Popular rugs « Umka"And" Giraffes"(Russia-China) cannot boast of a variety of developmental elements and special design, but they offer quite acceptable quality in the budget segment.
