An article devoted to the best Baby Play Mat Gyms 2020 selected for their ability to provide safe active play for your baby's very first interactive fun exercises, independent from Mum and Dad to allow them some well-earned free time to relax or do the chores! Baby gyms and playmats are a good tool for baby’s development, but which one should you buy? Read on to find out!
Best Baby Play Mats and Gyms in 2020
A play mat gym (a play mat with suspended toys in baby's reach) is a must-have for parents who want to keep their baby entertained and develop various skills at home.
While many are safe to use from birth, you may find that babies from three months onwards love their play mats the most, as this is when they begin to develop their reaching and grasping skills, as well as hand-eye coordination.
Lying on their stomachs and exploring the world around them will help them to master their senses and use their eyes, ears, and hands to manipulate the world around them. Providing the best baby play mat or best baby activity gym for your child will help them engage with their surroundings.
But should you go for an all-singing, all-dancing option with lights, sounds and colourful toys, or are you better off with a traditional Scandinavian-style wooden play gym? As with anything baby-related, it's down to a personal choice to find one that suits your space and is versatile enough to last until your baby becomes more mobile. We've rounded up what we think are the best baby play mats and gyms that have a good range of sensory features to stimulate your little one, with prices starting at under £50 ($60).
Check Current PriceThe Best Baby Play Mats and Baby Activity Gyms
The developmental years of a baby are meant to be full of life, imagination and holistic development, which gears them up to gain control over their environment and develop crucial skills. Amazon, for example, brings to you a delightful variety of playmats and floor gyms which can support your baby’s development while making it fun!
Baby gyms and playmats are great educational toys that can be enjoyed by a baby of any age. Baby playmats are great for entertaining an infant and giving them sensory experiences simultaneously. Play mats and baby gyms also make great baby gifts. Find a wide range of them on Amazon.
After researching multiple baby gyms and playmats, we recommend the Fisher-Price Deluxe Kick and Play, Piano, Play Mat Gym as one of the very best baby play mat and gyms in 2020.
Today's best baby play mats are not made as they are by chance, they are the result of many years spent observing babies in play. Not only do the toys, patterns, colours, and where applicable, music, help aide in-brain development, but they are a great tool for helping parents. The good ones are very safe when placed on a floor well away from furniture, interfering “others” and pets. So much so that it is perfectly possible to set the baby down for a minute to get some chores done.
There are literally thousands of baby gyms and playmats on the market, and you could spend quite a bit of money on one. We believe in a great toy at a great price, so the Fisher-Price Deluxe Kick and Play Piano Play Gym is our top pick for the best play mat and baby gym of this year.
Are you wondering about why you need to have playmats and baby gyms at home? We have done the research for you! You need a baby play mat gym to allow your baby to learn the basics of cause and effect. This means they learn to repeat an action that they initially did by chance. Baby gyms facilitate this development of the understanding of cause and effect by providing dangling toys and even kick or pull-activated toys that respond to their actions, encouraging them to interact with them again and again.
Check Current PriceGuide to Selecting the Best Baby Play Mat or Gym
LovEvery’s activity gym is in our opinion one of the best all-around playmats and play gyms on the market. It’s a complete activity centre that will keep your baby entertained for years. Its strongest feature is, we think because it has a modular design.
It features 5 different development zones any one of which you can hide whenever you want to so that you don’t overstimulate your baby. The idea behind this “modular” design is to slowly reveal new activity zones as your baby grows older and masters the current development zone. The play gym comes with a guide which will walk you through the ideal activities for your baby as it grows older to promote motor and brain skills development.
The play gym by LoveVery is designed to enhance your little one’s visual, physical, cognitive and motor skills. The play gym comes with enough accessories to guide your baby through their first year. It features cotton teether, removable accessories, and a play-mat.
The development zones promote colour exploration, focus and hiding and finding. The accessories included are a wooden batting ring and cotton Montessori ball. Also included is a convenient guide to step you through the age-appropriate activities you can/should do with your tot. This award-winning baby gym is easy to set up and will help develop your baby’s brain.
New parents quickly realize just how much of their lives now take place on the floor. But while our adult bodies don’t mind the carpet or wood, babies aren’t quite prepared for the floor yet. Baby play mats are specially designed to keep your baby comfy and safe during floor time.
These mats are often slightly padded quilts with carefully chosen fabrics or even a fun game or two. You can couple these blankets with an activity gym to provide your little one with hours of entertainment that also helps them learn and grow, while you relax giving Moms and Dads some well earned time off!
FAQ’s About the Best Baby Play Mats and Gyms
Playmats and play gyms are excellent activity centres to keep your baby busy, entertained and engaged for hours on! And, while you don’t technically need a playmat, it will come in really handy. You can use playmats and play gyms effectively from day one. However, experts advise that babies between 3 months to 1-year-old benefit most from these activity mats.
Baby play gyms have been found to help babies improve their hand-eye coordination and motor skills. As they play with the hanging toys trying to reach them, they exercise their neck and body muscles and learn to engage and interact with their surroundings.
You can use a play gym from day one, but it is babies between three to six months old which we have found love these toys the most. During this stage, your baby is developing hand-eye coordination, so grasping for the dangling toys is good practice.
Once your baby starts to crawl, they’ll move on to other toys. Here are two playmat and activity gyms that we think you and your baby will love: Fisher-Price Deluxe Kick and Play Piano Play Gym, and 2. is the “Play Gym by LoveVery” which are both designed to enhance your little one’s visual, physical, cognitive and motor skills.
The list of the best baby play-gyms and playmats on the market currently include the:
- Baby Care Play Mat – Haute collection
- Skip Hop Activity gym
- fisher-price rainforest play gym
- tiny love lights and music Gymini activity gym
- Chloe Baby Play Mats and Gyms:
These are all god for keeping your child entertained and stimulated with play mats from UK stores such as Argos, Amazon, John Lewis and Mamas & Papas.
Skip Hop Silver Lining Cloud Baby Play Mat and Activity Gym
The Skip Hop Silver Lining Cloud Baby Play Mat and Activity Gym is geared toward both younger babies and older babies who are blossoming into toddlerhood.
For the newborn or younger baby, they will enjoy laying down, swatting and looking at things. Then when they are able to sit up this play centre can function as a play mat. It’s made by Skip Hop, so you know it’s great quality and stylish.
The silver lining cloud activity gym by skip hop stood out to us because of its soft cushioned surface. The softer portion of the playmat is great for cushioning your baby’s head while the flatter portion is best used for tummy time.
This activity gym comes with a tummy time pillow as well as 5 hanging toys. Additional hanging toys that fit with the theme can also be purchased separately. We would recommend this gym for baby showers as it has a wonderful gender-neutral colour design.
Also in the range are the Skip Hop Silver Lining Cloud Activity Gym, the Skip Hop Vibrant Village Smart Lights Activity Gym, the Skip Hop Double-play reversible playmat, the Skip Hop Camping Cubs Activity Gym.
Check Current PriceAre These Mats Really Safe?
The number one priority for parents is to keep a baby safe. The size of the play mat is important – you don't want your baby knocking that precious head on the hard floor while practising rolling!
Ideally, it should be a spacious mat that allows ample room for your little one to roll around and eventually crawl on.
However, you will need to take into consideration how much space you have in your house. It's preferable if the play mat is lightweight and portable. The entire point of the play mat is to provide a soft and well-cushioned space that protects your baby from the hard floor surface.
Regardless of what material the mat is made from, it should be thick enough to cushion the baby's fall. Try to look for a play mat that has a non-slip surface which helps give your baby a firm grip while crawling. It should also be well padded so as to protect the baby's wrist, head and knees against possible injury. via fulltimebaby
If you’re looking for a quality and good playmat then look no further than the Haute collection by Baby Care. It offers everything you could want from a playmat and more. Babycare’s playmats are inspired by the Korean way of living where floor-based living is an integral part of their culture.
This playmat from the Haute Collection is non-toxic as it’s BPA, EV, lead, phthalate and mercury-free so it’s completely safe for your baby and we rate it as one of the best baby play mat gyms. The Haute Collection offers various different designs. Plus, their playmats are full of visually stimulating elements: numbers, letters, animals, shapes and things for your baby to engage with.
Play mats should be sturdy and made of a quality material not likely to shred or rip from tiny baby fingers. Babies manage to ruin many a toy in their youth but buying well-crafted toys will keep your child safe and save you money.
What is a baby play gym, and when can my baby use it?
A baby play gym or playmat is an activity centre for babies and newborns that stimulates their brain, visual, auditory and motion activity in a playful and fun way. Play gyms usually feature a set of arches with toys hanging from them for your baby to interact with.
Sometimes these toys may set off lights or start playing music, depending on the features of the play gym. Playmats are simpler, in the sense that they provide a safe and fun surface area for your baby to play on usually they feature visually stimulating designs and patterns to boost your baby’s visual and brain activity. Playmats are made from soft and plush materials that are easy to clean.
Not only can you use this twist and fold gym as a play mat, but it also serves as a cute backdrop to capture special milestones for your baby. It features five multi-sensory toys to encourage exploration, and offers five play modes as your baby develops, including lay and play, tummy time, sit and play, on-the-go stroller toys and a milestone photo prop. Infantino 4-in-1 milestones and memories twist and fold gym, £49. 99, Precious Little One.
Forgive us when we enthuse about the Fisher-Price play mats! The Fisher-Price Deluxe Kick & Play Piano Play Gym is a really good basic baby jungle gym. The featured piano has both lights and sounds and can be used in a few different ways.
It can be kicked when baby is on their back, it can be pushed with hands during tummy time, or it can be rotated upright and played like a regular piano on legs for when baby can sit up. As if that weren’t enough, you can take the piano off and drag it around for some mobile concerts. If your baby prefers to just enjoy music, you can play music on the piano for up to 15 minutes, and you can control the volume. The batteries last a long time, too!
Check Current PriceThe Mamas & Papas Play Mat is worth considering. The interactive lights and sounds play mat is a bestseller at Mamas & Papas, thanks to its array of fun features including lights, music and toys to engage your little one and offer plenty to see, touch and hear. Featuring two arches with four removable toys, the mat and gym also have a hanging cloud with three different sounds to soothe your baby. Meanwhile, the mat can also be used for tummy time, with a luxurious padded base to keep your baby comfy and help to strengthen their neck muscles.
The Best Baby Play Mats
There is a myriad of different baby play mats out there, depending on your budget, your aesthetics and how many activities you want to pack into one toy. Some baby play mats are stylish and colourful, perfect for providing baby with a soft space on a hardwood floor, while others are all-singing, all illuminated, toys. It’s worth keeping in mind that many play mats are designed to grow with baby, transitioning from newborn mat to older baby toy and beyond. Here are the best baby play mats to give your little one some excitement – and you some much-needed hands-free time.
when you consider durability think 1970s polyester because it’s as durable as the powder blue suit in your granddad’s closet but a whole lot easier to clean. The price is on the middle ground and well worth it for the aesthetics alone.
This adorable play gym looks like a handmade quilt stitched with love. It even comes with a matching pillow, just like grandma would make. Like most mats, wash this cute mat on low spin cycle and air dry.
There is plenty of play features too, a function: with four linkable toys and two crisscrossing bars overhead baby will provide fascination for your baby to spend hours. reaching for toys or looking in the mirror from the comfort of a pillow and plush mat. To a Mum who grabs a knap this might seem more like minutes but who’s counting? The orange base for the bars makes folding and storage a cinch with a twist lock.
Your baby will usually be able to start using a play mat from six weeks to two months. Each product may differ though, so be sure to read the instructions. We’re all about helping you find the best products at the best prices, so follow the link if you want to check out more of sun selects’ recommendations. Enjoying our roundup of the best baby play mat gyms? Yes! Then do check out our websites parenting section for the best items at the best prices.
Check Current PriceTreetop Friends Baby Play Mat by Skip Hop
Fun, cute and customizable are words that best describe the Skip Hop Baby Treetop Friends activity gym. It takes about 2 minutes to assemble or disassemble this gym, making it ideal for people with limited space. It comes with an oversized mat that is soft and comfortable. The mat also has activities to keep your baby busy during tummy time.
A matching pillow has been included for support during tummy time. Other features we like are the 5 multi-sensory hanging toys, 17 developmental activities, and the adjustable patterned arches. The baby treetop friends activity gym is machine washable, foldable, and meets all the safety requirements resulting in any list of the best baby play mat gyms.
We began our research just like any new parent would—by checking various internet retailers and sources for products and reviews. It was overwhelming, at first, with what seemed like an endless selection of what seemed to be very similar products to choose from (at least 150 were considered).
Using our criteria for “good” and “great” playmats, we narrowed our search down to about 10 playmats and then ruled out several for various reasons, including lack of durability, ease of use, and safety issues. That left us with five mats we deemed really good. That being the case we decided to test them out with real-life parents and babies. These are the:
- Infantino Twist and Fold Activity Gym, the fisher-price kick and play piano gym,
- the SkipHop Treetop Friends Activity Gym,
- and the Baby Einstein Rhythm of the Reef Play Gym and the mat that wound up being our pick, the tiny love Gymini Sunny Day Activity Gym.
Gymini Deluxe Baby Play Mat by Tiny Love
As the name would suggest, this particular tiny love playmat is packed with lights and music to engage your little one and is a great choice of elephant play mat, because it features all the favourite wild animals on it as decoration, such as giraffes, zebra, elephant, and lion.
The tiny, Love Gemini also has a large mirror to keep your baby entertained and a plastic rattle. This is a great choice of play mat for newborn children, as it is packed with music and sensory developmental fun. The mat plays popular nursery music, and is colourful and engaging, supporting motor skill development, in terms of stretching, reaching, twisting, rolling, etc.
Bring out baby’s wild side with the jungle-themed Gymini Super Deluxe from Tiny Love. During tummy time, baby can activate the mat’s lights and music, gaze at their face in the mirror, or grab the 3d flowers.
The rattles and swinging animal toys on the archway entertain baby when on their back. The whole thing folds up and snaps together to take on a trip or tuck away at home. Available at Amazon.com, $59. 99 it's on our list of the best baby play mat gyms.
If I were buying a baby playmat today, I’d choose the Tiny Love Meadow Days Sunny Day Gymini Activity Gym. This play mat offers great features for both parents and babies and comes at a very reasonable, dare we say “cheap” price. However you look at it the play mat is one of those baby purchases you may think you won’t need, but end up being glad you got one. It’s convenient for parents to have a safe and stimulating spot to put the baby down for a few moments close at hand.
Check Current Price3-in-1 Baby Play Mat and Ball Pit by WYSWYG
Known for introducing classical music to babies, Baby Einstein branched out to toys including adorable animal-inspired play mats. The baby einstein 5-in-1 journey of discovery play mat brings the whole world to your baby in one play mat. The bright blue mat and colourful bars will delight your child along with the Ball Pit Play Option.
Sometimes, we don't really need a lot of things to keep our babies busy. There are instances where our babies just need the right thing at the right moment, like an infant play gym. You will definitely love this item because of its safety feature. This wide playmat for infants have walls that go up or down depending on whether you'd like your baby to play in a closed environment or just roll around freely. This works well as a tummy time mat with the walls up, that way, you're sure that your baby won't fall out of place. This converts as a ball pit for your child, and you will also love the thick padding on this one that if the walls go up, it will certainly keep your baby safe inside. The walls are sturdy enough to keep them inside, that way you are worry-free when it comes to your baby suddenly crawling out of this baby floor gym.
Infantino 4-in-1 Jumbo Baby Activity Gym and Ball Pit
At first glance, this looks like any other play gym. The Infantino 4-in-1 Jumbo Baby Activity Gym and Ball Pit are cute. You see the large sloth with little balls and you wonder why it’s there. Then, poof! You pop up the sides, release the balls from the sloth, and you’ve got yourself a pretty awesome baby ball pit. You’ve still got a soft mat with two arches overhead for when the baby is smaller and prefers to lay on their back for playtime. This Infantino baby jungle gym can really grow up with your baby.
Conclusion – Baby Play Mat Gyms 2020
Last but not least, we recommend that you explore Baby Village's Selection of Best Baby Play Mat Gyms. They are designed to entertain and engage your little one, aiding in sensory development, and making sure playtime is both educational and fun.
Provide your bundle of joy with hours of endless exploration with baby play mats and gyms. Set up your nursery or playroom with sturdy wood-framed gyms any toddler can lean up against. If your baby loves crawling around on your rugs and hardwood floors, choose plush play mats to cushion their back as they lay and play. Opt for a modern silhouette for a baby gym that can fit the style of your living or dining room. Don't forget the toys: stimulate your little one's senses and hang rattles, teethers and more from the gym's frame. Watch them wonder at the different textures, colours, sounds and shapes in their baby gym. When it's time to go on a walk or an errand run, bring their favourite hanging toys. Simply detach them from the mat and place on a stroller or car seat for fun on the go.
Conclusion – Baby Play Mat Gyms 2020
Baby play mats are one of the most highly recommended baby products by both parents and professionals. Physical therapists and occupational therapists often refer to the wide range of developmental benefits that play mats can offer. Not only do babies grow cognitively through the use of play mats, but there are tremendous benefits in visual perception, reaching and grasping skills, gross motor benefits, and self-awareness, as well as sensory stimulation and awareness. In addition, baby play mats can be incredibly versatile! The best Baby Play Mat Gyms are typically easy to clean and portable for travel or weekly trips to grandma’s house while providing a natural boundary for your little one’s play space. Many baby play gyms allow for customization by hanging extra links or other toys from the arches.
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