Whether you call it the play gym, playmat, activity gym, or activity mat, they serve the same purpose, which is to offer a fun spot for your baby to play, chill, and learn. Your little one will grow up within months and soon move from the cosiness of your arms to the floor, and require more than rocking, swaddling and skin-to-skin time.
This is why many parents choose to invest in activity playmats for babies where their babies play and learn between numerous naps, nappy changes, and feeds. The best part about the mat is that it is suitable for babies from their birth to a few years. When your child is up to 6 months old, they are discovering their independence, developing hand-eye coordination, as well as gaining reaching and grasping skills.
But choosing a suitable playmat can be a difficult task. There are so many options available that new parents tend to get overwhelmed with so many choices. These mats come in different sizes, themes, shapes, and a wide range of attractive toys that spark the imagination of your tiny tot and encourage their motor skills. Therefore, we have curated a list of the best playmats for babies U.K, so that, you can easily buy the right one.
Table of Contents
Top 10 Playmats For Babies
1.MAIJIXIDE Early Education Activity Gym Play Mat Toy with Piano Playmat with Light and Sound Learning Carpet with Rattles for Newborn & 0 Month Old Baby Boys and Girls,Blue
This musical mat is made of soft material and has a dome-shaped stand with 6 different rattles as well as a piano at one end. The best part about the mat is that the piano makes sounds and lights up as your baby hits it. This will encourage your baby to kick more and explore the functioning of their legs.
To tempt your baby to use their hands, the arched rod is lined with numerous colourful rattles that are made of high-quality plastic. The mat of this playmat is made of very soft material and can be folded. Even the piano is detachable. This makes it easy to carry the mat everywhere with you. Moreover, if your baby grows out of the mat, you can still give them the piano to play with. The piano has 5 nursery rhymes, 3 modes, and a volume adjusting switch.
Overall, this product is worth the money. Various bright colours, high-quality materials, and versatility make it a great buy. This play gym weighs only 1.2 kg and its dimensions are 72.5 x 60 x 47 cm. So, this playmat is suitable for small babies only. However, it is an amazing product to help the baby to learn faster, keep them engaged, and enhance their body movements.
2. Tech Traders New Born Baby Discovery Carpet for Infants, Toddlers, Newborn
This adorable weightless mat by Tech Traders has enticing animal prints, music, sounds, and innumerable bright colours to keep your baby engaged. Due to its fair size (81 x 81cm), it can be used by babies up to 36 months as well, and even by twins. This soft mat has two flexible semi-circle poles, which have various attachments and a mirror. The colourful rattles attached to the poles will encourage your tiny tot to grab them and help to develop their hand-eye coordination. Moreover, the toys attached to the bendable rods are made of high-quality plastic and cloth.
The baby will also learn to grasp, kick, and push the toys hanging on the poles by playing on this mat. When your baby will grow a little older, they will be tempted to take the toys out of the rings, which will further improve their motor skills. Even if you wash the mat in your washing machine, its vibrant prints will not fade. So, this play gym is easy to maintain. If you are looking for cheap playmats for babies, this would be a decent choice.
3. Baby Playmat for New Born Babies and Toddlers, Discovery Carpet for Infants, New Born
If you are looking for big playmats for babies, this one wouldn’t be the right choice. But this mat is supremely good for newborn babies. The base of the mat is made of soft foam and has zebra, elephant, lion, etc. printed in bright hues, which works well to keep the baby occupied during their tummy time. The chimes and rattles of the same animals are attached to the removable arches attached to the mats, along with a mirror. This will improve your little one’s visual stimulation.
The mat also has a cushion on one side to provide support to your little one’s head when they are lying on their back. They can even put their arms on the cushion and peek around while lying on their tummies. The mat is perfect for cultivating your baby’s confidence and curiosity. The rattles and toys attached to this play gym are made of cloth, which is a lot safer than plastic for a baby. And if anything spills on the mat accidentally, you can wash it in your washing machine. The mat is also easy to fold, which means you can carry it conveniently anywhere.
Moreover, the total weight of the mat is not even more than 1 kg and it is compact in size. The dimensions of this mat are 100 x 100 cm and it is of a round shape. You do not even have to buy any batteries because this mat does not have any light or sound function. This pretty mat falls in the category of cheap playmats for babies.
4. TEMI Baby Gyms and Activity Playmat Kick and Play Piano Gym Center with Music and Lights
If you are looking for foam playmats for babies, your search should stop here. This value-for-money play gym has everything your newborn needs. The playmat has four different modes of playing for your little one – lay and play (for initial months, tummy time play (after your baby starts turning), sit and play (for babies above 6 months), and kick and play.
This blue coloured mat with owls and moon hangings is adorable to look at and features a musical piano keyboard. The hanging toys work well for gripping and kicking experiences to develop motor skills. Moreover, whenever your tiny tot will kick and hit the huge piano keys, they will be rewarded with melodious tunes and flashing lights. The piano has 3 sound selections, including melodies, tones, and music.
Overall, this soothing play gym has several activities for a baby’s sensory perception development. The various colours, textures, and patterns present on the mat will encourage the kid’s visual development as well as boost their imagination. The padded and soft mat will keep your offspring comfortable, safe, and occupied, while you can have your private time rejuvenating yourself.
This product weighs 1.5 kg and can feel a little heavy. Its piano and toys are detachable, and you can put the mat inside your washing machine to clean it. Unlike other musical mats, this one comes with 3 LR44 batteries.
5. Tech Traders Baby Playmat, Play Gym, Activity Gym for New Born Babies and Toddlers
If you are looking for activity playmats for babies who are very young and can hurt themselves by toys made of plastic, this would be the right mat. This playmat is shaped like a flower, is light pink in colour, and has lots of white, pink and purple doodles. The two rods attached to the mat have two soft toys – a honeybee and a sunflower. They also have two other hanging toys made of plastic, which will make a noise when the baby will hit them.
The play gym is suitable for letting the baby explore their leg and hand movements freely, as well as reach out to cultivating curiosity. The mat will encourage the baby to kick, reach, crawl, and strengthen their arms, legs, neck and tummy muscles.
6. Red Kite Baby Peppermint Trail Play Gym
This would probably be the most amusing option out of all the cheap playmats for babies. The animal-themed play gym with subtle colours will be an investment for you. It is safe for newborn babies and can be used by them for a long time. This may be converted into a flat mat, a nest, and a play gym.
You have the option of sealing all the boundaries and make it into a nest. You can then fill this cosy nest with vibrant balls, which come with this playmat. The toy arches have 5 dangling attachments, including a mirror, and four soft toys. You will also get a circular storage bag with the mat, in which you can store your kid’s toys and the mat’s attachments.
The playmat is made using thick foam and feels very comfortable. You do not have to put a carpet below this mat, and can directly put it on your floor. The activity toys will tempt your child to grab them, pull them, and kick them. This will develop their body movement and hand-eye coordination.
7. Winthome Baby Playmat Round, Non-Slip Gym Playmat Toy Storage – Washable Crawling Mat
This mat falls under the category of large playmats for babies U.K. and is an ideal gift for baby showers, expecting parents, Christmas, birthdays, and other occasions. It is suitable for infants, toddlers, and kids up to 7 years. The mat is round in shape and has an interesting pattern printed on it, which would keep your tiny tot immersed during their tummy time. Additionally, the design has narrow roads on which your kid can run their cars. This will improve their cognitive skills.
Moreover, it is a great choice if you are looking for foam playmats for babies, and has an anti-slip technology. So, playmat is suitable for crawling, rolling, sleeping, sitting, learning to walk, and playing. It does not come with any rattles, soft toys, or sound and light features. However, this huge mat will add to the quirkiness of the room and would act as a decorative piece.
This 59-inch mat doubles up as the portable storage bag as well, where you can store your kid’s toys. This is possible because of its drawstring feature. So, even if your toddler has scattered a lot of toys on the mat, you can collect them easily why pulling the drawstring. This would be highly useful during sudden visits from friends, family members, and your spouse’s colleagues.
8. Tiny Love Super Mat, Large Activity Playmat Suitable from Birth, 150 x 100 cm, Meadow Days
This mat is amongst the best big playmats for babies due to its huge size and interesting design. The rectangular mat is made of soft foam and has sufficient padding, which means your baby would be completely safe and comfortable on the mat.
When your baby is 1 or 2 months old, you can lie down on the mat with your baby and enjoy the playtime and bonding time together. The soft texture of the top layer will not cause any harm to your baby’s delicate skin. The mat has a mirror as well, which will stimulate your little one to extend the tummy time when they grow a little older. When your baby is trying to sit or walk, they will fall multiple times during a day. But the soft padding will protect their head.
The playmat offers a lot of space to your tiny tot to roll around, practice tummy time, and strengthen their upper body muscles. The mat has various other features like a crinkly fox tail, satin ribbons, hooks for adding other toys, teether, peek-a-boo design, and a pocket. This will keep your child engaged for a long time and let them learn new things every day. The mat has a button and loop mechanism, which makes it very easy to fold the mat and carry it anywhere you want to. This also makes cleaning the mat convenient.
9. LAMAZE Freddie the Firefly Baby Activity Playmat, 3-in-1 Baby Gym with 3 Sensory Toys for Babies
You might be looking for cheap playmats for babies to give as a gift. But low prices generally mean poor quality. However, this is not the case with Lamaze’s play gym. This mat is suitable for a small baby because its functionality will grow as the baby gets older. The child can lay and play, then enjoy their tummy time, as well as sit and play on this mat.
The mat has an arched rod that has three dangling sensory toys for the baby to focus on and reach for when laying on their back. There is also a discovery mirror, teether, and a toy. For the kid’s safety, the mat also has a cushion to provide support during their tummy time. The colourful mat will encourage your child to discover body movements, shapes, colours, and help them learn through sensory development.
10. Bebe Style 4-in-1 Animal World Playmat
This is amongst the best playmats for babies U.K. because it can be used for a long time. Initially, when your baby is small, you can keep the boundaries raised to keep your baby cosy and safe. Then, as your baby grows, you can open the boundaries and convert the small nest into a sizeable playmat.
The arches are removable and have 5 animal-themed hanging toys, including one musical monkey toy. The mat is made using thick padding, which makes it a super comfortable surface for curious tummy time. The mat is vibrant, has lots of animals and colours, and can be folded. So, carrying it around is convenient.
Best Playmats For Babies U.K. – Buyer’s Guide
After reading about the features of all these playmats mentioned above, you might have gained an idea about which mat you should buy. However, if you are still struggling because of all of their similar characteristics, we have compiled a buyer’s guide to help you choose the best playmat for your little one.
Size – Always look at the dimensions of the playmat and make sure it is sufficiently big, so that your child can play with it for at least several months. There is no point in buying a mat suitable for newborns up to 6 months if your tiny tot is five months old.
Features – The playmat should have hanging toys, a mirror, rattles or battery-operated musical toys like piano, and lighting effect. This will ensure that all the senses (seeing, hearing, touching) are developed. Furthermore, your newborn will try to grab or kick the dangling toys, and this will be a great way to strengthen their muscles and encourage body movement.
Padding – The comfort of a playmat is defined by its padding. If the mat has thick padding, your little one will have a comfortable time while lying on their tummy. Moreover, when your child learns to walk or sit, they will fall several times every day. This means they can easily get hurt due to the flooring. But if the mat is thickly padded, all those bumps and falls would not cause any injury. So, padding also ensures the safety of your loved one.
Lightweight – The arched rods, the toys, and the seams of the mat should not be sturdy or heavy. They can hurt your little one. But if these attachments are lightweight, soft, and flexible, your baby will be completely safe. A lightweight mat is also portable.
Foldable – The playmat should be foldable, which will ensure it is easy to clean. You can fold the mattress, store it anywhere, carry it with you, or toss in your washing machine for cleaning. You won’t get such flexibility with a non-foldable mat.
Conclusion
We hope our comprehensive guide has helped you choose the best playmat for your little one. We have aimed to make a list of the top-notch products, and all the ones discussed above are worth every penny you will spend. After all, even we want the best for your tiny tot and keep them cosy, safe, occupied, and relaxed.
