As a new parent, you may be wondering if a play mat is really necessary for your newborn.
After all, your baby will spend most of their time sleeping and feeding, so why do they need a dedicated space to play?
In this article, we will explore the benefits of a play mat for newborns and why it is an essential addition to your baby’s nursery or playroom.
Play mats provide a safe and comfortable place for babies to play and develop their senses
Play mats can support a baby’s early learning and development
Play mats are versatile and can be used for a variety of activities and are easily portable for parents on the go.
Playmats are some of the best baby toys and accessories you could have. Playmats provide a soft and safe environment for babies and toddlers to play and explore the world around them. Some parents use playmats as their portable entertainment that also foster early development.
Activity mats or play mats are probably one of the most versatile children accessories you can buy on the market. You can use them at home or on-the-go because of their portability. Most playmats are easy to clean which is very convenient especially for busy parents. And these playmats provide protection against cold hard floors, dusts, germs and bacteria.
There are many benefits to having a playmat. You can use one to put your baby on for tummy time. Tummy time is encouraged for newborn babies to prevent developing a flat head and for the development of their neck and shoulder muscles. Strengthening the neck and shoulders would allow babies to crawl when they grow older which is a considered one of the most important developmental milestones. Most playmats are brightly coloured and a good way to improve a baby’s visual acuity
Playmats also provide a clean and safe surface for babies and toddlers to play their favourite toys. You can put your baby on a playmat and play games that help her develop her hand eye coordination and fine motor skills. For example, you can dangle a soft toy like a doll or a plushie in front of her and have her reach for it or kick it. Fine motor skills are some of the essential skills that should be developed at a young age. These skills are more precise in nature and would help children perform purposeful movements and actions when they grow older.
When she starts to crawl, fill the playmat with educational toys that are soft. You can put her favourite animal plushie or rattle. Letting her crawl on the playmat gives her a sense of freedom and allows her to freely explore her surroundings. Playmats somehow encourage babies to crawl and use their legs and arms which are good for developing muscle strength. It prepares them for the next development milestones such as sitting upright. Gross motor skills are important to develop at an early age. These skills allow us to do simple actions like standing, walking, jumping, running and more. Depending on what your child can do, a playmat is a good accessory to use for developing gross motor skills. Babies fall several times before they could learn how to sit or stand. Playmats, especially those made with foam provide cushion.
When buying a playmat, choose something that you can use as teaching tools for lessons later on. For instance, there are many playmats that feature animal prints or numbers or alphabets. These are great playmats to stimulate your baby visually and at the same can be used later on for teaching her about the alphabet, colours and basic numeracy.
Check out our blog post: The 10 Best Baby Play Mats and Play Gyms to gain our specialist advice on the best infant play mats.
Next Up: When Can a Baby Use a Playmat?
