Baby activity mats are useful from the very first newborn days, but it’s babies aged between three to six months old who get the most out of the sounds, textures and visuals that an activity mat offer.
It’s this age that your baby is beginning to develop their hand-eye coordination. These are skills that the grasping for the hanging parts of the mat are useful for. While they are not so mobile this is great exercise for your little one, because once they begin to crawl, you’ll have a difficult time keeping them still for very long!
As well as being a wonderland for infant play, your baby activity mat is perfect for tummy time which is essential for:
Strengthening baby’s neck and shoulder muscles
Developing motor skills
Preventing back-of-the-head flattening
You’ll find some great baby activity mats that offer a variety of visuals, sounds and textures for your baby in the gallery below.
3 of the best activity mats for your baby
Tomy Lamaze Space Symphony Gym
The Tomy Lamaze Space Symphony Gym, $99.99, features unique music and motion bringing toys to life for auditory and visual stimulation. Other features include toys, crinkles and jingles during 15 minutes of music and motion to encourage baby’s development.
Mamas & Papas Playmat & Tummy Time Octopus
The Mamas & Papas Playmat & Tummy Time Octopus, $139.99, has nine interactive features to encourage and stimulate.
Babies”r”Us Bruin Garden Patch Kickin’ Keys Gym
The Babies”r”Us Bruin Garden Patch Kickin’ Keys Gym, $49.99, features four different play modes with a fun keyboard to play music with bub’s feet.
