best play mats for babies

Best Play Mats for Babies and Toddlers in 2023

Discover the perfect blend of comfort, creativity, and safety with our extraordinary playmats, designed to enchant, educate, and nurture your little ones as they embark on their magical journey of exploration and growth

By Denise J. Milano
22 Min Read

11 Best Play Mats for Babies and Toddlers

Your baby will spend a significant amount of time on the play mat, so it’s essential to choose a high-quality product that offers both comfort and safety. To help you make an informed decision, we have compiled a list of the top 11 Best Play Mats for Babies in 2023.

When shopping for a play mat, remember to choose one made from safe, high-quality materials that are soft, comfortable, easy to clean, and appropriately sized for your baby or toddler.

Our Top Picks

With all of these factors in mind, Here are our top picks for the best play mats for babies and toddlers in 2023.

1. Bright Starts Disney Baby Finding Nemo Gym

  • Overall weight: 3.5 lbs
  • Material/Design: Polyester
  • Age range: birth to 18 months
  • Length/width/height: 32 x 36 x 18 inches

The Bright Starts Disney Baby Gym is an excellent choice for providing your child with a fun and interactive baby gym. This gym offers a variety of developmental activities and amusement for your child. Featuring a cheery stingray canopy with amusing characters from a well-known animated film.

Moreover, the gym features detachable toys that are perfect for on-the-go play, a soft prop pillow for tummy time and visual stimulation, and a Dory finger puppet to help engage your child in active playtime.

Why we like it

We recommend the Bright Starts Disney Baby Gym for its fun and interactive design, complete with colorful toys and activities that are sure to entertain babies and young children for hours.

✔ Goods

  • Detachable toys
  • Fun and engaging designs
  • Dory finger puppet for active playtime
  • Soft prop pillow for tummy time

✗ Bads

  • Requires batteries to operate
  • Potentially expensive depending on the model and features you choose

2. Fisher-Price Deluxe Kick & Play Piano Gym

  • Materials: Plastic
  • Overall weight: 4.79 pounds
  • Size: 36.02 x 27.01 x 17.99 inches
  • Recommended age range: 0-3 years

The Fisher-Price Deluxe Kick & Play Piano Gym and Maracas is a great interactive play mat for babies and toddlers. You can lay and play with your baby on the mat, bring the toys along with you for tummy time, or sit and play. 

You can even attach the keyboard to a stroller for on-the-go fun. The toys are brightly colored and made from high-quality materials.

Plus the soft mat is machine washable for easy cleaning. However, some parents may find that the toy is not very durable, especially when used by young children.

Why we like it

The Fisher-Price Deluxe Kick & Play Piano Gym is a great option for parents who want an interactive and fun baby toy set. It offers various ways to keep your little one entertained and engaged.

The bright colors and high-quality materials make it a safe and enjoyable choice for your baby.

✔ Goods

  • Interactive and engaging
  • Machine washable mat
  • Bright colors + high-quality materials

✗ Bads

  • Not very Durable

3. Tiny Love Meadow Days Super Play Mat

  • Item Weight: 1.9 pounds
  • Materials: Plush padding, satin ribbons
  • Product Dimensions: 59.06 x 39.37 x 0.79 inches

Looking for a fun, interactive play mat that your baby can enjoy both at home and on the go? Consider the Tiny Love Meadow Days Super Play Mat.

This play mat is a big developmental playground with fun activities and textures that will keep your child entertained for hours.

Its soft padding also makes it easy for you and your baby to lay and play together. It folds up easily into a compact size, making it an ideal choice for travel. With its cute carrot teether and plush padded mirror, this play mat also promotes facial recognition and motor skill development.

Why we like it

The Tiny Love Meadow Play Mat is a fun, interactive, and spacious developmental playground that will keep your baby fascinated and occupied for hours with its textures and soft cushioning, making it a great choice for your baby to enjoy.

✔ Goods

  • Machine-washable
  • Fun and engaging design
  • Easy to fold and transport
  • Promotes facial recognition and motor skill development

✗ Bads

  • Not be durable enough for frequent

4. Fisher-Price Rainforest Music & Lights Deluxe Gym

  • Battery life: 50 hours
  • Overall weight: 3.67 ounces
  • Battery type: 2 AA batteries
  • Dimensions: 30.5 x 32.51 x 27.5 inches

The Fisher-Price Rainforest Music & Lights Deluxe Gym is a versatile baby gym that provides multiple play settings and lots of fun toys and activities for babies of all ages.

Let’s discuss the play settings of the Rainforest Deluxe Gym. The first setting is “Lay & Play,” where babies can explore hanging toys and music, encouraging them to reach, bat, and play. The second setting is “Tummy Time,” and there is a toucan that can be removed and taken along.

Furthermore, the gym has sensory development features such as soft satiny mat borders and large crinkle leaves. Plus, it has up to 50 hours of battery life, making it an ideal toy for busy parents.

Why we like it

We love the Fisher-Price Rainforest Music & Lights Deluxe Gym for its versatility and endless entertainment for babies of all ages, both at home and on the go.

It also features sensory development and long battery life, making it a great choice for parents seeking an engaging and long-lasting toy.

✔ Goods

  • Sensory development features
  • Variety of fun and engaging activities
  • Versatile, suitable for at-home and on-the-go
  • Long battery life for extended playtime

✗ Bads

  • Toys may be too small or fragile for younger babies
  • It may not be as durable as some other baby gym options

5. Lupantte Baby Gym Play Mat with 9 Toys

  • Material: Cotton
  • Weight: 2.72 pounds
  • Batteries: None required
  • Dimensions: 17.09 x 11.22 x 5.83 inches

Do you want to encourage your baby’s development with a fun and engaging play mat? Let’s start by discussing the Lupantte Baby Gym Play Mat with 9 toys for sensory and motor skill development.

It is made from high-quality materials and provides a soft and smooth surface that babies will enjoy playing on. This Mat features a large tree design with a ball pit and four colorful balls, capturing your baby’s attention and helping stimulate their senses. 

It also has nine removable toys, including a sound toy bear, a mirror for self-discovery, colorful balls, and clouds for tactile play.

Why we like it

It is perfect for parents who want to provide their babies with fun and engaging sensory, motor, and cognitive stimulation. If you are looking for a fun and exciting way to help your baby develop essential skills, this is an unbeatable option!

✔ Goods

  • Made from high-quality fabrics
  • Easily assembles and disassembles for on-the-go play
  • Fun and engaging sensory, motor, and cognitive stimulation
  • The multifunctional design supports important development skills

✗ Bads

  • Too small for some babies
  • Some parents may find the toys a bit loud

6. Baby Care Sound Playmat

  • Warranty: 2 years
  • Material type: Foam
  • Weight: 22.4 pounds
  • Dimensions: 56.3 x 8.5 x 8.5 inches

Do you want something that keeps your child safe and comfortable while they play? Look no further than the Baby Care Play Mat.

This versatile and reversible mat is ideal for tummy times, toddlerhood, tumbling, family yoga, and more. Thanks to its innovative cushioning that prevents breakage even if an egg is dropped from 10ft.

It is also a hygienic choice for your child’s play area due to its waterproof and easy-to-clean design. Moreover, the mat is made from non-toxic materials and comes with a free two-year warranty. Its large size and convenient roll-up design make it easy to manage and store.

Why we like it

We love the Baby Care Play Mat because of its superior cushioning, anti-slip design, and hygienic construction. This is the ideal option if you want your children to play in a secure and pleasant atmosphere.

✔ Goods

  • Durable and versatile design
  • Superior cushioning that prevents breakage
  • Anti-slip design for safe and comfortable play
  • Hygienic construction to minimize the risk of germs and bacteria

✗ Bads

  • Need to purchase additional accessories or mats for larger or more active children

7. Baby Einstein 5-in-1 Journey of Discovery Activity Gym

  • Weight: 1.76 pounds
  • Battery life: 300 hours
  • Dimensions: 47 x 40 x 18 inches
  • Material: 90% polyester, 10% plastic

Looking for an activity gym that grows with your baby and encourages development at every stage? The Baby Einstein 5-in-1 Activity Gym & Play Mat is a perfect choice.

This activity gym has five settings to support your baby’s development and 20 minutes of music and sounds with a global theme to captivate and engage your little one. Plus, it comes with a puppet, prop pillow, and take-along toys for your baby to explore and learn.

Why we like it

In our opinion, this is one of the best baby play mats on the market. It offers a wide range of developmental benefits and encourages exploration and learning at every stage.

The mat has folding sides that can be used to create a ball pit, a machine-washable surface for easy cleaning, and engaging music and sounds. This makes it a great choice for gifting new parents or entertaining your baby.

✔ Goods

  • Versatile and engaging
  • Includes music, sounds, and a variety of toys
  • Machine-washable Mat for easy cleanup

✗ Bads

  • Some parents may find the music a bit loud and distracting
  • It may be challenging to assemble initially

8. Bright Starts 5-in-1 Baby Activity Play Gym

  • Item weight: 1.9 pounds
  • Age range: Newborn and up
  • Material: 60% Fabric, 10% Plastic
  • Product dimensions: 30 x 44.5 x 21 inches

This ball pit play gym grows with your child and comes with 40 balls in a rainbow carrying case for easy storage and portability. Plus, the mat is machine washable, and the toys can be wiped clean easily, ensuring effortless maintenance.

Moreover, you can drop balls through the mesh canopy hole or let your baby practice motor skills by rolling or passing them back and forth. And if that wasn’t enough, a cheerful elephant toy lights up and plays for 20+ minutes, plus it detaches for on-the-go fun!

Why we like it

We love the Grow-With-Me Ball Pit Play Gym because it keeps little ones entertained, and promotes motor skills, sensory development, and creative play. Check it out for an engaging and fun toy for your child!

✔ Goods

  • Easy to clean and maintain
  • Detachable elephant toy that lights up and plays music
  • Convenient storage and portability with a rainbow carrying case
  • Fun and interactive design promotes motor skills and sensory development

✗ Bads

  • Some users find the toy to be a bit small for older children

9. The Play Gym by Lovevery Play Mat

  • Materials: cotton
  • Item weight: 7.6 lbs
  • Dimensions: 43 x 38 x 24 inches
  • Weight recommendations: 25 lbs

Looking for a way to promote your baby’s physical, cognitive, visual, and motor development? Look no further than the Play Gym by Lovevery.

This play mat has five Montessori-inspired zones for extra stimulation and can provide your baby with a full year of play. It includes a guide for age-appropriate activities to promote brain and motor skill development, removable accessories for stage-based learning, and adjustable clips that allow for easy setup and takedown without tools.

Furthermore, it can also be used during tummy time, side-lying, or other positions to engage your baby’s senses and prevent flat spots.

Why we like it

The Lovevery Play Gym encourages a year of development and learning in babies with its Montessori-inspired design, removable accessories, and adjustable display clips.

It’s ideal for promoting your baby’s physical, cognitive, visual, and motor skills and is a safe and engaging choice for parents.

✔ Goods

  • Made from high-quality
  • Easy to set up and take down with no tools required
  • Innovative design that promotes learning and development
  • Adjustable display clips for visual stimulation at every angle

✗ Bads

  • The price is a bit high

10. Fisher-Price Honey Bee Music & Lights Gym

  • Material: Cotton
  • Batteries required: Yes
  • Item weight: 5.34 pounds
  • Product dimensions: 31 x 35 x 21 inches

This baby Gym is a fun and interactive playmat that engages your infant’s senses with its variety of repositionable toys. Whether your baby is learning to sit up, practice tummy time, or enjoy some quiet playtime, this gym has something for them.

With its soft jingle bear, music & lights beehive, honeypot rattle, and other fun toys, your baby will stay entertained and engaged as they explore and discover their world.

Plus, it has six different toys to choose from, and the playmat is machine-washable for easy cleaning. The toys are repositionable, so you can move them around to suit your baby’s growing needs.

Why we like it

This baby gym is a fun and interactive playmat that engages your baby’s senses with repositionable toys. The variety of toys will keep your baby entertained and the honey bee theme is sure to delight. It’s a high-quality infant playmat that we highly recommend to parents.

✔ Goods

  • Machine-washable Mat for easy cleaning
  • Fun honey bee theme that delights little ones
  • Easy to use and great for parents on the go
  • Variety of repositionable toys for endless playtime possibilities

✗ Bads

  • The price is a bit high for an infant playmat

11. Teytoy Baby Cotton Playmat

  • Material: Fabric
  • Weight: 1.63 lbs
  • Dimensions: 7.87 x 9.84 x 3.94 inches
  • Special Feature: ‎Easy to Clean, Non-Slip, Soft

The final product on our list is the baby cotton play mat. With its large size and soft fabric, this mat is perfect for protecting your baby from the floor while they crawl or play.

The colorful graphics on the rug enhance your child’s visual and cognitive skills. The non-slip bottom keeps the carpet secure and your child safe. It’s easy to store and clean, making it a great choice for parents looking for a safe play area for their children.

Why we like it

We love this baby cotton play mat for its large size, soft fabric, and bright graphics that promote your child’s cognitive and visual skills. Plus, the sturdy non-slip bottom ensures safety for your child while they play, making it a perfect play mat for your little one.

✔ Goods

  • Suitable for any place
  • Perfect Protection area
  • Easy to store and clean
  • Soft Thick Material and Anti-Slip Back

✗ Bads

  • None

What To Look For In A PlayMat?

There are several factors to consider when looking for the Best Play Mats for Babies and Toddlers.

Safety

Safety should always be the first priority whenever we buy anything, so look for a play mat that is non-toxic and made from high-quality materials. It can be tempting to buy a cheaper mat, but your child’s safety should always be the top priority.

Comfort

Comfort is an important consideration when choosing a play mat for your child. Look for a soft and comfortable mat that will provide them with maximum comfort during playtime.

A cushioned mat can also offer protection against falls and injuries. Prioritizing your child’s comfort is key when selecting a high-quality play mat.

Design

Look for a play mat with bright and colorful graphics to engage your child’s senses and aid their development. A well-designed mat can improve visual and cognitive skills, giving your child a head start.

Variety of Activities

When choosing a play mat, consider the available activities. Some mats have toys that can be moved, which can entertain children. Others may have lights and sounds that engage their senses and contribute to their development.

Ease of Use

Finally, consider the ease of use of the play mat. Is it easy to clean and store? Does it have a non-slip bottom for safety? Is it lightweight and portable? These considerations can help you find safe and easy-to-use play mats for your babies or toddlers.

FAQs

Q. What is the best type of Playmat for Babies and Toddlers?

Different families have different preferences when it comes to playmats, so there is no definitive answer. However, some good options to consider include cushioned and non-toxic mats with repositionable toys, lights/sounds, and easy cleaning and storage.

Q. How can i ensure my baby or toddler stays safe while playing on a mat?

Choose a safe and durable play mat with a slip-resistant bottom to prevent accidents. Choose a mat with colorful graphics to stimulate your child’s senses and development. To reduce injury risks, consider adding protective padding underneath the mat.

Q. How can i choose the best play mat for my child’s developmental needs?

The age of your child is one of the most important factors to consider, as this can help you to choose a play mat that is appropriate for their stage of development. You should also look for a carpet that has engaging graphics and activities.

Bottom Line

Overall, there are many options available for parents looking for the Best Play Mats or toy sets for babies. We suggest our top 11 picks, but ultimately the best choice for your child will depend on their individual preferences and needs.

Consider factors such as age range, materials, interactive options, and durability before making a decision. We hope that this guide will help you in choosing the Best Play Mats for your babies. Happy shopping!