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Recommendations for playmats

Hi

Hope you don't mind me gatecrashing. Have just posted this in pregnancy but thought posting it in here would be good as well as you all have little ones and therefore maybe using playmats/gyms already.

I finished work on Friday (Woo Hoo) and work kindly had a collection for us and gave us some money. I would like to buy a play mat for baby with the money and was looking for some recommendations.

I quite like the look of the lotty babyplay light and sound play mat and gym from M&Ps Not sure why - possible because it looks so colourful. Our nursery is the hodge podge range from M&Ps. I have looked at the playmat in the hodge podge range but not keen on it as it looks quite boring but then a friend told me it had come top in some survey so wondering if there is something special about it that I am not aware off?

Any other recommendations? What sort of things should I be looking out for?

Thanks
Catherine
33+6

Replies

  • Hi Catherine
    OMG i've just bought my DD (9 weeks old) the Lotty Ladybird one from M&P na di have to say it's fantastic!!! She absolutely loves it too and laughs her head off at the toys that hang overhead (which you can also remove). It's lovely and soft & cosy too, the music's really good and i just think it's brilliant.
    I'd bought the Fisher Price Rainforest one a few weeks and have to say i just didn't like it, the feel of it was a bit weird and it didn;t "do" much whereas Lotty is fab. Well recommended and it's on offer atm too xxx
  • i had the mamas and papas dinosaur playmat for my son (14 weeks) and whilst it was fab while he was a newborn as was really padded and comfy it just does not entertain him in the slightest anymore.

    I brought the fisher price rainforest playmat last week and he loves it, i just found it has so much more to entertain him he loves the music and the lights.

    so my reccomendation would be for the fisherprice mat but i have to say think it would have overwhelmed him a little bit at first!

    rach and ollie xxx

    xxx

    xxx
  • We have the lottie playmat, and Hannah hates it! The things over her head scare her, and the music makes her cry. She is normally a happy smiley baby, this is the only thing I have ever seen her dislike! She prefers lying on her changing mat, or a cosy nest. Its a lot of money to spend out, I wish I had waited and tried out a few before I had bought it!
  • My Lo loved the rainforest lights and sounds playgym for 6 months. So much to do and he loved the baby activated feature. Definitely one of my top buys xx
  • I think i have found the perfect playmat! Ds is now 5 months and we are on our 3rd one!

    The first was a soft padded one with a double arch with soft toys hanging down. This was great for the first few weeks but it was difficult to wash (if they are sicky it may need washing 2-3 times a week) and took ages to dry. It also didn't entertain him enough past 5-6 weeks old.

    The 2nd one was the travel playgym from Babies R Us. This was fab. Much easer to clean and he could actually reach the toys so had something to 'bat'. This meant he was happy to lie there and 'play' rather than me having to shake the toys for him.

    The 3rd one is the best and i wouldn't have needed the others had i bought this one first! It's the Tiny Love one with lights and sounds. The mat is easily washable and dries overnight (easy just to sponge clean small spills!) The arches are much lower so baby can reach toys. It has the holes so you can add extra rings and change the toys as your baby develops. I love it and so does ds!!!

    http://www.mothercare.com/Tiny-Love-interactive-gym-mat/dp/B001C5317G/sr=1-3/qid=1261386321/ref=sr_1_3/279-7736598-7648839?_encoding=UTF8&m=A2LBKNDJ2KZUGQ&n=42764041&mcb=core
  • Hi,

    Our son got the Lotty play gym as a present when he was about 4 weeks old and loved lying looking up at the toys, even though he couldn't reach them. He is now 3 months old and is happy bashing away at them. He seems to find it really comfy. He gets very excited and waves all his arms and legs about!

    At 4 weeks old image

    http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs084.snc3/15136_170092891077_567881077_3294517_7854547_n.jpg



    I do try not to put him on it just after feeding though as it does look like it would be a nightmare to get sick off, I agree.

    [Modified by: thistle on December 21, 2009 10:35 AM]

  • Thanks everyone!

    Can't believe how mind boggling it all is! May wait till baby arrives and see if there is somewhere I can try them out first!

    Catherine
    35+2
  • G/c from pregnancy!
    I've bought the tiny love sound and lights one based on 2 friend's recommendations and from seeing one of my friend's with her lo playing on it - its got a big mirror to encourage them to lift their head and you can keep it interesting by changing the toys.
    I picked one up off ebay as the mat is machine washable and i plan to wash the toys by hand.
    My friend does however put a blanket underneath it as she has wooden floors and that makes it much more comfy
  • We have a playmat that is literally just the mat. We have a gym thing too and a jumperoo but the mat we have is literally just that and it's great. It's really big so now my son is 6 months and shuffling around it is still big enough. We take it when we go to friends houses for the day or away for weekends so that we don't have to put him down on hard floors or carpets that he might sick up on. One of our best buys, love it!
    http://s7v1.scene7.com/is/image/JohnLewis/230595376?$product$


    From John Lewis http://www.johnlewis.com/230595376/Product.aspx
    And you can chuck it in the washing machine.

    [Modified by: treacle28 on December 30, 2009 09:49 PM]

  • I have to say we had the Tummy Time travel mat when Oscar was tiny (think it's the one katstar is referring to and O loved it from about 3-4 weeks old! Then at 4ish months we got the Bright Starts one on recommendation from MummyStephe and he still plays in it now at 14 months. Can't recommend that one highly enough! Xx
  • we have the bright starts (mothercare) play place - Ollie LOVED(S) it!!!! He used it for about 8 months, then when he was a bit older we put some balls into it and made it a ball pit (which you cant do with many others as they are either too small or dont have rigid-ish sides). He used that till a month or so before MJ was born, then she used it until last month, and in another couple of months (when we've worked out where to put the xmas toys :lol: ) she'll have it again as a ball pit.

    If you ask me it was MORE than worth the extra bit of money we spent!

    It has loads of toys for them, inc a mirror - and the best was a portable lullaby and lights ladybug - we put it on the car seat even now and it help to keep her entertained and happy in the car image

    xxx

    http://www.mothercare.com/Bright-Starts-Babys-play-place/dp/B000TSMFGK?_encoding=UTF8&
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