Ladies -
I need your help in getting the right foam play mats. We have hardwood floors, and the downstairs neighbors have complained about the noise our little crawler and his wood blocks and stacking rings have made.
Please don't suggest rugs. We actually put our carpets away because we were tired of having to scrub and wash them.
I think foam play mats are probably our best choice.
I bought some alphabet puzzle ones from a 99c store. You get what you pay for because they are thin, don't interlock well at all, and the puzzle pieces come up easily.
I'd now like to get oversized plain ones say 24" square each or bigger and without any fiddly little pieces to get lost.
When assembled I'd like for them to total at least 6' x 6'.
Any suggestions on what to buy? Color isn't terribly important.
Lastly, we'll have to do this via online shopping. So send your websites ladies.
Thanks
I got one of the alphabet one the big one. I wouldn't suggest that either. They are nice but when you step on them the letters pop out and I am always looking for a G or something. Get the ones that are not seperated.
I was looking into these. High quality:
http://www.getrung.com/10mm.html
but these hardwood floor looking ones seem nice too:
http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId...
I do most of my online shopping at amazon, particularly because of the reviews. Since you don't get to see it in person yourself before buying it is nice to hear what other people that bought it have to say. Here are several to take a look at:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_12?url=search-al...
This is the one we have at home and I think it works great. I have found that while it does get dirty it is easily cleaned. My kids love it and it is big enough to cover a good area. It may not be as thick as you would like it but it provides an adequate amount of cushion for on top of our non-carpeted floors. It is a little on the expensive side but well worth it in my opinion.
Just saw some at Walmart for $5 per set; they're much thicker than the dollar store ones.
If all else fails, try a preschool website that sells preK supplies. We've gotten some from there in the past, but they were much pricier.
I think those foam pads get dirty even more quickly than rugs, and there's not really a good way to wash them so you'll probably end up throwing them out and replacing them a lot.
We now have an indoor/outdoor rug in our family room that you can literally take outside and hose down, and it looks really nice! Got it from Crate & Barrel. That may be another option?
I saw these in-store and they are nice and thick. The price is reasonable, the mats are 4' X 4' when all pieces (which are 12' X 12") are interlocked, so you can get 2 sets for the coverage you need. They also come in other styles: Dora, Faeries, SpongeBob, Cars, etc, so you can choose something you like.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Disney-Toy-Story-Soft-EVA-Floor...
I'm getting a set or 2 once we set up the toddler bed : )
How old is your little one? Keep in mind that these foam play mats will come apart if your child chews on them. And there is a risk of your child swallowing foam bits too.
There are really thick yoga mats that are more durable than play mats. They're long and skinny though, so you might need two or three. They're a little pricey too. (I think $20+ each?) But if you do yoga too, then you can use them too.
Check out the daycare and learning stores for high quality mats. www.lakeshorelearning.com is one of them. But, my guess is that you'll find what you need for cheaper somewhere else, but at least that's a start.
Best of luck!
Hi!
Greatmats.com has well, great mats! We bought ours from them and couldn't be happier. They came quickly, were reasonably priced, are durable and cute! You can pick from a selection they have or custom make your own depending on which colors or sizes you need.
Hope this helps! Good luck!
I agree about foam mats getting dirty and being non-washable (in addition to the chewing issue). I started off with foam mats, but hated having to put the pieces together/trying to clean/watching out for bites taken out. We ended up with something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Dwinguler-Eco-friendly-Kids-Play-Ma...
They're amazing at blocking sound and are super comfy/cushy. They're super easy to wipe down/clean, and they're very durable. We've had ours in our daughter's room for 1.5 years and it still looks brand new. It's a bit pricey, but so totally worth it. I'm planning on buying another one (or two) for when we have baby #2!
http://www.toysrus.com/search/index.jsp?sr=1&f=Taxono...
Go down a little and there are some with numbers and such. They seem to be pretty big!
