Photo: Getty Images Two things should be noted right away.Although 0+ is written on all the rugs, the newborn baby has nothing to do in it - the gaze is not focused, there is nothing to reach with the handles and legs, and the unfamiliar sound will only scare. Therefore, it is worth thinking about purchasing it after the child is three months old. And second - the rug will not take your baby for half a day. At best, if you switch your attention from the hanging tweeter to the music, the toddler will lie on it for about twenty minutes, ten of which will demand his mother next to him. Usually these are rugs with a bright image, built-in buttons, squeaks, rustles, appliqué from different types of fabric. They are accompanied by one or two arcs that cross over the child lying on the back. On them you can hang additional rattles, as well as a mirror, which is also in most kits. As additional elements, there are also some other musical accessories on which the baby hits with a pen or a leg to hear the sound. The play mats fold flat to make it easier to take with you on your trip. To develop sensory, visual, motor skills of the child - the baby reaches for the toy and learns to roll over, crawl, sit. And, of course, so that mom can devote some time to non-child affairs. Children's stores usually have two or three manufacturers of rugs. Most often these are Tiny Love and Fisher-Price. Both options are difficult to attribute to the budget. For example, the Tiny Love set “Zoo. Hit and play ”I saw for 5400 rubles. On the Internet you can find it for 4400. Fisher-Price with toys for the tea party cost 3500 rubles. But there are obvious advantages to these rugs - they are proven brands with decent quality. We inherited the Tiny Love rug, now my second child "hangs" on it. What is it good for? Washes easily and looks like new. The toys are varied: the son loved to suck on a simple giraffe, the daughter gladly pulls a trembling spotted hippopotamus to her and fiddles with a sonorous elephant. When they get bored, I plug in the music, which has several modes and turns on either from beats or plays non-stop. In general, everything is fine, except for two things. First: it is very thin, you can't put it on the floor, I made a blanket. But judging by the thickness of the boxes in the store, this problem has already been solved. Second, the baby is sweating on the rug, especially when lying on the back, as it is made of synthetic material. In this regard, Felice rugs that I found on the Internet are attractive. They are made of velor. However, the set of toys is more modest here. For example, I did not find a music block with them. But the choice of topics is varied. I especially liked "Strawberry": a flower-shaped rug where each petal is made of different types of fabric.
A photo: Getty Images They and other popular brand Bright Starts have mats and high beds, but, frankly, I don’t see any sense in them: the baby has nothing to do there, and the bumper will not stop these bumps. It is better to lay all this happiness on the floor and let them develop. Felice rugs have a financial plus - they cost up to 3,000 rubles. In general, there are quite budget options. For example, it develops a small bar from Taf Toys, which can be placed over a child anywhere, or any rug without arcs with the same rustles and squeakers. The price of the latter - from 700 rubles, depending on the size and fullness. Turns cost a little more, 1000 rubles. What would I buy my child? In search of a variety of rugs, I stumbled upon the Fisher-Price development center. What does he look like? A small rug, and above it a kind of plastic bridge, to which rattles, spinners, tweeters are attached to the bottom, and on the top of the bridge you can roll balls, animal toys, cars. Not only a three-month baby would hang here, but also a three-year-old. Yes, it can hardly be called mobile, but I never develop a rug with me and don’t carry it. At a party I consulted improvised items: spoons, wrappers from sweets, keys, etc. By the way, in conditions of lack of money and the absence of rich relatives, the main developing mat for a child is mother. And not necessarily all the time to sit on the baby. For example, while cooking, slip items of kitchen utensils of different size, shape, color and texture. While he studies them, you are free. But when he gets tired of this activity, then no mat will help. Good luck!