A play mat for your baby is an essential baby item every home should have. They are perfect for every stage of your little one’s first few years. Whether they just want something interesting to look at, they are reaching or grabbing for objects, or if they are sitting up playing with toys. There are my options available for you to choose from, a full feature non-toxic play mat with toys, textures, and sounds, or a simpler version with basic soft fabric and pretty colors for your baby to enjoy play time on.
Why should I choose an organic play mat?
- Unfortunately many products we use on a daily basis are made with materials that contain harmful chemicals. If you are like me, when it comes to my children you only want what is best for them and their overall health.
- A play mat is something that your children will potentially use every day, several times a day. When it comes to these types of products it is important to choose wisely and pick a product that is organic and free from harmful chemicals.
I have put together a list of some of the best organic, non-toxic and natural play mats, check it out and see which one would be best for your family.
Non-Toxic, Organic Play Mats List:
Haba Rainbow Magic Play Gym
Haba is a great company that sells some really awesome all natural products. I knew they were one of the first websites I needed to check out when making this list. On their website, you can read all about how they choose the materials they use to make their products safe for your family. I love this Rainbow Magic play mat, it has a soft padded blanket that will make your baby feel like they are floating on a cloud. There is no way they could resist the bright colorful rainbow looking down over them. It comes with 2 removable toys, the sun rattles and has crinkling foil rays. The sun toy is also double sided with one side showing a friendly smiling face and the other a mirror for babies to see themselves in. The raindrops have mirror effects and will sparkle when the sun is reflected on them. I also love the small, yet fun detail of the little tags on the side, I have yet to meet a baby that does not love to feel soft shiny tags with their little fingers. This is a great play mat that offers fun and simple features for your baby to enjoy from birth to 12 months.
Skip Hop TreeTop Friends Activity Gym
Skip Hop is a wonderful company that has been around since 2003, they are known for the way they re-think, re-energize, and re-engineer their products to make them better than before. The Treetop Activity Gym is made from a soft linen fabric with adorable nature-inspired scenes to draw in your baby’s attention. The mat is made from multiple fabrics that include crinkle leaves, a squeaker flower and a removable mirror in the tree’s trunk. The linen covered arches come with 13 loopholes so you can hang toys at many different levels for your baby to play with. The play mat comes with 5 hanging toys for your baby that cover every stage of development. A great benefit to this mat is it comes with a tummy time pillow. The activity gym has great versatility that any baby would love, for parents it has a quick 2-minute assembly and can easily be folded up for storage when not in use.
Mimi the Sardine Waterproof Spillmat
The organic cotton splat mat from Mimi the Sardine is a nontoxic multi-purpose floor mat. It has a unique acrylic coating that makes it super easy to clean. It has many different uses, you could use it under a high chair during mealtime or messy playtime. You could use it outside for a picnic to protect your baby’s legs from scratchy grass and bugs. It could also be used inside as a great place for your baby to play with toys. The bright colors and fun patterns would really catch your baby’s attention, and give them something fun and interesting to look at. It comes in a large size that could easily be folded up to take with you anywhere you and baby go. Another added bonus, this mat is machine washable.
Argington Organic Fish & Pebble Quilt & Floor Mat
If you are looking for a simple and basic floor mat this adorable quilt from Argington is what I would choose. I think it would be hard to choose which side I would use first the whimsical Koi fish or the green and sage pebbles. This oversized quilt is made from 100% certified organic cotton. The large size allows your baby or toddler plenty of space to roll, sit up, play blocks, or even crawl around safely.
Nook LilyPad Playmat
Nook Sleep Systems is not a company I had heard of before. When I went to their website I was nothing but impressed. All their products are made from non-toxic materials, free of the harsh chemicals that can irritant a baby’s skin. The Lilypad playmat is perfect for tummy time, play time, and even rest time. It is great for infants, toddlers, and parents love it too. You can use it indoors, or outdoors and it is easy to fold up and take with you. It comes in 6 fun and bright colors and is made from a eucalyptus organic cotton. The $120 price tag is steep, but I think well worth the cost for such a unique and well-made product that will last a long time.
CorkiMat
This is the most expensive option on my list, but I had to include it because I love it so much. The Corkimat made by Pillobebe is a premium handmade, eco-friendly, non-toxic, certified organic play mat. It is sold in tiles, so you can custom design the look you want, and make it fit in the area you would like. A full set is 9 tiles and it comes with 12 pieces of Velcro strips to hold the tiles together. The outside cover of the mat is machine washable, and should be hung to dry. They have some great designs and fabric choices to choose from. Please read my full review here.
Panda Mat
The Panda Mat is also a safe, non-toxic, educational, and eco-friendly play mat for your child to enjoy for all those important milestones in their life. It would be perfect for tummy time or as an activity mat. The size is perfect, 4’X6’. The pattern is bright, fun, and can be educational. Here is my review.
Baby Bello Organic Play Mat
The Baby Bello Organic Play Mat provides a soft and safe place for your baby to play, crawl, roll or relax. The mat measures 55” so the size is great for parents to be able to get down and play with your child. This play mat has thick padding and a plush cover. It is easy to roll up for storage or on-the-go use. It does have a machine washable cover, I do wish it came in other colors since I would be afraid the white would show dirt all the time. Please check my review on this post.
A good play mat or activity gym is an essential baby item I think every parent, grandparent, or caregiver should have for the young children in their lives. There are so many to choose from, finding the right one for your family’s needs and budget should be no problem. If having something that is all natural is important to you I think I have put together a complete list with great choices and a lot of different options of non toxic, organic play mats. For many families the play mat is where their child will spend a good portion of their day, so have a safe, non-toxic, comfortable place for your baby to lay or play is very important.
TIP: When doing my research for this article I found a few websites that alert you to be aware of companies that claim to be non-toxic, but their products are made from PVC which is a toxic material. Many people suggest the smell test when initially taking your product out of the original packaging. If nothing has a chemical smell that is a good sign!
hello! I really hope you can provide some solid advice on the topic of safe play mats for baby.
I have been on the search for a non toxic play mat for quite some time now.. one that doesn’t include all the nasties like BPA, PVC, PHTHALATES, FORMAMIDE, LATEX, OR LEAD.
I’ve read all your blogs including a handful of other green mommas and cannot determine if EVA foam mats are safe, even if their testing claims to have non detectable amounts of formamide. If they are safe… and they have a smell that comes with the packaging in the beginning, is it enough to just air it out?
A few months ago I had already purchased the babycare playmat and I know that one includes PVC… If we lay a blanket on top, will that eliminate the toxins (if any) from being emitted onto our bodies?
I would love to be able to afford the organic cotton options like Pillobebe, but unfortunately my husband thinks they are WAY overpriced and too expensive for our budget.
Please help! Any thoughts are deeply appreciated. I would really like to have a peace of mind when purchasing the mat… and really put this matter behind me once and for all!
Thank you!