It's also really easy to clean, and it looks so cool you'll be reluctant to pack it away after playtime. Tummy time supporting products are designed to allow baby to play on their front, helping them begin to crawl. Having a play mat gives your little one a safe and dedicated space to practise tummy time,' says Susie Stubbs, Founder of Totter and Tumble. There a couple of types of tummy time roller and they will suit a variety of ages and development stages.

Unusual textures such as crinkles and crackles, an unbreakable mirror and toys that are there to be reached for and grabbed. While I am sure there are other things to be careful of, a great way to get the benefit of both is to use the Spin and Explore and then follow up with the child on their tummy on the floor with a toy they really enjoy. Just like you might benefit from a good stretch and a sweaty HIIT class, babies need to get fit too, and play mats are the optimum place to develop all manner of essential life skills for growing tots. Not only does it strengthen those core muscles that they'll need for sitting and crawling, but it can also prevent any skull deformations and tight neck muscles.This clever mat from Belgian brand Play and Go doubles up as a storage bag so once your little one has perfected the child's pose, after playtime you can clean up the toys in a flash. From Totter + Tumble to Aden + Anais, here are the best play mats and floor gyms for babies at a glance. If you're after a baby play mat that caters to tummy time, sensory development, playtime and enough distraction for you to pop the kettle on, this activity gym has it all.

This is a free public forum presenting user opinions on selected products, and as such the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinion of kiwireviews.We have worked with a number of different therapists over time, and Stacy has truly been the best therapist for our son! All the brand's toys are designed in collaboration with Yale University specialists to support your baby's physical and mental progress. Playlearn Ltd is in no way affiliated with or otherwise endorsed by such third party rights holders. We particularly rate the dangling animals that kept our baby tester amused for a solid five minutes, and the integrated tummy time pillow is a nice touch.

The Lamaze spin and explore garden gym is such a neat product which I first found out about at one of the daycare centres I worked at as we had just opened and this was one of the awesome toys we had received, I loved it so much and thought it was a great way to encourage tummy time so when my daughter was old enough to use such a thing I went out and brought one for her. Baby play mats differ from baby gyms as they don't come with quite so many accessories, so your baby can focus on their workout. This large square play mat from cult US baby brand Aden + Anais is made from hand-embroidered cotton muslin and features a menagerie of cute animals to bring the nursery to life. To join your little one on the mat try our full-body postnatal workout at home with minimal equipment.

This colourful patchwork mat from award-winning toy brand Taf Toys comes with a number of interactive sensory elements including a pineapple teether plus a handsized mirror to encourage extra tummy time and help your little one nail their core work. Challenging and fun for all the construction enthusiasts in the family, nanoblock lets you build in greater detail than ever before.

If your little one is busy bouncing off the walls and likes to dash around the house at a thousand miles an hour, then you'll benefit from this foam play mat from British brand Toddlekind. Eventually your curious child will begin to reach for the textures and colours they see on their tummy time mat and the vital act of play will begin. It's also designed to fit perfectly inside the brand's teepee play tents for in and outdoor pow-wows. The middle of the flower consists a cushioned ladybug mat for babies to lie on which on a rotatable spinner which babies can spin around on, this is to support the babies body and help them to develop there upper body strength and lower leg strength which will aid them in learning to crawl later on. If you have hard surface floors, the cushioning of the play mat can transform any room into a tummy time ready place.These dusty pink and durable foam squares are a great solution to comfortable play on any type of floor. It's made from extra thick EVA foam to minimise floor scrapes during rough and tumble, and features interlocking tiles that can be customised to fit your growing brood. Just try it for a minute or so and distract them with their favourite toy or try it when they have just woken from a nap or had a nappy change. Your little one can roll around safely on most surfaces and can even try out the giant puzzle as they get older. A newborn baby cannot see very far at all but can hear very well so much of the Lamaze philosophy in the early months is around helping baby develop these senses.