How to Use a Toki Play Mat

It all started with a play mat. All-natural latex foam made from plant sap. Uniquely soft yet supportive. The perfect space for babies to grow and develop through floor play. Nearly a decade later, the Toki mat is an award-winning, best-selling play mat that has helped babies all over the world learn to roll, crawl, walk, and more. Unlike other play mats, which serve their purpose for a year or less, our play mat is made to grow with little ones and are used all throughout childhood and beyond. Here are some of our favorite ways to use the Toki mat:

Tummy Time

All those exciting firsts in your baby’s life—their first time lifting their head up, their first time rolling over, their first time taking independent steps—all begin with tummy time. Tummy time is essential to your baby’s health and development (you can read our expert-led blog about tummy time here), but many babies resist it in the beginning because it’s simply uncomfortable.

Our play mat, which is made with 1” of soft and supportive latex foam, provides a uniquely comfortable surface for your baby to lay and work toward those motor skills. Tummy time is hard work, and a hard floor can cause even more discomfort for your baby. A cozy space goes a long way toward making your baby comfortable and ready for floor play.

Sensory Play

Sensory play is an essential part of your baby’s development. When your little one participates in activities that engage their senses, it builds neural pathways in their brain to improve motor skills, emotional growth, language development, and problem-solving. Giving your baby or toddler sensory activities can be as simple as letting them touch and explore ice water in a basin or dried rice and beans in a large container.

Finding different textures around your house is easier than you think. Dried pasta, craft pom-poms, cotton balls, fabric scraps, finger paint, homemade play dough are all great sensory materials. By allowing your child to freely explore the materials with their natural curiosity, you are helping boost their brain development! 

Put off by the mess? That’s where the Toki mat comes in handy. Our vegan leather cover is 100% waterproof and wipes clean, making clean-up a breeze. Small materials, like grains of rice, scatter over hard floors or easily get stuck in the carpet. When sensory play is over, simply wipe or brush away the excess into a dustpan, or fold the mat up and carry outside to shake loose!

Reading Time

Toddlerhood is a great time to become more intentional about incorporating books into their daily routine. Young children have a hard time sitting still for extended periods of time, which can make reading difficult. Moving away from a couch or chair and letting them read with you on the floor is an easy way to meet them where they’re at and allow them to freely change positions. Whether they’re laying down on their stomach or sitting up or laying on their back, our play mat keeps them comfortable for reading time. 

Family Yoga

Yoga can be a helpful way to improve focus, regulate emotions, and practice self-awareness. To learn more about the benefits of yoga for young children, you can read our expert-led blog here. Our play mat—especially the epic size—is the perfect spot for everyone in the family to practice simple poses, meditation, and deep breathing. 

The soft, springy nature of latex foam provides enough cushioning, even on hard flooring, to reduce pressure on your knees, hips, wrists, and other sensitive areas. In fact, many parents prefer our latex foam mats to their traditional yoga mats because of the extra support and comfort.

Crash Landing

Active toddlers and children who love to jump off furniture find our play mat to be the perfect place for a soft landing. Because the Toki mat is designed with a modular build, it can be folded in half (and again!) for extra thick padding. Latex foam absorbs shock and cushions impact, but also doesn’t sag over time the way memory foam does. Instead, its high elasticity causes it to bounce back after every use.

Flexible Seating

Many young children prefer to sit on the floor instead of a chair because it gives them a wide, stable base of support and lowers their center of gravity. Being on the floor also helps the nervous system feel grounded and supported through proprioception. 

Soft, comfortable seating on the floor isn’t just for babies and tummy time. It’s for people of all ages. Being on the floor can reduce anxiety, support emotional regulation, and make it easier to concentrate. Whether your little one sits on the floor to play, read, or do schoolwork, a play mat can actually facilitate learning by being a safe and comfortable space.