Why a Good Play Mat Matters

From the moment you find out you’re expecting, every decision you make for your child plays a role in shaping their development. Here at Toki Kids, we believe that every product for your baby should be intentionally designed, high quality, and made with the safest materials possible. With an oversaturated market, choosing the right products—from their diapers and clothes to their toys and bottles—can be an incredibly daunting task. 

A play mat is as basic as it gets when it comes to your baby’s play products. After all, it’s just there to make your floor feel soft enough for play—right? Wrong. A good play mat lays the foundation for more tummy time and more floor play, which leads to improved motor development. Let’s break down why this matters:

The Importance of Tummy Time

From the day you bring your baby home from the hospital, your world begins to revolve around tummy time. Almost every awake moment is spent on the floor, encouraging your little one to lift their head and turn it from side to side. Your baby may enjoy it, but more often than not, they’ll protest by crying and fussing. 

As much as they dislike utilizing those new muscles in their neck and trunk, your baby relies on floor play and tummy time to strengthen those muscles and build the foundation for other motor milestones, like crawling and walking. You can read our expert-led blog on the importance of floor play here and all about tummy time here.

Types of Baby Plat Mats

If you search the web for baby play mats, there’s no shortage of options available. There are fabric play mats that may be quilted for a little extra comfort, puzzle piece play mats made from EVA foam that are popular because they can be put together and taken apart to fit your baby’s play space as needed, and huge play mats made from memory foam that can cover your entire living room floor. So, which play mat is right for you?

If you have minimal space in your home, you may prefer something like a small fabric mat that can be rolled up and put away or a foam mat that can be taken apart. If you have hardwood flooring, you may prefer a thicker mat made out of foam that will protect your baby from bumps and falls. If you only do floor play within the confines of your baby’s playpen, you may prefer a customizable mat like the foam puzzle pieces. 

The Toki Difference

Our award-winning Toki mat is unlike any other play mat made before. We use 100% plant latex and the Dunlop method to create a thick latex foam that’s natural and safe, unlike synthetic foams which can give off strong chemical odors. Loved by babies, parents, and developmental experts, our play mat is softer, safer, and designed for portable floor play wherever you go.

• Soft and supportive: Carefully crafted from all-natural latex foam, this play mat is thick and supportive with a marshmallow-like feel that’s super comfortable for kids and adults alike. 

• Non-toxic guarantee: Our play mat and all its materials are OEKO-TEX certified safe for both your baby on the planet. 

• Easy to clean: We offer removable play mat covers made from 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton and OEKO-TEX certified vegan leather. Our cotton covers are machine-washable, while our vegan leather covers are waterproof and wipe clean.

• Foldable design: The Toki mat features a foldable design and an easy carry handle on our vegan leather covers, so you can neatly store the mat or carry it from room to room.

• Fits the Toki playpen and Toki play tent: Our Toki mega mat perfectly fits the Toki playpen, while the Toki standard mat perfectly fits our play tent.

With three different play mat sizes (standard, mega, and epic), and two cover options, there’s a play mat to perfectly suit your needs. Thoughtfully designed for convenience and carefully crafted for safety, our play mat is a favorite for babies and families all around the world.