Baby gyms, floor gyms, activity gyms, play gyms, playmats... Are these just different methods for describing exactly the same thing?
Well, the very first four are all pretty much interchangeable. One manufacturer may prefer one phrase over another, but there's nothing to really set a floor gym apart from a task gym. Play mats, however, are something else. It's generally easier than you think to tell a play mat from a play gym. Having said that, there are even some manufacturers who, perhaps deliberately, muddy the waters and make use of play gym to describe what is essentially a play mat. And the other way around. Just what exactly exactly could be the difference?
A safe place for baby to relax and play
Let's start by recognizing that playmats and play gyms both meet with the same basic need. They supply a clear, safe, soft surface for the baby to lie on or play on.
Playmats will come in two main forms. The padded fabric variety together with interlocking foam tiles type. Most are variations on a theme, however some really be noticeable as unique. One of these may be the K's Kids Big & Big Cushions and Playmat, which will be a padded fabric mat with detachable sausage-shaped cushions that create a protective barrier all over side of the mat. But overall, the key choice is between a fabric mat and a tiled play area.
Padded fabric mats
The padded playmat comes in a surprising array of designs. Rectangular, circular, square, oval... even elephant- and giraffe-shaped. Some are small adequate to fold up and put in a bag. Others are as large as baby's bed covers. Some play mats are nothing a lot more than a patterned piece of cushioned fabric for baby to lie on. Others have strategically placed pads for support or add-ons for recreation, exploration and learning.
From the whole, fabric mats are best suited to young babies. However some are created to adapt as baby grows. The K's Kids Big & Big Cushions and Playmat does exactly that: the mat neatly converts into a mini sofa or obstacle course.
Interlocking foam tiles
Foam tile play mats generally are available in packs. You can get as few as nine or you can cover an entire floor. You can easily move them from room to room or leave them in place indefinitely. And you may add to your collection as baby gets more mobile.
Foam tiles are all pretty similar in form nevertheless they come with all types of designs - numbers and letters are being among the most popular. Some of the more sophisticated tiled mats have developmental toys and activities built in. Lights, textures, sounds, a lot of things to keep tiny hands and minds engaged.
So what's a play gym? The primary distinction between a child gym and a playmat is that the gym has dangling toys. That's an oversimplication, but once you appear at a mat next to a floor gym, you can see that a mat is flat but a gym has crossover arches with a number of hanging toys.
Manufacturers prefer to believe that their gyms stimulate baby's senses and encourage development. They may be right. But this kind of workout may not be really a great deal different from every other opportunity baby has got to watch, listen and touch. That said, they have been pretty cool so when my sister offered to buy one for me personally and our baby boy, I was not going to say no.
