Experts agree that tummy time is an essential from day one. As babies get older, however, they’ll likely be looking for new stimulation and that’s where water play mats come in. They’re a great, inexpensive way to both entertain your child while also helping them build core strength since, unlike traditional mats, water mats are unstable.
Not to mention that water play mats are a wonderful way to introduce water play without getting messy! I love this one that you can get at Creative QT for only $15 because it’s durable (this is not something you want to risk exploding on you!), non-toxic and easy to empty and fill. Even at one year of age my son was captivated by the floating animals and bright colors. If you’re willing for things to get a little messy, my son loves when I put actual ice cubes with frozen toys inside on the mat. Basically I bought ice molds on Amazon and put water and a toy in each of them and them freeze the whole thing… it’s easy and so fun for kids! If you want to take it even further you can add food coloring.
