Currently, a developmental mat for a child can be purchased in specialized children's stores. A lot of companies, different variations of its pattern, elements for development, color schemes seduce young parents to buy. But many mothers are thinking about a do-it-yourself development rug, because this is the opportunity to choose natural materials, decorative elements for development, the manifestation of your imagination. And most importantly - the love invested in creating a unique and one-of-a-kind developing mat for your baby.
What is a mat for the development of a child
This is a knitted or textile fabric, which is decorated with many bright applications and moving elements for the game. For newborns, the mat is supplemented with a special frame on which various bright toys are hung, from different materials with tweeters, reflective surfaces, rustling elements. In stores models of a square or rectangular shape are presented, often having buttons for raising the sides along the edge of the main canvas. On sale you can find round rugs, decorated on the same principle.
Why do we need a developmental mat for children from 0 months onwards
Do you know that the brain of a newborn by the time it is born is not fully developed? Namely, in the first years of his life there is a particularly active development of nerve connections in the brain. The environment and the time spent on a lesson with a baby have a significant impact on the number of relationships created, and in general, on the whole process.
Thanks to the developing mat, the child will be able to:
- Learn the color palette.
- Learn to identify objects by their shape and distinguish them by size.
- Train fine motor skills of the hands.
- Distinguish textures.
- Learn to focus on different subjects.
- Train logic and memory.
- Improve coordination of movement.
- Develop imagination.
- Learn to count.
- Develop speech using role-playing games on the mat.
- Learn the alphabet.
- Develop mental abilities.
- Remember and learn new concepts and words.
- Learn basic actions - with laces, zippers.
A developing mat for a child is a favorite toy for several years, from 0 to 3, it is preferable to use the mat with simple elements. For children over 3 years old, it is interesting to create more complex details where the child will need to perform some actions to get the result (fasten the zipper, unfasten the button, fasten the item with Velcro, etc.). A do-it-yourself developmental mat for children can be modernized over time, and supplemented with various elements that especially attract your baby.
Prices and reviews for developmental mats
In stores you can find developing rugs for children, the prices of which vary from 800 to 8000 rubles. The difference lies in the size, decorative elements for games, the material from which the mat is made, and, accordingly, in the country of manufacture. It is important to note that, despite the difference in the price of developing rugs for children, the reviews of parents are almost identical. Of course, this is a useful thing for the development of a child up to three years. Most models have their own minor flaws: some details turn out to be superfluous, others, on the contrary, are not enough, and therefore parents are forced to additionally buy developing books and cubes.
The benefits of a do-it-yourself rug
Of course, everything that is done with one's own hands is considered more reliable and suitable. Let's look at the main advantages:
Saving.
In specialized stores there are a large number of developmental rugs for children, the price of which varies from inexpensive, but simple, to more vibrant and interesting for a substantial amount. Creating a rug yourself, you can significantly save money, as various rags of fabric and other items that are in every house are used for its manufacture.
Material.
A developing mat for children from 0 months old should be made only from natural materials, especially the canvas itself, on which the child will lie or sit. The choice of fabric for sewing is a very important point. In addition, many decorative elements that will be placed on the rug for the game, you can pick up yourself and fix them as expected, without relying on the manufacturer when buying in the store.
The size.
A great opportunity to make a rug with a margin or the shape that you most like (circle, square, rectangle). Tip - it’s better to make a larger mat so that with the growth of the child you can add more elements, and at the same time interest in him does not disappear.
Developing elements.
A selection of all the necessary material to create game elements and scenery is completely in your hands. This will not only translate your own ideas, but also repeat any design.
Process.
With the independent manufacture of a developmental rug for a child, you will get great pleasure. This is a great opportunity to express your imagination, to realize interesting creative ideas, based on the interests of your baby. Love and care will be invested in this product, but it is very important for the child.
Uniqueness.
This product will be one of a kind. An original approach and full compliance with the needs of your child will be an invaluable result.
Parent Tips
Before you start sewing a developing rug for children with your own hands, you should pay attention to the nuances that play an important role:
Details should be made of medium size, not too small, and not too large.
Each element consisting of images or drawings should be clear, this is important for the child to correctly perceive the picture.
You should not make bright details of a large size, it is better to make them smaller, and make gentle pastel tones or dark ones larger. Screaming bright palette will not cause much joy for the baby, but rather, he will very quickly get tired on the rug, because the eyes will get a lot of stress.
Do not leave the mat on the floor if the baby is only learning to walk, because he can catch on the decorative elements and tear them off, or fall.
For better orientation on objects and objects on the rug, it is best to accompany them with certain illustrations. And to consolidate the result when walking on the street, show images in reality, for example, a tree, or a typewriter, or a cat.
What to make a do-it-yourself rug for children
First of all, you need to decide how the rug should look and what decorative elements for the game will be placed on it. Best of all, try sketching a sketch on a piece of paper for a clearer understanding.
Developmental mats for children from 0 months old should be made of natural fabrics, in extreme cases, of semi-synthetic high quality, to exclude possible allergic reactions in babies to the material. So, let's prepare the material.
Main canvas
For him, it is best to choose a dense plain fabric. A fine option would be a thin drape or fleece, you can use a bike baby blanket. The size of the fabric cuts for the base completely depends on your own imagination and wishes, you can do it immediately with a margin, or you can make a small compact rug.
For the front side, fabrics such as linen, chintz, gabardine or costume fabrics with natural wool fibers are well suited. For lining, you should not use satin or satin, since it will slip very strongly, it is better to take cotton knitwear, chintz, velvet or linen. Between the fabrics it is best to lay a synthetic winterizer so that the mat is soft and warm.
Decorative elements
For decorative elements and applications, any rags or things that are not a pity to cut are suitable. It is very important to select materials that are different in texture so that the child develops tactile functions. For decor, materials such as buttons, Velcro, zippers, hooks, various fasteners, pockets, caps from plastic bottles, laces, ribbons, pads filled with different cereals or beans, pasta, musical, rattling, pickling and rustling elements are suitable.
The main thing is to remember that you should not use those toys with small parts that are impossible or very difficult to fix on the rug, kids, especially up to a year old, like to pull everything in their mouths and can swallow a poorly attached part. Also, do not use materials that break, crumble, or come off. DIY doormat for children who are 3 years old and can be further supplemented with more complex elements for games.
Mat Design Ideas
Do not be upset if it is difficult to decide what is best to use and sew on the mat so that the child is interested in playing on it. A developing mat for children up to a year, having just a chaotic placement of different elements, will cause the baby to be interested in touching and twitching. But if the child is older, then it is better to use more complex elements, where you need to open something, stick it, move it, etc.
Below are some ideas for decorating your rug:
- The simplest plot is the landscape. On a developing mat for a child, elements such as the sun, clouds, trees, grass, houses, cars, roads, etc. are placed.
- You can make a rug reminiscent of the carriageway - here you can arrange houses, roads, traffic lights, a garage, gas station and other elements. On such a rug, the kid will be happy to play with cars.
- It is very interesting if you make a rug on the theme "seasons", for this it is enough to divide the basis into four parts, in each of which there will be a corresponding application.
- The same plan can create a rug on the theme of “weather”, it already depends on the imagination what weather conditions are best depicted (rain, sun, snow, wind, night, day).
- For the older age, it will be interesting to play with a rug, which is a large castle or a house with many doors and windows, locks and other decorative elements.
- You can make a rug with an image of the animal world, where domestic and wild animals, birds and insects will be located in different parts of the base.
A do-it-yourself developmental mat for children (3 years old) will be no less interesting, since it can be supplemented with a huge number of complex elements - laces, zippers, locks, hooks, Velcro and so on.
Ideas for decorating decorative elements
A developing mat for a child should be represented by many elements with which the baby would be interested to play. Let's look at interesting ideas for the possible implementation of a number of details into reality:
A butterfly that can fly. The wings are sewn only to the body of the butterfly, you can supplement the wings with buttons to fix them, or leave them in free action.
Ships or cars that can travel on a specially fixed cord.
Opening windows and doors in houses, locks, cars, etc.
Buttons or beads, different in color and size, or plastic bottle caps, or plastic eggs from kinder surprises that can be moved around with laces.
Pockets of various sizes and geometric figures on laces inserted into them.
The bee, which hid behind a flower, can be supplemented with the ability to sit on a flower, with the help of Velcro.
Laced tent.
Movable curtains on the windows.
Hedgehog with leaves and apples, which are fixed with Velcro or buttons.
Ladybug having long legs made of strings with beads.
A boot with lacing that can be untied and tied.
Pocket with a zipper.
Numbers and letters with Velcro or strings.
- Decorative mirror. On a plastic cover, you can stick a piece of foil cut to size.
The rustling plastic eggs from the kinder, which can be filled with different cereals, can make such a plan bags of dense fabric.
There are many decorative elements that you can very easily create with your own hands. Try, experiment and fantasize.
We sew a playing field and decorative elements
Making a rug, in fact, is not so difficult, having at least basic sewing skills. In order to make the basis, we make a pattern from the prepared fabric cuts, after which we sew it around the edges, after putting the insulation inside. Several patterns of developing rugs for children are presented in the pictures below.
After that, the invented plot of the rug, drawn on a piece of paper in the form of a sketch, is embodied in reality, gradually placing elements on it. It is important not to get confused and place elements from the background to the front - a tree in the back, grass in the front.
The decorative elements of the developing mat are first created separately, after which each is sewn separately to the main fabric. Details are best hand-sewn first, then on a sewing machine.
Developmental mat is a great toy with many elements for the full development of the child. Making it yourself, there is a great opportunity to show your imagination, to approach sewing from a creative side. Your child deserves only the very best, and a toy made by your mother’s beloved hands is priceless.