Lying on their backs and batting at toys helps babies develop eye-hand coordination and visual perception. Lying on their tummies and pushing up against the ground helps babies gain head-and-neck control and prepares them for crawling. The longer babies are happy playing by themselves on the ground, the more they develop their attention span and become comfortable with being independent.
Chances are that you're not going to just dump your baby on the rug, though. You'll want to put some sort of blanket or quilt down first, especially if you are a new parent who sees superbugs lurking behind every speck of dust. You'll probably want to purchase some sort of playmat or play gym, and possibly even more than one.
Obviously, you can use any blanket or quilt under your baby, but there are playmats made of colorful fabrics that are designed specifically for floor play. Some simple ones are Boppy's Tummy Play Play Pads, which are basically just baby-sized mats with a few toys attached to one end and a small Boppy pillow sewn on its surface so you can prop your baby up on his or her tummy. The Infantino Surfboard Tummy Time Mat and I-Play Tummy Time Prop and Play are constructed in a similar way.
Other playmats are slightly more complicated. For example, Haba's Splish Splash Playmat has a center panel you can fill with water. Then your baby can press the panel to see the fish inside float around. Simple cloth houses, trees, and a lighthouse are sewn around the side of this playmat for your baby to look at and touch. One Step Ahead offers a Rainforest Fabric Pat Mat with all sorts of sights, sounds, and textures to examine, plus a water mat similar to the one on the Haba Splish Splash Playmat. Furthermore, this Pat Mat has a waterproof bottom, so it can be used outdoors on the ground.
To select the best playmat or play gym for your baby, just observe him or her at play and think about what he or she likes to do. Does your baby grab for things, smile at music, or like pushing buttons? Take these observations into account and then get shopping!
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