This activity quilt from Taggies looks like a lot of fun.  Even a newborn appreciates the sights and soft textures of a nice playmat.  We often use the mats from our play gyms by themselves for this very reason.  With its super-soft fabrics, this mat from Taggies is sure to please.  While younger babies will enjoy the comfort of plush fabrics, older babies will be captivated by the peek-a-boo mirror and the squeaky pig, musical lamb, and crinkly cow toys.  Parents will appreciate the soft handles for easy portability.  Overall, this toy looks very inviting.  You can purchase one for $49.99 at ThreeWishesToyStore.com.

Here is an attractive way to keep your little one safe on the go.  The Wagamama Play Mat is designed for use either on its own or in a play pen.  Made from some gorgeous fabrics, it allows you to put your little one down away from home without worrying about the cleanliness of the surface.  It is perfect for hotel play pens, which often aren’t quite as sterile as we would like them to be. It is also perfect for smaller outings to the homes of friends and family, the park, etc.  It rolls up compactly so you can carry it with you without too much trouble, and it is completely machine washable, so you can clean it up nicely when you arrive back home.

You can purchase one of these fun and innovative mats for $90 at MyBellySprout.com.  A number of fabric choices are available, although I am quite partial to this “Alex” version.

One of the items we received when my son was an infant was an activity mat. I wondered exactly how beneficial it would be, until I put my baby on it and he absolutely loved it. He could bat at the toys on the hanging bar while he laid on his back, and then get up and move when he was old enough. He learned to roll, crawl, and sit up while on his activity mat.

The Shangri-La Activity Mat and Portico looks like a top-of-the-line activity mat. First of all, it’s reversible, so your baby is exposed to bright colors  and soft, smooth, fuzzy fabric on one side and stimulated by black and white on the other. It has a pop-up, fold-down leg so it’s easy to set up and to store. It also comes with 8 removable clip-on Kushies Zolo toys that are compatible with other toys of the same brand. The manufacturer says it also includes a “pressure activated sound pod,” which would stimulate the auditory part of your baby’s brain.

These activity mats are great for developing motor skills, sensory stimulation, and all-around fun for your baby. You can view this activity mat at babygeared.com, where it retails for $120. It would make a great Christmas gift.

There are lots of activity mats on the market to entertain your baby from birth, but the Shangrila mat from Kushies has got to be one of the most luxurious ones out there.  I cannot emphasize enough how soft this mat is.  The orange fabric is unbelievably plush and silky to the touch.

This mat has lots of other great features too, designed to stimulate all of your baby’s senses.  There are sweet little toys that will grab your little one’s attention and help him to learn to grasp and hold objects; a set of three toy clips allows you to customize the activity mat with your baby’s own favorites; a flip and see sound pod stimulates your child’s hearing, and a gel mat filled with bubbles and fishies provides “water” play without the mess of filling a water bag (an annoying task I came to dread while using another play mat we own).  The mat can also be reversed to a black and white pattern that will stimulate your infant with its high-contrast designs.

One thing I love about this mat is that the portico arch that comes with it is super-easy to put together.  We have had a number of different play arches, and none of them were at all easy to put together (I have put up tents that were less hassle).  All you need to assemble the Shangrila’s arch is unfold the frame and secure it in velcro holders–no bending, stretching, or attaching tiny loops of fabric.  When play is done, the mat wraps easily around the arch and everything stores neatly in a plastic storage tube.  These features alone make it well worth the price.

The Shangrila Activity Mat retails for $120.  You can purchase one at kushiesonline.com.  Use the discount code haup8 to receive a 10% discount on your order from the site.