Baby Gym Play Mat for Tummy time

[Anonymous]

Ladies, do you think this is a necessity or just a gimmick? I am wondering if it is worth the $60 for the Fisher Price gym mat for "tummy time" or is this a waste of $$ because a blanket and a few toys will do?

[Anonymous]

It's nice to have something with a toy bar so the baby can look up at whatever's dangling from the bar. You can probably pick one up used on Craigslist. Our daughter spent a good amount of time on her little play mat, and she liked the lights and music feature of the toy bar as well.

[Anonymous]

My little guy loves his too and it provides another place for him to play. I'v used it for all 3 in fact. A little mirror attached to the bar is nice too.

[Anonymous]

All I can say is that DD absolutely loved hers. It was the best thing we ever bought.

We got a barely-used Tiny Love one on Craigslist for a bargain price. The mat itself is usually machine washable and you can sponge down the padded arches above and swap out any clip-on toys that look sketchy. Just be sure it has a mirror attachment -- DD loooooved that.

[Anonymous]

If you are talking about a playmat that is marketed just for tummy time, I'd say no, then a blanket and toys will do just fine. However, I'd echo the other posters that said they likd their playmats... the ones that come w/ toy bars that the baby can gaze at and then eventually grab for. My DD loved hers too. It's one of the few things I feel like are worth the money. Ours had some soft, crinkly fabric that DD could grab for when she was on her tummy, however it didn't make her enjoy tummy time any more than if I had placed her on a plain blanket facing the wall.