24" Playmats (set of 4) Reviews

• Reduce the boo-boo's ...

  
  By AQ6AGWKWMTY8H on 2003-09-02
  New wood floors and two little babes... Yikes! What to do?
  
  We bought 2 sets of these blue mats originally (sort of pricey, we thought) and ended up buying 2 more sets because we feel they are definitely worth it. Our kids (3 and 1 years old) can roughhouse and learn to somersault without getting tearful.
  
  Rugs are an option we have used in other parts of the house, but they do not seem to provide as much cushion, and they do not clean up as easily when they are spilled on. So far, a wet washcloth has worked fine on any food residue.
  
  One final note: Trucks roll gracefully and lego's and such have no problem standing up on the mats.
  
  

• Cat scratch, but easy to clean

  
  By A1LX9GSMN66L7E on 2004-06-06
  Our cat scratched one of the squares in our setup the first day they were laid out, and hasn't bothered them since.

  The mats are great. They're very comfy, absorb falls and hits and crashing toys. They're easy to clean - just carry out whichever squares get spilled on or spit-up on or otherwise mucked up, and hose them off or rinse in the tub. There are no fibers to suck in dust and hair and cat dander, like a carpet would, and you don't have to clean the whole thing at once.

  BUT you're going to want edge pieces. This set doesnt come with them. A competing product has edge pieces included but that are easily removed and chewed on; it's distinguishable because it's less expensive but with smaller squares (20" instead of 24") and a cheaper foam that may be less resistant to tear.

  This set, although you have to buy the edge pieces separately, the edges are beveled, so that your kid won't trip on them and so that it's harder for him or her to pull them up and chew on them.
  
  

• A Must Have

  
  By AEK5GOE7UFP2P on 2006-04-19
  These playmats are fantastic. They have cushion and yet are sturdy and durable. My son chews these mats like candy and yet they have kept their shape. They are great for little new crawlers that need alittle padding and resistance for their little knees. [...]
  
  Just a warning to new parents thinking of playmats. We have three sets (large family) and these are our favorite by far. All the other sets we have have shapes and numbers in them that come out. It is a huge pain when our son plays w/ these mats because you end up on your knee's trying to find the missing pieces all the time. Save your back, money, and time and just buy whole pieces without all the fancy decor (letters,numbers,animals, elct.) that comes out, they just end up missing or on the other side of the room out of the mat for you to pick up and figure out where it goes in the mat. Also the pieces get old and when you move the mat around all the pieces fall out everywhere, everytime you move it you have to put the whole puzzle back together.
  
  

• The #1 toy in my home daycare

  
  By on 2004-04-15
  I've purchased 5 sets of these blocks and intend to get more! This is the main thing my daycare children play with (ages 1 to 10). There are so many different things you can do with them! We build tunnels they can crawl through, houses to play in, forts, roads to run on and more. I keep adding more blocks to the stack to see what new things they can make. The kids can really use their imaginations. The mats really take a beating but they've held up beautifully. The youngest ones tend to chew on them, but no pieces have ever come off. You can just see the occasional teeth marks. The mats clean up easily and stack neatly when we want them out of the way.

  In my opinion, every kid should have these blocks!
  
  

• Both good and bad...

  
  By A3W07BZYL7BB0K on 2006-08-17
  I bought 8 sets of these mats to completely cover my son's playroom. Of the 8, there were 6 perfect sets. The other 2 had VERY rough sections that caused major irritation on my son's knees. When I contacted the company, they gave me a VERY hard time about the issue and basically said they wouldnt do anything about replacing those mats until they received them back and could do an investigation as to how this could have happened. They kept saying that they had never seen anything like this before as though I was making the issue up. In the end, I was SO unhappy with their attitude that I returned all 8 sets and went with another brand. Be careful and check the quality of the sets that you receive!!
  
  
• A great idea...
  By ASC1S6UYA3VJJ on 2004-05-06
  We bought one pack of these to put under our 2-year-old's slide in the (concrete) back yard. They're super durable and stay connected easily - they've been outside through heat and rain for a few months and don't show any signs of wear except where the cat attacked them (and even that's not bad). They're so great I ordered two more packs to cover a bigger area (he fell off last week and managed to miss the mat and hit the concrete...). Our friends have covered their whole playroom floor with these things. Perfect for active toddlers...as if there're any other kind... :)
  
  
• Worth the Money
  By A11LXBR6JPV8AT on 2006-05-05
  These play mats are great for outdoors. I bought several packs and put my daughters play house, slide, sandbox and etc on them. You can hose them off. We leave them out all year long, and they held up great through the winter. They don't ever look worn. I just went and bought more to extend the play area.
  
  
• These mat's smell - strong odor
  By A1MD599LY47XTI on 2008-02-25
  The mat's have a strong odor and leave behind an oily/slippery substance on my hardwood floors and my feet. I scrubbed them down with a sponge and Dawn dish soap, but it did not help.
  
  The overall quality is great, but I do not feel comfortable allowing my daughter to roll around on something that emits such a strong odor and oil. Per Step2, they are not 100% EVA foam, they also contain a rubber compound.
  
  
  
• Miracle Product
  By ATXTZHHY2CWMS on 2004-11-14
  We put 3 packs of these under a Little Tykes slide on a concrete porch. Miracle of miracles, these amazing mats have allowed for hours of play time without one bump, scratch or otherwise "owee". I have seen my son fall dozens of times without anything but a pause before giggling and leaping up for more. I would recommend these to anyone, and am going to look for a way to invest in the company if I can!
  
  
• Good buy!!
  By A1UIGA67TNCOYA on 2005-10-19
  Our baby is only 7 months, so I can't give an extremely detailed review. However, since she is practicing sitting alone now we are so glad we have these because of our hardwood floors. She's toppled over a few times while sitting on the mats and it didn't even phase her at all. I can see that the edges you can buy would be a worthwhile investment as our daughter is starting to chew on the edges of the pieces we already have. If you have hardwood floors like us, I would say this is a must-have item for barely mobile babies! One note is that they can be scratched (my wedding ring has given ours a few nice gouges), but, hey, they're foam. So they're probably not the best for older siblings to use their harder plastic toys. Definitely worth the money!
  
  
• I love these mats!
  By on 2004-08-02
  I bought 2 sets for my boy's (ages 5&3) room...I love them,I use them instead of a rug on their hard wood floor.I've not had a problem with slipping...they make a great safe play area for little rough and tumble boys! Great purchase!
  
  
• Thick padding and durable
  By A1JKEAJZ7HFSIQ on 2005-07-07
  These pads have created a safer play area for my sunroom which is only carpet over concrete. These mats seem to be the thickest on the market. They are a little pricier than others, but well worth it. We have bought four packs and, if I could, I'd buy more. We recently bought a different brand for a workout area and they are not nearly as thick (okay for us, but not for my son who's going to fall down while playing out there). The Step2 mats are easy to clean and seem to be pretty durable (I did scrape the edge of one while I was vacuuming them, my fault). One user recommended the borders, I did not see any in the store, but I have not needed them. We just put the mats down and our son does great. He hasn't tripped over them due to not having a border nor has he tried to rip them up or anything. He has done a face plant on both an area that did not have the padding and on the padding. Without the padding it resulted in a rug burn type scrape on his nose and quite a few tears. On the padding, nothing more than maybe a tiny cry before getting back up to play. Definitely worth the money to provide a little comfort!
  
  
• Very soft and comfortable
  By A1VHLOD70QM3MJ on 2005-09-20
  After much research, I bought this playmat by Step2 for my 9month
  daughter who plays on the ground most of the time. Our floor
  is carpeted, but still I fell it is pretty hard for her little knees.
  Even my knees hurt after kneeling down on the floor for sometime.
  
  The mats are very soft. My own knees feel so much better. So I think
  my daughter should feel more comfortable too. When she falls,
  it is much more gentle than on the carpet.
  
  They are also very easy to clean. My daughter once peed on the
  mat during diaper change. It would be a big mess if on the carpet.
  But for the mats, we just washed them in the bathtub and they
  are clean.
  
  For comparison, I also bought some greenish tatami interlocking mats.
  They are little cheaper, prettier, but not as soft as the Step2,
  and are slippery too.
  
  So I bought four more sets of Step 2, which will cover the entire
  playground. I bought the first set from amazon.
  
  
• Life Saver when it comes to falls and bumps!!!
  By A1A5HQ5690GGB7 on 2005-09-21
  I bought them to cover the floor of my screened in porch where we keep a lot of out door toys. I was hoping to cut down on scapes and bumps from playing and falling of my 4 year old daughter and 18 month old son. It's the best thing ever. It's soo easy to clean and put together. It's soo comfortable to sit on the ground and play with them. We spend soo much more time out there now!!! I can't say enough.
  
  
• Not soft enough for newborn-12 months.
  By A30SYGZ5VFL65X on 2007-09-17
  My daughter is 7 months old and recently became very active (crawling, sitting on her own, falling over, etc...) so I bought these playmats to give her some cushion (we have all hardwood floors). While these are well made and appear to be fantastic for older children, I feel they are not soft enough for babies ages newborn to 12 months. For example, when she gets excited while playing on her back, she'll kick her feet against the mats...and I can see by the expression on her face it hurts her heels. I've also noticed that when she's sitting and falls over, her falls seem to hurt. I ended up ordering a new and much softer, thicker mat for her until she's a bit older. It definitely has made a difference.
  
  
• Great Product - Need More!
  By A2EGFR2HIR06YT on 2004-02-24
  With twin two-year-old boys, we've found a gazillion uses for these things - over ceramic tiles for clumsy crawlers, between high chairs and carpet (food cleans up easily), as quick and accessible diaper changing pads, under toddler playground equipment, and even for building giant cube playhouses. We did think they were a bit expensive at first, but found them to be worth the price.

  They sell out quickly at Toys R Us and Home Depot. Employees from both stores indicated that they wished they could have more of these in stock since they run out so quickly.
  
  

• WONDERFUL PRODUCT
  By A3CK4DBNXIRB33 on 2004-07-06
  I purchased 2 packs of these mats and placed them under my grandaughters LITTLE TYKES play structure and they are wonderful. She is just learning how to go down the slide and they have prevented her from scraping her little hands and knees. Great for outdoors. Just run a hose over them. I wish I could find more of this product in stock somewhere.
  
  
• Shiiping Obstacle
  By AIJ7U6CZ22SNF on 2005-09-14
  I would have loved to purchase this item, but I am not willing to pay 18.00 additional to receive three playmat packs.
  
  
  
• more than a floor cushion
  By A1RRQLZN4AY5M5 on 2005-12-03
  My son's private daycare uses these mats to build tunnels and houses. Most days that I come pick him up there is "new
  construction" setup in the other room and my son is dragging me over to check it out. I am on the verge of buying these mats for a Christmas present for my son (6) and daughter (2) and their cousins just for the purpose of building tunnels and houses. It's a more stable alternative to couch cusion forts (no more rebuilding every two minutes 'cause the walls caved in again!).
  
  
• exactly what we needed
  By A19BSV8WMNF4J2 on 2006-02-23
  We knew we needed something for our little one to play on, this was what we needed, and thus bought. It's a bit thicker than the multi-colored ones. She's fallen on her head without hurting herself. It does, however, get expensive, as we had to buy 3 sets to cover her small play area. But we can't put a price on her noggin!
  
  
• A must have
  By AZD5OI46BBEV on 2005-04-20
  How I wish I would have known about these mats sooner! I unfortunately didn't get these mats until my 1 year daughter tripped on our hardwood floors and ended up with 3 stitches across her eyebrow -ouch! These mats are fantastic. My child now falls down on these mats and she doesn't so much as wimper. This is the greatest thing out there, and it's so much better and healthier to have than carpet. They are a little pricey, but worth every penny.
  
  
• great for baby's safety
  By A20OWBU3O09L5K on 2006-07-01
  we have hardwood floors so i bought this together with Playzone. i'm pleased with these mats --these made it safe for the frequent falls my baby went through when he was learning to crawl and pull himself up. now i put these mats beside his bed, softening his occasional 'dreamy falling off' his bed.
  
  
• Play mat a must for tile floors
  By AJMJ65GGKLA01 on 2007-05-12
  This item is not a toy, it is a safety item. If you have cold, hard, tile floors like I do, it is important to buy this mat and place in your baby's room around the crib. At some point they could learn how to jump out of the crib.
  
  
• An addition to my original review...
  By on 2004-04-15
  I wanted to answer the question I see in other reviews...

  There are 4 blocks in each set. The more sets you get, the more you can create!
  
  

• We have 6 packs of these!
  By A3FIZ2EJIO8X9S on 2005-04-15
  Our child runs a collision course all day long, and we have hardwood floors throughout the house, and only concrete in our back area. We have some of the playmats in the living room area and in the baby (17-month old) bedroom to define play areas, and I can comfortably do sit-ups next to my boy while he plays. We have three sets in the back "yard" under his climbing/slide structure and he seems to be pretty safe, but he's also very well-supervised and "spotted" at all times. These mats are about 3/4 inch thick, and are the thickest I could find. When he is older, we will use these to build forts, I am sure! A friend of mine lost her 6-year-old daughter in her own back yard while playing on a swing-set... I would feel anxious with just 3/4inch of material between a falling child and concrete. I would not use these playmats under swings. That might lead to a false sense of security. I would just skip the swing set if I only had concrete for a play area.
  
  
• Found a cheaper set at Ross!
  By AQ3QZ8CA5DRAG on 2005-05-22
  I bought two sets of alphabet playmats for my daughter Jaena at a more reasonable price at Ross. They're more vibrant in color, and more educational than plain blue mats. I've found use for them since my daughter was 4 months. They're great in keeping my carpet clean from spit-up and food. And I was more comfortable with her learning to crawl and walk on the mats than any other flooring. We even got a mini-mat set at Ross which she loves building blocks with. Ross even has an animal puzzle alphabet set. Its almost half the price toysrus is charging. If you have a Ross store close by, its worth the look to see if they have it in stock.
  
  
• Terrific Playmats
  By A2NBXJ8M7SBTTN on 2005-07-24
  We bought these mats for our 4 month old baby girl. We have hardwood floors throughout our house, and these make a great "soft spot" to sit on. I also have a bad back which makes sitting on the hardwood very difficult. We bought these hoping that it would help to cushion the floor when playing with our little one. They are wonderful! Not only do they make it easy to sit on, but it's a nice surface for "tummy time" with the baby. We have also used the mat under our picnic blanket at the park. We highly recommend them.
  
  
• Great Playmat
  By A3BZFO12YQJ2UD on 2005-08-30
  Our nursery has a tile floor so we bought four sets of four mats and created an 8 ft. by 8 ft. mat. Our son is crawling and standing and the padding is nice for when he falls. The only negative is that the shipping seemed very expensive.
  
  
• Great for Hardwood Floors
  By A3UP7LZ46G0KOG on 2006-03-28
  This mat provides a good cushion for those of us with hardwood floors. It is nearly an inch thick and is very durable. The pieces lock together well and don't pull apart, even with Mommy, Daddy, and baby walking or playing on them.
  
  
• Happy Mommy
  By A32LUQJYA1IMU4 on 2006-08-18
  These mats are awesome if you have hardwood floors! My little guy loves to play on them and when he rolls onto his belly or happens to fall, he doesn't get hurt. They're easy to clean and easy to store away when playtime is over!
  
  

• Crayola 64ct Crayons Kids Choice Colors

• North States Superyard XT Gate Play Yard
• Little Playzone with Sounds and Lights
• North States Industries Two-panel Extension Kit for Superyard XT in White
• Summer Infant Secure Surround Play Safe Play Yard
• LeapFrog Learn & Groove Musical Table