We parents love to see our babies happy. We like to see them giggle, run around, and play with toys because it reminds us of innocent fun. But at the same time, we’re worried about them.
We understand that play is important for them as babies, but we don’t want to risk getting them hurt. We want to get them the best protection while having fun. So let Ashtonbee help you find the best baby play yard for your baby.
5 Considerations When Buying a Play Yard
Play yards must let your baby grow and develop. It must also bring you convenience and value. Any parent wants the best for their babies, but they also should consider what will benefit them.
Let these criteria help you choose the right play yard type for your baby.
Safety
Every parent’s first criterion is safety. They have to consider whether the baby play yard can prevent any injuries and protect their little ones from the hazards of play.
Playing may involve jumping, tumbling, running, or throwing stuff around. Your baby needs this for their development, but these movements bring them closer to accidents. That’s why it’s important to select a play yard that can support them while they explore their movement.
For safety, the best playard should have soft materials. It must remain low on or on the ground to prevent falls, and it should have a fence to discourage your baby from running about.
Design
Your child’s early stages are filled with curiosity. They will always try to test their senses to figure out the world around them. Among these senses, the visual is the most powerful.
That said, design should be part of your criterion to cater to your baby’s curiosity. Choose play yards that have vibrant colors and simple designs. The best design must be educational and introduces your child to the world.
Choose play yards with designs such as animals, alphabets, or cars. This will pique the babies’ interest and make it easier for you to help them learn and identify the designs in the future.
Compactness
Play yards can be notorious for taking up space. These things become the dedicated play area, so it needs to be wide. This gives your baby more room to play.
A play area becomes inconvenient if it can’t be disassembled and stored after your child is done playing. The play yard remains spread out in an area that should later be used for something else. As a result, you can’t use the space.
Parents are the ones in need of compact or play yards. They have to be able to disassemble, fold, roll, or stack the play yard into its compact form so they can store it inside a cabinet.
Ease of Carry
Families can move from place to place. Whether they’re just going for a quick out-of-town trip or moving out to a different residence, ease of carry is valuable.
It goes the same with your baby’s play yard. They must be lightweight so they can be carried around without breaking a sweat. Lightweight materials make the play yard easy to assemble and disassemble as the materials are not heavy and require little force.
When choosing the best play yard, get the ones made of foam. The wooden playpens tend to be heavy and are meant to be indoors. This material is the lightest among the different play yard types.
Versatility
Play yards would be awesome if they could be assembled anywhere. Versatility is great, especially if you want your kid to play outdoors but still be within the confines of their play space.
What makes a play yard versatile is the type of material used. Plastic or rubber-based play yards are the most versatile as they can be placed on different ground surfaces. They can also be resistant to water and other elements. So pick a play yard that uses these materials.
Different Kinds of Play Yard
The term play yard is broad. It often refers to different types of play products that are assembled on the ground. They can be with a fence or can be folded and carried when traveling or laid out plainly on the floor.
To give distinction to these products, let’s categorize them into different kinds.
Play Pen
A playpen looks like a crib, but for the most part, they are designed without legs. These are assembled on the ground and have a high fence surrounding it.
A baby playpen indoors is ideal for babies that like to crawl or reach for something.
Play Yard
Play yard is a term used for a play space with a wider area. Mostly, they come in varying designs. Some play yards look like a large playpen activity center for kids, while others are assembled as sturdy fences with a baby gate.
Play yards are great for toddlers that can stand and run around. This will keep them within bounds.
Travel Play Pen
A travel playpen is something that can be folded and stored at the back of your car seat. Sometimes parents call this a travel crib, but the more popular term used for a travel playpen is “pack-n-play.”
This portable crib still works like your typical playpen. The only difference is you get to carry it in compact form.
Play Mat
A play mat is a wide play yard that may or may not have a fence. That’s because you have an option to include one or not. Additionally, a play mat can also be as portable as a travel crib, and your little one is kept safe by its cushioning.
Use the play mat if it’s an ordinary day indoors or outdoors and if you can keep an eye on your baby.
Features of Ashtonbee’s Play Mat
Ashtonbee offers a play mat that checks all the boxes of our criteria. It will keep your baby safe while enjoying playtime, structured or unstructured. Here are the features of the play mat.
Safe to Use
The material used for Ashtonbee’s play mat is rubber. This makes the surface of the play yard slip-resistant. Your baby can run around it and will not trip on their feet.
What’s more, this play yard also converts into a mini-playpen because it has a rubber fence that can be assembled from its edges. While these fences will not keep your child from toppling it down, they will keep them and their toys within the play space.
Lastly, the rubber material is soft yet thick, so it acts like a foam that cushions any falls or bumps that may happen during playtime.
Customizable Area
Ashtonbee’s play yard is composed of floor blocks that can be added or removed to increase play space area.
If your baby is playing by themselves, you can assemble the play mat with just the right space. On the other hand, if it’s a play date situation where there are plenty of kids, you can set it up to have a wider play area.
Colorful Design
Each block of Ashtonbee’s play mat brings value in terms of design. They all have bright colors that satisfy a baby’s curiosity. In addition, each block is designed to have an alphabet and an object representing it.
You can assemble them all in order to captivate your child’s attention. Additionally, it’s also awesome for supervised play, where you can teach your child the alphabet language.
Portable and Lightweight
Ashtonbee’s lightweight and portable playard can be stored neatly after use. The huge play space doesn’t need to remain on the floor or on the ground after use. Once your child is done playing, just pull the blocks, stack them together, and put them inside the cabinet.
Another thing that’s awesome about this portable and lightweight play yard is it’s easy to carry. You can pack this in a mesh bag and assemble it outdoors more easily than a typical pack-n-play type.
Waterproof
What’s awesome about Ashtonbee’s portable playard is it’s also waterproof. This makes it easier to clean. Just wipe any liquid with a dry towel, and you’re set. Time-consuming laundry isn’t necessary.
A waterproof play mat also opens up the possibility for more activities, especially the ones involving liquid. So instead of just tossing in solid toys in the play yard, you can also risk tossing in toys like water guns, bubble makes, and the likes without worrying about cleaning up after.
Non-Toxic and Hypoallergenic
The rubber material used for this play yard is free from toxic materials such as phthalates, BPA, formaldehyde, and latex.
It’s also hypoallergenic, so your baby will not get rashes when they roll around on this portable playard’s surface. You also don’t have to worry about your child getting a bacterial infection, as the rubber material has antibacterial properties. So all you need to do is to disinfect the surface from time to time.
Ashtonbee’s Baby Foam Mat is Your Best Choice
Among the different types of play yards, the mat is the practical choice for parents. If you intend to let your child play both indoors and outdoors, this product will keep them safe and will keep them within the play space.
You can get Ashtonbee’s play mat here, or you can check out our collection of baby essentials on the website.
