How to sew educational rugs yourself. How to sew a developmental mat for a baby: tips and ideas. Connecting the arches and the base of the mat

Every mother, already 2-3 months after the birth of her child, thinks about what to do with her baby. A development mat will help with this. You can buy it or make it yourself. Such things are relatively expensive, and sometimes you don’t like anything from an acceptable price range. Then, armed with desire, imagination and free time, you can make an educational rug for children with your own hands. Step-by-step instruction The solution proposed in this article will help with this.

From two months onwards, the baby’s waking periods become longer and, accordingly, the mother’s free time becomes less. After about another month, or even earlier, the thought comes: “how nice it would be if the baby could study on his own” - after all, more toys and rattles are added, but he pays almost no attention to them. How to interest him? This is possible, the main thing is to understand the peculiarities of a newborn’s worldview and correctly organize a play space for him in the form of a developmental rug.

Color

A child in the first months of life is attracted to large, contrasting objects. Black and white pictures interest him more than color ones, and he prefers broken or straight lines to wavy ones. The main background of the rug is selected accordingly. More often, light fabric is used, followed by placing dark contrasting objects on it. But you can do the opposite, make a dark night sky and bright stars on it.

WITHAt birth, the child has poor vision. The space and objects surrounding it are blurry, discolored outlines of shadow and light. From the age of two months, the baby can already look around and recognize the silhouette of his mother. From 3 months the child begins to distinguish colors, and the first of them is red. However, black and white large forms still attract him more than color ones.

If the fabric is replete with red, green, and blue tones, at first it will seem almost uniformly gray to the baby, and if the toys are also made in the same colors, the rug will not arouse curiosity. And also blue, pink and light green tones will merge into a faded gray spot. This is very important, because such a thing is necessary precisely in the first months of life. Because when the baby crawls, his attention will completely switch to other surrounding objects, and it will no longer be possible to keep him within the confines of the mat.

On a note: Now there are battery-powered LED toys that begin to glow upon contact with the skin or light up when shaken. If you figure out how to safely introduce such a luminous element into the play area, success will be guaranteed!

Tactile sensations

As soon as the child understands that you can pick up various things with your hands, a new stage in learning about the world around you will begin. On the educational mat you need to place objects from a variety of materials.

You can use a variety of smooth and fluffy fabrics, beads, buttons, as well as existing small plastic toys and teethers. The child will also really like “surprises”, pockets and objects hidden in them, and it would be better if this thing rustles or glows.

Sound

The baby also does not immediately learn to associate an object and the sound emanating from it. But when he understands this, making noise becomes his favorite pastime. He rattles rattles, knocks them on everything, and is even ready to crawl towards musical electronic toys. Therefore, it is necessary to place something on the educational mat that makes sounds.

These can be removable elements with Velcro. Or a small plastic ball with cereal poured inside, or a rustling piece of packaging or candy wrapper covered with fabric. Or whatever else comes to mind. The main thing is not to forget about safety. You can also attach some existing rattles and squeaks to the mat.

MScarlet children strive to taste everything, you need to remember this when securely fastening all the parts to the rug. Also, removable elements should be made no smaller than the child’s fist, so that the baby cannot put them in his mouth and accidentally swallow them. And if the part is small, it is better to “tie” it.

Thus, in order to make a developmental mat that will really interest your baby, it is important to take into account all the features of his age. Elements placed on the rug should contrast with the background, have a harmonious variety of shapes, colors, sizes, textures and sounds, attracting the child’s attention and encouraging him to reach for them. The playing space can be made up of different local zones, for example: a blue sky with black birds on it, a green meadow with white flowers, and a dark blue pond with light fish in it.

Manufacturing

The simplest version of the rug, which does not require special material costs and time, is to use an ordinary blanket, rug or bedspread for the base and simply sew it on top of the toy. In this case, it is not even necessary to have a sewing machine; all the parts can be attached by hand.

But, if you want to take the matter seriously and make a quality thing, it will require more skill, time and money. Below is a sequence of basic steps to achieve a better result.

This video shows an example of a homemade rug. While watching, you can glean several original ideas, how to organize and place play areas more interestingly.

If it took too much time to make the ideal play area, so that the baby has already crawled and is almost not interested in the rug, there is no need to be upset. After some time, the child will be satisfied with his newly acquired capabilities, learn to stand, and begin to explore everything at his new level of reach. So, the resulting educational rug, with many locks, “surprises” and other interesting areas, can be hung on the wall at the baby’s eye level - you will get a kind of entertaining busy board.

Educational toys for children that you can make yourself. Review of simple and useful toys for children.

Educational toys for children serve the function of stimulating the acquisition of certain skills. Depending on the age, the child must be able to perform certain actions. Timely nervousness is responsible for this mental development child. Toys help to better develop abilities.

What educational toys can you make with your own hands from scrap materials?

All toys that are made by hand must correspond to a certain age of the baby. Before the first year of life, the child is just learning to interact with the outside world, he develops a grasping reflex, and the first control of coordination is emerging.
During this period, the toy should be bright and eye-catching. It is also important that its elements are large enough, the component part is no more than two or three parts. Homemade beads, rag balls, and rattles work well.
After about six months of age, you can make nesting dolls, cloth dolls and beautiful cubes. All this develops fine motor skills and promotes speech activity
After a year, you can give your child toys that he can take apart. To study colors, toys can be combined according to color scheme. Develops association cards and cubes with pictures well
After two years, plasticine is suitable for a child; it can also be made at home. At the same time, using food coloring you can achieve any color you need. Various crafts made from paper and cardboard are well developed

DIY motor skills toys

For the development of motor skills, it is important for a child to always have a bright object with elements in front of his eyes that he cannot put in his mouth, and if he starts to bite, he will not swallow. Mostly the toy is made of fabric, with small inserts so that the child can grab and pull them.

The toy, which is shown in the picture, is made from improvised materials of bright colors. As a stretcher over the stroller, a fairly strong plastic tube is used, with a rope running inside it.
Velcro loops are sewn along the edges, which can be used to attach a hanging guy to a child's bed. Accordingly, the dimensions should be selected after measuring your crib. The bar should not sag much. It is important that the child reaches for the toy and develops motor skills.
The plastic tube is covered first with foam rubber, then with several layers of colored towels. The towel should be cut into small pieces to wrap the tube 2-3 times. This is how a colored strip is made. It is advisable to use standard rainbow colors
The frame of the pillow itself is made in the shape of a house, but you can choose any shape. Make a cut on the fabric, then sew the cut out fabric designs. You can insert frame elements that are not too thick on the side faces. If there is no material for them, you can do without them. The inside of the toy is stuffed with light foam rubber, the toy should be light
You don't have to endure perfect shape each toy, color and volume are more important here. For hanging the ribbon on the bar and sewing the alluring little thing at the bottom, the same technology is used as for attaching the bar to the crib. If top part is done with Velcro, then it is best to sew the bottom one “tightly” so that the child does not tear off the hanging element
As additional factor to attract attention, you can use a marker to draw simple faces that imitate positive emotions

DIY educational cube toy

The educational toy cube is designed to give the baby the opportunity to touch and throw objects. The cubic shape accustoms the child's palms to large objects. This best develops fundamental motor skills. It is important that the child likes the toy, so you should make it very bright and rich in elements.

All elements of the cube must be sewn tightly. When your child plays with this toy, check from time to time to ensure that parts do not come off to avoid injury. Do not use buttons, beads or other decorations in this toy. All decor should consist of colored fabrics that are firmly sewn around the entire perimeter
To develop fine motor skills, you can sew a thick cord with large beads strung on one of the faces of the cube. It is also advisable to make beads from fabric, but make sure that they move easily along the cord from side to side
When making this toy, show your imagination as much as possible. You can take ideas from children's pictures. Don't be discouraged if some element turns out to be inaccurate or not as beautiful as you would like. If a child likes a coloring book, it will be his favorite toy.
A stencil of any design can be printed on paper, cut out and transferred to fabric. Make the beads themselves with a large hole in the center. You should get a donut of any shape that the child can easily move along the cord while holding the toy with the other hand. It develops coordination and motor skills

DIY educational turtle toy

This toy is aimed at ages one year and older. Like most toys, the turtle is made soft; if desired, a cord with beads can be attached to the shell, which the child will touch with his fingers. The toy is quite complex to make and will require effort from parents to create.

Here, before you start working, you need to properly prepare the patterns. The main body of the turtle is made quite tall. This includes a shell on which you can attach a lot of jewelry and educational beads
The head, four paws and tail are made of the same material and are small in size. The main emphasis should be on the shell; make it as colorful and varied in content as possible
The child will study this toy for a long time if it is varied. Only then will he not get tired of her quickly, and he will be able to develop with her help. The length of such a toy should not exceed 15 centimeters. A thing that is too big and cumbersome will not be of interest to the baby.
The finished body is stuffed with foam rubber and then sheathed with a large amount of different decorations. All elements must be different not only in shape, but also in color. Show maximum variety. This will make the toy more interesting

DIY educational toy book

Although the toy does resemble a book, a simpler version can be made from one or two pages. A complex toy book is made with several spreads, which are connected at the top by a handle.

Each “page” of this toy is made separately in the form of a flat square or rectangle. Try to make each plane a different color. Fill the pages with interesting and educational images of fish, pets, numbers and letters
It is not necessary to adhere to the boundaries of the “page”; some elements of the toy book may go beyond the boundaries, this will add interest to the child; he will want to carefully study the protruding elements
In order for the spread to hold its shape, thick cardboard is inserted into a square piece of fabric to fit the size and lined with soft fabric on both sides. If desired, you can add one layer of foam rubber or fleecy fabric inside
Do not catch small badges or buttons on the toy. All pictures should be large, but don't make them all the same size. Remember, the child does not yet identify specific elements and perceives the object holistically; monotony and consistency of sizes will make the toy boring and uninteresting

DIY educational toys made from bottles

Bottles are very popular with children. With their help, you can make an excellent sensory toy for a child that will develop visual, auditory, and motor function. To work you will need small transparent bottles, any interesting filler, glue and tape.

You need to put filler inside the bottle. It is important that it is bright and interesting. Use bulk substances that make noise. Try pawning different materials, check what sound they make. Always leave about 30% empty space to make the toy sound in your baby's hands.

As a filler, you can use water with floating elements that will attract the child. After the filler is poured in, firmly place the lid on technical glue for plastic. Check that the lid is secure, then for added protection, wrap the lid with tape so that a child cannot reach the lid.

DIY wooden educational toys

It is quite difficult to work with wood on your own if you do not have special skills. If you know how to carve figures from wood, make your child as many as possible different toys, with which he will be able to develop his ability to hold heavy objects. If you don’t have any special skills, don’t worry, there are simple educational toys made of wood that anyone can make.

To make a toy, you will need to buy a wooden beam with a section of 50x50 and saw it into separate cubes. Before cutting, run sandpaper over the surface of the timber, making it as smooth as you have the patience
Measure the exact distance of the cube and cut the timber. The cut area will also need to be thoroughly sanded. For work, you can use a drill with an attachment, if you have one. Or do this not an easy task manually. This is necessary so that the cubes are pleasant to the touch.
To make the cubes beautiful and interesting, they need to be painted in different colors. To add more fun, you can make different holes in the center of the cube (don't forget to sand them down too, using a round file). Then you can leave the decorated cubes as is, or stick them on beautiful pictures, letters, numbers or draw funny faces

DIY educational toys from kinders

The most interesting thing that can be made from kinders is “noise makers” with different tactile sensations. These toys will develop hearing, attentiveness and the ability to hold small objects.

To make toys you will need the ability to knit. Tie the kinders with multi-colored threads, make the surface as different to the touch as possible. One toy may be softer to the touch, another harder. Add weaves of foreign elements that will change tactile signals, make the surface textured, weave patterns.

Inside each toy you need to put certain bulk materials that will make a different sound. It is best to place the Kinder halves on glue so that they do not open up during play. Be sure to make about seven different toys and leave one empty. This will add variety to the child's play and improve his auditory abilities.

DIY felt educational toys

Felt toys are very pleasant to the touch and allow the child to combine visual and tactile memory. Such toys are made in the form of a book or a rug.

Make big letters different color and be sure to decorate them with beautiful animals or other pictures. This alphabet can be combined into an alphabet or made into separate cards. Choose the sizes of toys at your discretion. If these are separate cards with letters, in the future, you will be able to put simple words on the floor.

DIY rug for children with arcs and buttons

This toy will attract the child's attention for a long time. High arches are made of plastic tubes and covered with foam rubber and colored fabrics. On such a rug for a child there are a lot of bright and colorful elements that he will look at, touch and study.

Make the base of the mat no less than one meter by one meter. Make it as varied and colorful as possible. Be sure to sew on a large number of beautiful and eye-catching elements. You can divide the rug into several thematic sections to encourage the child to logically comprehend everything that he sees.

Overhanging arches must contain hanging toys. This will help develop a comprehensive perception of the world; the child will spin on the mat, look down, up and to the sides. This develops motor function well.

DIY toys for educational mat

An educational mat should be filled with a large number of different toys. The more variety there is, the better and faster the child will develop.

You can always replace boring toys on the rug or those that do not arouse your child’s interest. Watch his play carefully and, depending on this, change the filling of the rug with various additional details.

All toys for a developmental mat can be completely different. Make sure that they are firmly sewn to the rug and the child cannot tear them off. There is only one rule for such toys: they must be very bright and have different shapes. If at the same time they are completely unique to the touch, this will only be a plus.

DIY sensory mat for children

A child's sensory mat should be filled with unusual toys and patches that he can touch with his hands. All the toys that the child liked before can be sewn to the rug, giving him the opportunity to come up with his own logical laws for their placement.

For rug usually used Stuffed Toys. The mat helps the child concentrate. The most important thing is that it keeps the baby in one place, fills his consciousness completely and eliminates the thought of crawling to the closet and being naughty there.

The sensory mat is good for developing sensory perception of the environment. It gives the child the opportunity to understand how the world works, attracting with colorful decorations. While playing on the mat, the child is able to develop independently without the help of adults. At the same time, the baby is always in motion, which is very important for his physical development.

Video: DIY educational toy for a child

Despite the great variety of educational rugs for children in stores, very often we cannot choose a specific model. And this is not surprising, all babies are special. But it is difficult to determine exactly what is special about them in the first weeks of life. Therefore, usually the choice either falls on all the rugs at once, or none of them suits our needs.

If you still can’t decide on the choice of rug, then know that you can create it yourself! Desire and knowledge of the basic principles of their design are enough. That's what we'll talk about next.

Basic requirements for hand-sewn rugs

Even if you already know exactly what type of rug you need, don't rush to grab a needle and fabric. It is very important not to forget that educational mats last for a long time. main toy your baby, a faithful companion and assistant in exploring the world. Therefore, first you should study the basic requirements for such rugs, and only then start sewing them.

Attention to detail

The best child psychologists work on the development of modern rugs and use high-tech equipment, but handmade rugs have their own number of advantages:

you choose the materials for the rug yourself and are confident in their safety,
you decide how many games and game elements will be on the mat,
you yourself determine the size of the playing field of the future rug, and it may differ greatly from the standard ones offered by global manufacturers,
your rug will be created exclusively for your baby, it will provide and take into account his characteristics and preferences, his love for certain games, as well as colors.

That is why most mothers still prefer to sew educational rugs for children with their own hands.

But before you start sewing such a rug, you need to remember several important requirements for the work, so as not to be disappointed with the result.

1) If you are going to develop your baby’s fine motor skills, then choose different objects that will perform this function.

The child will quickly get bored with the monotony, and he will lose interest in the game.

2) If you want the rug to last you a long time, leave some free space to add new games.

In the first days of life, the baby will play more and more interestingly with large details, images and beads, but the older he gets, the smaller and more detailed the subsequent sectors will be.

3) For the base of the rug, choose bright colors, but not flashy or glossy, so that the baby’s eyes do not get tired and the passion for playing does not disappear.

4) Consider the arrangement of sectors and game elements on the canvas so that they not only include maximum benefit as an educational game, but also fit harmoniously into the overall idea.

The field must be logically structured, otherwise the child will not see the final goal and soon his interest in the game will disappear.

Do not forget that the main purpose of the rug is the development of your baby in a playful way. And therefore it is very important that he finds it interesting, fun and educational.

To create an educational rug for children with your own hands, you will need a lot of different materials. But this does not mean that it should be full of beads, laces and chaotically stuck Velcro, which will only disturb and confuse the baby.

First, you need to think about the main theme of the rug, decide on its main tasks and functions, and then start stocking up on materials.

The first thing you need to sew a developmental rug is fabric.

It is needed both to create the base and for most of the applications that will decorate the playing field. Therefore, when selecting it, pay attention to the following:

For the wrong side, a non-slip fabric is suitable so that the rug does not slide on the floor,
for the base more suitable the fabric is plain, dense, so that it can withstand frequent use of the rug,
for decoration and appliqués, thin fabrics are suitable - chintz, calico, cotton,
for rustling elements, choose raincoat fabric, artificial silk,
for games aimed at developing tactile sensations, velvet, suede, corduroy, etc. are more suitable.

As you can see, you will need a lot of fabric to create a developmental mat.

Don’t forget about the fittings, which play an important role here:

, zippers and teach children how to fasten parts;
Rubber bands will help you hide and take out individual game elements, as well as depict natural phenomena. For example, rain or the sun peeking out from behind the clouds;
beads, sequins and colorful stones will attract attention and develop the baby’s color perception.

Look around, not only sewing accessories can help you create an educational rug. Everything will come into play:

peas, beans, millet and buckwheat - as a filler and to create rustling toys;
woolen threads - as an imitation of grass or animal hair;
bright candy wrappers - as inserts and sound effect.

And this is not the entire list of materials that may be useful to you. Each rug is unique, just like its owner. Therefore, you decide for yourself what suits you to create it.

Just don’t forget that all materials must be natural and not hazardous to the baby’s health.

Sew small details firmly, and choose the fabric wisely so that it does not fade or stain children’s palms.

We create an educational mat for children with our own hands

As we have already said, educational mats for children come in different varieties. They differ not only in size and content, but also in purpose, since they are created for the specific age of the baby. So first decide how long you want the mat to last, and only what suits you best. And we will try to figure out how to create the basis and how to complement the playing field of the most common types of children's rugs.

DIY rug with arcs

Since rugs with arches and sides are best suited for infants, it is worth making them bright.

In addition to the previously mentioned materials in the form of fabric and accessories, we will also need arcs. A gymnastic hoop or metal-plastic pipes will help us with this.

Therefore, to create a developmental rug with arcs we will need:

plain fabrics of bright colors - calico, chintz, cotton;
non-slip fabric for the back of the mat;
padding polyester;
a gymnastic hoop with an approximate diameter of 65 cm or 3-4 meters of metal-plastic pipe.

First, decide on the size of the rug itself.

The most common size of a developmental mat with arcs is considered to be 90x90 cm, but you can decide for yourself what area your baby’s playing field will be.

Mat base

Cut a square from the main fabric the right size For front side mat and exactly the same made of non-slip fabric, which will become the reverse side. Sew them together and turn them right side out, but leave enough opening for stuffing.

To make it soft to lie on and turn over on the rug, insert several layers of padding polyester into the resulting blank and then sew everything up.

To prevent the padding polyester inside the mat from shifting or crumpling, quilt the future mat (all layers of padding polyester and fabric), either by hand or on a sewing machine.

This is how we have created the basis for an educational rug, which can be decorated immediately or over time with toys and appliqués for your fidget.

Arcs

Now let's move on to the arcs.

If you choose a gymnastic hoop, then you first need to cut it in half to get a frame. Then the arches need to be made safer and softer. Therefore, we again take out the padding polyester and wrap it around the blanks.

When the arc is not visible under the padding polyester layer, and you consider it as soft and safe as possible for the baby, take the fabric, sew a long tube from it, turn it inside out and insert the resulting arc into it.

Connecting the arches and the base of the mat

Don't forget that the arcs up must be connected together, for this you can:

sew two laces into one of the fabric tubes, with which you will then intercept both arcs;
cut a ribbon from the main fabric with which you will tie the arcs;
take any braid or ready-made tape.

Once the base and arcs are ready, the main question remains: how to connect the two main elements together?

If you do not plan to assemble and disassemble the rug, you can sew the fabric that wraps the arcs to the corners of the rug. Your developmental mat will now be ready and ready to use.

If you plan to make it more transportable, then at the stage of sewing the base you should think about options for attaching the arches.

You can cut small pockets in the form of pipes with a diameter a couple of centimeters larger than the arc, and sew them to the corners of the base of the rug.

Olga Volkova clearly demonstrates the process of such a connection in her master class:

You can cut through the base of the rug at the cutting stage, overcast the resulting loops and sew Velcro on the back side. Attach its second part to the finished arc and insert it into the loop. This is exactly what Lyubov Lozinskaya suggests doing, sharing the tricks of creating a mobile and bright educational rug in her master class on creating a children's rug.

If you plan to use the developmental mat after the baby learns to walk, then the arcs can be assembled separately from the playing field.

To do this, you just need to cut them to the required length, wrap them with padding polyester and cover them with fabric, and then form an arc by pulling the ends of one pipe between each other with tape. You will get a strong frame of two arcs, on which you can lay any rug of suitable size.

Calculation of pipe length for arches

To do this, simply multiply the diagonal of the rug by the number π, equal to 3.14, and then divide the resulting result in half.

For example, you want to assemble arcs from a pipe for a rug measuring 90x90 cm. They will be installed in the corners of the field, therefore, the base of our semicircle will be the starting point.

So, the diagonal of our rug will be 126 cm (90 cm x 1.4). Now we need to multiply the resulting number by 3.14 - 126cmx3.14 - to get the circumference of the intended circle, which will be equal to 395.65 cm. But since this is the length of a full circle, we need to divide it in half - 395.65 cm/2 = 197.82 cm. In total, we will need two cuts of a metal-plastic pipe with an approximate length of 198 cm. If the arc turns out to be too high, simply reduce the length of the pipe until you get a satisfactory result.

Please note that one pipe should be several centimeters longer than the other for greater stability of the structure.

DIY rug with arcs and sides

One more distinctive feature Developmental mats for younger children include not only arches, but also sides so that fidgets stay in place.

As we have already said, such rugs come in several types:

with attached sides;
with sides that are part of a large rug.

Pillows, bolsters or other soft restraints can become additional sides.

If you want the rug to become your assistant for a long time, then your choice is a rug with lifting sides. After all, it has two sizes - assembled and disassembled.

To sew such a rug, you first need to create the correct pattern. To do this, decide on the size of the initial, small rug. Draw this square or rectangle on paper, and now add a rectangle on each side, the height of which will be the height of the wall. This is exactly what your foundation will be.

In places where the sides will fold, you can sew laces or ribbons. Then to assemble the rug you will only need to tie them tightly together. If you prefer Velcro or buttons, then sew them along the entire height of the side.

The process of creating such a rug can be seen more clearly in a small master class by a young mother.

DIY themed or play mat

And yet, the most popular among educational rugs for children are play mats. After all, they have so many interesting and fun things to do!

The base of such a rug can be sewn in different ways:

a single piece of fabric, to which appliqués and educational toys will then be sewn;
separate sections that will be connected, increasing the rug in size over time.

But in any case you will need:

several large pieces of fabric;
synthetic winterizer or foam rubber as a sealant;
scraps of bright fabric of different textures;
buttons, beads and other accessories;
locks, Velcro and elastic, etc.

First, decide on a sketch of your future rug:

consider the size of the finished product and whether you will sew it from scraps or from a solid cut;
think over the location of the games and the logical transition between them;
come up with a plot for the rug.

It is very important that everything that happens on the mat has meaning and pattern. Do not try to place games with bees and hedgehogs in the middle of the sea - this will only confuse the child.

The choice of rug type can also be an excellent clue. You can sew:

In any case, you will need a base sewn from two pieces of fabric and layered with filler to make the mat as safe as possible for playing.

Afterwards you can sew game elements to it in the order you require.

If you have chosen a map of the area as your subject - a forest, a highway or a park - then you can divide the field into sky and earth. At the bottom place trees, a road, small animals or houses, at the top you will have room for clouds, sun, birds and airplanes.

Don’t limit your imagination, you can always add a new object to the rug by simply sewing it on or swapping it with another one.

Use Velcro, buttons and zippers to connect toys. So an airplane can fly in the sky, attached to a zipper slider, in a house, windows can open and close with a button, and a hedgehog hiding under a bush can pick apples or berries, which are attached to it with Velcro.

Cute soft hedgehog

When creating educational rugs for children with your own hands, be sure to pay attention to the variety of types of toys:

sew or knit noisy objects - pour into a capsule from chocolate egg buckwheat or beads, tie or cover with fabric, giving the toy the image of a bee, butterfly or rabbit;
use felt for flat appliqués that will move across the playing field and be attached with Velcro, snaps or buttons;
provide pockets with zippers in which there will be;
Sew appliqués with a candy wrapper inside into separate sections of the rug; such rustling noise will not go unnoticed by the little fidget.

Collection of toys for the rug

If you have not yet decided on the plot or are not confident in your abilities, then take a look at the video master class by Handmade Tailor. Here you will be inspired to create a simple play mat with different elements and principles for attaching toys.

If you doubt your seamstress skills, then you can use the excellent idea of Svetlana Rost, who suggests creating an educational rug based on pillows for stools. This way you can increase or decrease the size of the playing field, swap games and tasks, or even temporarily remove those that your baby is already tired of.

Double-sided developmental mat

Practical parents prefer double-sided rugs that contain two playing fields. This way they will provide their baby with something to do for a long time and save the family budget.

But when creating such educational rugs with your own hands, keep in mind that the baby will move around on it and nothing should interfere with him. Therefore, you should avoid bulky and hard objects that can cause unnecessary abrasions and bruises.

As with play mats, first you need:

come up with a plot;
draw a sketch and map;
prepare materials.

Afterwards, you sew all the game objects and Velcro onto the prepared playing fields and sew them together using the quilting sandwich principle - fold the playing field, apply the padding polyester to the wrong side and place the second playing field, the wrong side to the filler. Sew the resulting sandwich together, sewing tape along the edge.

For playing on such a developmental mat, the most suitable toys are made of felt, which can be rearranged, shifted or used for both sides.

Puzzle mat or puzzle mat

If your baby is already old enough and independent, then he will like the idea of assembling his own rug. The process of folding itself will become an excellent game for him and a test of logic, spatial thinking, as well as the relationship of shapes to each other. This is exactly why puzzle mats or puzzle mats were invented.

Big puzzle for a little man

Most often, such mats are made of PVC, i.e. It will be difficult to reproduce their production at home. But handicraft mothers found a way out and began sewing puzzle rugs in the form of many soft pillows that can be easily connected to each other.

To create these educational mats with your own hands you will need:

fabric - felt, fleece or cotton are best;
filler;
pattern.

First, think about how many pillows you want to sew and what shape they will be. Draw the assembled puzzle and cut out each piece separately - this will be your pattern. Then simply transfer it to the fabric - each detail should be cut out in duplicate, which will then be sewn into pillows.

Fill the pillows tightly with padding polyester or any other filling, sew up the hole and you can give the finished rug to your child to play with. He will decide for himself how to collect it and what to do with it next.

To add another element of play and test the child's logic, you can sew an applique to the pillows in the form of a labyrinth or a road, which will need to be connected in the correct order.

Eclerka and her detailed master class will help you understand the process of creating a puzzle rug in more detail, in which she shares the intricacies of cutting and sewing pillows.

As you can see, in order to give your child full development and help him understand the world, you don’t have to run to the store and buy everything from its shelves. Sometimes it is enough to show imagination and ingenuity, and also to give him your love by creating a comfortable, useful and interesting educational rug. And what it will be like and what it will teach your baby is up to you to decide.

My name is Elena. I am a mother of two children. Since childhood, I really love making things with my own hands for myself, family, and friends. I do a little bit of everything, sew, knit, embroider. So, when my youngest son was 3 months old, I decided to sew him an educational rug. What a wonderful thing this is! At 4 months, lying on the floor, the baby persistently fiddled with everything for a long time, fingered everything, and “musled” everything in his mouth. Until 7 months, until we began to explore new horizons, this was his favorite toy.

He regained his interest in him when he was about a year old and could walk confidently. We hung the rug on the back of the crib. From this age we are already actively tugging at everything, rustling clouds, attaching stars, putting animals in the car, etc. Now we are 1.5 years old, and the rug is again a favorite and interesting toy that we play with every day.

In addition, our friends often come to us - girls 2, 3 years old and almost 4 years old, and the rug also attracts them, but they have different more story games(the bunny goes to the store, went for a swim, where are the most apples, etc.). For games, in addition to those that I made, they use small soft toys, of which there are now many in every home where there is a child.

My eldest son is 8 years old, he already has other interests. But when I ask him to help, spend time with the younger one, he copes very easily, comes up with various stories for him based on the plot of the rug, and neither of them gets bored.

So, let's begin.

1. First, you need to conduct an “audit” of your inventory. Collect all the scraps, ribbons, fasteners, laces, etc. in the house. It is better to wash all the shreds first, so that later finished product they didn't sit down and undo all the work. Then the scraps need to be smoothed out and analyzed, everything that you managed to find. Depending on the colors and textures of the fabrics, we come up with a plot. The theme of the rug can be anything - sea, city street, village or even Africa. It all depends on your imagination.

2. Next, I advise you to draw a sketch plan of the future rug, how you imagine it in finished form. The plan most likely will not coincide with the outcome. But for me it was easier to navigate through the whole pile of prepared material. This is what it looked like for me.

3. And this is what happened. The rug has been in active use for more than a year, has already been washed many times, and is a little worn out, so don’t judge too harshly.

4. According to the sketch, we cut out the parts, sew the fabric overlapping with a zigzag seam, where necessary. We need to create a canvas of the size we need. In my example, the canvas is created from blue and two types of green fabric (sky + grass) 120*100cm. You can simply take the fabric of the desired size.

5. We sew details onto the finished canvas - trees, houses, rivers, etc. Imagine how your baby will study them, touch them with his fingers, and what sensations he will experience. To make your baby's tactile sensations more varied, if possible, use different kinds fabrics: calico, silk, velvet, etc. Some parts can be knitted using different techniques and types of yarn. Knitted fabrics also diversify the baby's tactile sensations.

6. Next comes the most creative part. We work out the details, give free rein to our imagination, use everything that was once just lying around idle: laces, zippers, buttons, broken toys, etc. So a broken rattle turned into a traffic light, a thick cord into a bush, a lid from under baby food into a wheel, various buttons into pebbles and flowers. It is very important to sew small parts very, very tightly, preferably several times!

7. Think about what is the easiest way to teach a child something? Of course, in the game! Beat as much as possible:

Fasteners (laces, zipper, loops, buttons, Velcro);

Antonyms (thin-wide, long-short, thick-thin, etc.);

Shapes (circle, triangle, square, etc.);

Score, more or less;

Time of day, season (day-night, winter-summer);

Colors, etc.

There are crocheted apples on the trees, and bullets from a toy gun are sewn into the trunks of apple trees.

8. To interest the child, we make various pockets, doors, “twitches”, some removable parts, etc. You can “hide” someone behind a door or a bush. My son is very happy when, looking through the window, he finds ladybug. Here are some examples. When making a lake, a rustling bag is placed under the fabric, ducks and a crocodile are attached with Velcro.

You can “ride” on a typewriter.

If you blow on the mill from the side, the blades will spin.

Here's a girl on elastic legs walking through a clearing.

There are also packages in the clouds, with different rustling sounds. We love to depict thunder. The bird will “fly” if you pull the ring (grommet).

8. To store small removable parts, I have a zippered pocket (under the sun). But if a very small child will play on the rug, then it is better to remove the small parts completely for a while.

9. Assembly. For the base, for density and warmth, I took an old flannelette blanket (the former doll blanket of my eldest son), you can take a padding polyester with a calico base or something similar, adjust it to the size of our upper, playing part. We cut out 4 rectangles from fabric with a width of 6-8, two of them as long as the width of the rug and two as long as the height of the future rug. Then we grind all the parts together along the edges. In some places I fastened two canvases together. So that the rug could be hung on the back of the crib, I sewed strings to the top of it.

10. The rug is ready.

As I already said, the manufacturing process is very labor-intensive and long, and not all mothers have time for this, but you can sew a basic picture, and then finish something during operation. After all, no, there’s nothing terrible about the fact that apples will “grow” on your apple tree in another month, after your baby tries out the rug.

I don’t know if I will be able to help you, but I tried very hard to present my ideas briefly and clearly.

Here are some more interesting examples, but from my other rug.

Spruce, knitted from synthetic thread, a little prickly to the touch. The clearing is also knitted, but from wool yarn.

And the apple tree is already smoother, it has button apples.

In this pond, fish “swim” along a wave-cord.

Butterflies already “fly” here and giraffes live here.

Loving parents, trying to develop their child from birth, use modern techniques and all kinds of expensive toys. Recently, developmental mats have been invented specifically for these purposes. You can buy such a rug in a store, but many women prefer to make it with their own hands, because it is not at all difficult to do. In this article we will tell you how to make DIY educational mat for children from 0 to 3 years old, and we'll show photo the most original ideas.

Educational mat for a small child

An educational mat is a textile or knitted cloth, decorated with bright appliqués, with movable elements for play placed on it. It is sometimes supplemented with a frame for hanging toys. This rug gives children the opportunity to develop from the first days of life, and is designed for use up to 3 years of age.

Developmental mat for newborns

Playing with an educational mat will help:

Did you know: a child’s brain is not fully developed at the time of birth. In the first months and years of life, the most active growth and development of nerve connections in the brain occurs. This process, and the number of connections created, is influenced by the environment in which the child grows up and how he is dealt with.

Developmental mat for babies

For a child, a developmental mat will become the largest and most useful toy that never gets boring, and for a mother, it will be the main visual aid for activities with the baby. When the child grows up and begins to sit independently, he will be able to play with it and develop without outside help. Bright applications and a large number of various elements will occupy the child’s attention for a long time, and you will have the opportunity to relax a little or do household chores. During joint activities, it is necessary to show the child what actions can be performed with objects placed on the mat, and to get him to complete the assigned tasks.

Educational mat for little ones

Advantages of a homemade rug

Advice: make a rug with a spare size so that as the child grows up, you can add new developmental elements that are appropriate for his age. It will “grow” with the child and will always be new and interesting.

Making a developmental mat

We make a developmental mat with our own hands

First, you need to decide what exactly you want to see on your rug and draw a rough sketch on a piece of paper. Then choose a material suitable in size and texture for the base of the rug and for its lining. To make the rug soft and warm, you will need padding polyester or warm coat fabric. The latter will help the mat better keep its shape and not wrinkle during play.

Ideas for an educational square rug

Advice: choose natural or half natural ones for the face covering. synthetic fabrics. They must have a stable color and not accumulate static electricity. Chintz, linen, gabardine, and suiting fabrics with natural wool fibers are suitable. For lining, use a non-slip material. Do not use satin or satin. It is better to take chintz, cotton jersey, linen or corduroy, and woolen suiting fabrics.

Bright and colorful educational mat for children

Preparation of accessories

Collect all the scraps and unnecessary things that you don’t mind cutting up. Try to choose different textures, bright fabrics, with interesting patterns. Wash and iron everything. Look around your house for threads, buttons and locks. Find different colored laces, buttons and beads. Gather small toys and boxes together. All this will be useful to you in your work and this will be enough to get started.

Photo of a model educational rug for children

Then, as needed, you can search and select necessary materials. You may need ribbons, elastic bands, and Velcro. Metal and plastic rings, Kinder surprise boxes and broken rattles will come in handy. You can use multi-colored wool threads of different thicknesses.

Important! Do not use toys with small parts that cannot be secured to the mat; small children put everything in their mouth and can swallow them! Do not use materials that crumble, break or come off!

Preparing the base

DIY educational mat for a baby

Cut panels of the same size from the main fabric, from the lining fabric and from the padding polyester. Lay them out in three layers so that the padding polyester is inside, and connect them together. Finish the edges with an overlocker, edging, or a simple hem. The base for the rug is ready.

Photo of an educational mat with overlays

Creating a playing field

On the prepared basis we create a playing field according to the sketch. It could be a forest, a lake, or a flower bed, a road for cars and a river for ships. You can make a green meadow and a blue sky with clouds. We cut the parts of the required size and color, fold the edges and sew them onto the rug, first by hand and then by sewing machine.

Educational mat with small details for a small child

Tip: place the parts on a soft adhesive base (non-woven fabric), it will be easier to work with them and they will look better.

Making game elements

This is the main and most labor-intensive part of the work. You can make flowers, butterflies or mushrooms, and come up with fairy-tale houses and castles. Make cars, airplanes or boats, sew any small animals or birds. Show your imagination. They can be sewn or fixed movably, on cords or ribbons, or attached to the rug using Velcro or buttons.

Educational mat in bright colors

Tip: to make the game elements voluminous, use padding polyester to fill them.

Interesting ideas

Tip: To make a lake, use a piece of clear polyethylene or organza and place the fish underneath. For grass, a fleecy fabric of a matching color is suitable.

Educational mat with houses, butterflies and toys

Securing elements to the mat

According to the sketch you came up with, place the finished elements on the rug. Sew buttons, laces and Velcro, secure toys, place game characters in places. Close the clasps and lace up the pockets. Complete each developmental composition according to the sketch you created.

Important! Check the reliability of fastening of small parts, the strength of cords and threads with beads, the integrity of loops and boxes!

An original idea for a developmental mat for a baby

Developmental activities with a mat

Did you know: children who are regularly tutored are, by the age of two, ahead of their peers in development, and their vocabulary is 300 words higher.

The idea of a beautiful educational mat

Having spent a little time making a developmental mat, you will use it for your child's development for several years. You will always find something to keep your baby busy and something to play with him. A bright and colorful rug will decorate a child's room and become a favorite place to play. Made with love by your hands, it will bring your son or daughter a lot of joy and leave warm memories for a lifetime.