MUST HAVE MATS

Although having hardwood is classy, it's not too practical for babies and kids. We decided that instead of using an area rug for the family room, we needed something soft, child-friendly, and easy to clean. In preparation for our baby rolling and crawling soon and that we'd have many friends over with kids, the Fun Years ABC/123 foam mat was the ideal purchase.

Covering a 6' by 6' space, it includes all 26 letters and numbers 0-9. The squares fit easily together like puzzle pieces with finishing borders to give it an enclosed feel. The pieces also have fun textures like waves, bumps, honeycombs, diamonds, and lines that babies love to touch. Keep in mind that the set will smell like plastic for the first couple of days so it's best to air them out in the basement or garage until you are ready to lay them out in your desired room. We had such great success with one set that we bought another for the living room.

It is available at Toys R Us for a new regular price of $34.99 (the old regular price was $39.99), but we waited for a sale and got both sets for $21.97 each.