Developing sensory mats. How to sew a baby mat

09.08.2019

The developmental rug appeared in everyday life relatively recently and has already gained wide popularity: in caring for a child and raising him at an early age, he is able to replace a whole set of things and at the same time practically does not take up useful living space. Accordingly, the prices for these items are clearly overpriced, so there are more than enough people who want to make a developmental rug with their own hands, especially since at home this is quite possible and does not require any significant costs.

However, if you look at the well-known manuals for the manufacture of developmental rugs, then they come down mainly to instructions on what material to take, how to cut, sew, stuff, etc. And the rest - something like "parents can show their imagination and express their individuality." My? But the rug should help the child to form a personality, while in adults it is the way it is. Then, mom, most likely, already knows how to sew, since she looks at sites for needlewomen, and not trade catalogs. In this publication, we will try, first of all, to give readers an idea which developmental rug for children in which case will be better and how to make it based on the characteristics of child psychology. Although cutting and sewing will also not be left out.

Technologically, most developmental rugs are equivalent to a quilt, although other versions are possible, see below. Actually developing elements in it are various kinds of applications, pockets, valves, voluminous soft linings. How to bring all this into a single product, see for example. Master Class:

Video master class: do-it-yourself developing rug

And we will try to figure out how to come up with a composition that is useful for the baby and entertaining for him. More precisely, what framework should be followed when fantasizing about a future home-made developmental rug.

Note: when reading further about the composition of the rug in the master class, questions may arise, which we will talk about later.

0 to 7

Let us briefly recall the main stages of development of young children. Please note that the indicated age limits are conditional; individually, they can vary significantly. So:

0-6 months- reckless. Feelings are almost completely organic (“internal”, dictated by the state of the body). The foundations of vision are being formed: a clear vision (the look becomes meaningful), adaptation to illumination. Feedback from the outside world is instinctive: a cry, a smile, non-purposeful movements.
0.5-1 year- the slider, learns to recognize information from the senses and dispose of it, making as yet uncertain movements. From about a year old, he will already benefit from educational toys and objects, incl. rug, giving tactile and visual sensations. Color vision is still imperfect, the blue gamut is perceived as dark and with subtle subtle shades, and red and yellow tones are excessively bright, “blazing”.
1-3 years- a walker, the child learns to control the limbs and make purposeful movements. In vision, blue tones gradually gain “juice” and warm ones fade. The “rangefinder” of binocular vision is gaining accuracy, but its geometry is still distorted: objects seem huge, plump. At the age of 2-3 years, the child needs an already developing mat with game elements. The first exact feedback with the world appears - speech.
3-5 years- the most important "evolutionary leap": a person begins to think, compare causes with effects, draw elementary conclusions about the causes of what is happening and forecasts for the future based on an analysis of the current situation. Motor skills, sensory organs and speech are improving, but there is no abstract thinking yet: the baby’s world is his things and the immediate surroundings, and his mother is his center. Cause-and-effect relationships are recognized as simple direct ones.
5-7 years- Imaginative thinking develops. A normally developed child is already able to track 2-4 steps of cause-and-effect relationships and, accordingly, make purposeful movements from the same number of phases. Color vision is almost adult, and in all other respects the child is no longer a baby. Following the rule of ontogeny, this is a transition from primitive savagery to civilization: the child already understands that the world is not only what he directly feels, but something huge, but completely knowable, transformable and usable. The rug, perhaps, will still fit, but for some other purposes: in development, he has done his job, it's time to go to school.

Note: the rule, or principle, of ontogenesis in biology states that any living organism in its individual development (ontogenesis) to some extent repeats the biological history of its evolutionary ancestors (phylogenesis). This rule is also true for humans. For example, in the initial stages of pregnancy, a human fetus has ... gills for a while. Then, while still in the womb, they disappear and are replaced by lungs.

Is he needed at all?

Teachers, pediatricians and child psychologists have not yet come to a consensus on whether a developing mat is definitely useful for a child. There is only one agreement: a developing mat for babies is beneficial only if the mother regularly and as much of the time as possible of the child’s play activity engages with him or at least carefully looks after him. Otherwise, the whole little world of the child can close on the rug, and he can grow up as an introvert, or, even worse, an autistic person who cannot organically fit into human society and adequately respond to the circumstances of life. Simply put: a rug will not replace a mother, although it can greatly ease her worries. If the mother leaves her on the rug to develop as best she can, and she winds herself somewhere, then it will only get worse.

What rug do you need

“They tore off the bear’s paw / Dropped the bear on the floor / I won’t leave him anyway / Because he is good!” Everyone knows how strongly children become attached to their favorite toys. The basis of this effect is impenetrable: the instinct of self-preservation. The loss or damage of a familiar thing, the safety, reliability and benefits of which, from the point of view of the small, have been verified, is a signal of some kind of danger. All the more terrible because it is unknown. That is why, and not because it will have to be altered, it is highly desirable to make a children's developmental rug so that it becomes a favorite from the moment the need arises for it to its retirement time - turning into a bedside or just a play mat. Reincarnation is also possible, for future new family members. Then it should be interesting to play with the youngest and the child is no longer small on the developing rug.

Successful examples of this kind of amateur creativity are shown in the photo. We will talk about the materials for them below, but for now let's pay attention to:

The detailing is varied, but not too small and not very large: the little things cannot be seen properly by a slider, and very large uniform fields will not arouse sympathy for a walker if they do not seem clearly threatening;
The color scheme is not flashy, the bright details are small, so that they don’t seem big in comparison with themselves. Elements of blue colors in the composition do not dominate;
For the slide stage, there are many details with a variety of textures - there is every opportunity to hone your sense of touch;
They also give walkers the opportunity to practice counting. Not yet consciously, but then it will be easier to understand that 1 is not 2 and not 3 and that “a lot” can be counted as much as you like;
Pockets, valves, ties, fasteners - we learn to move our fingers accurately;
For thought stages, zoning, implicit on the left and explicit on the right. Organizing order in our little world, we get accustomed to it ourselves.

Note: even before the stage of objective thinking, it is possible (perhaps with the help of a child psychologist) to determine what the child's temperament will be. In some cases, this is also possible for newborns, for example. using the rules of inheritance of temperament. For choleric and melancholic people, implicit zoning is preferable, and for sanguine and phlegmatic people, explicit zoning is preferable.

About materials

It is best to make a developing mat from natural fabrics, whose hypoallergenicity (inability to cause allergies) has been tested: satin (for a smooth but not slippery base), felt, calico, flannelette, denim. Wool is not good, it is an allergen. Weak, safe for adults, but the skin of children is much more sensitive. For the same reason (delicate skin) silk is not suitable, it is very easily electrified and shines with highly polarized light, see below.

Modern synthetic fabrics for children's things are not inferior to natural ones, but - only and only with acc. certificate from trusted manufacturers. If synthetics of obscure origin seem to be no worse than cotton, this does not mean anything: it can be made from cheap plastic obtained using toxic catalysts. Catalyst residues from fabric fibers can be released in amounts that are not detectable by normal laboratory analysis, but are harmful to children with prolonged exposure.

It is better to take a synthetic winterizer as a filler, it is hypoallergenic and practically does not accumulate static electricity. Furniture foam brand from 35 is not so good, it is noticeably electrified in a dry room. The most ordinary batting would be perfect - but, alas, before the first wash. As for the threads, the best option is propylene. They are durable, resistant, non-allergenic. By themselves, they are slightly electrified, but if the entire mat is antistatic, charge accumulation is not detected.

What not to

The above rules for constructing the composition of a children's rug give a wide scope for the imagination of parents, therefore, it is necessary to outline the boundaries that cannot be crossed. It is completely unacceptable to have a mirror on a developmental rug, pos. 1 in Fig., which, by the way, is a sin for many expensive products promoted in trade. It's not that the child can be afraid of his own reflection, not at all. The fact is that the direct light reflected from the mirror (and how to avoid it for sure?) Is polarized up to 100%. For a fragile visual apparatus, this is very harmful; putting a mirror is strongly discouraged in the nursery for large children.

Note: volumetric details in this sample are just an accident. There will be no harm from them.

The next gross mistake is monotonous objects for palpation, pos. 2. The tactile sense must be developed comprehensively, like the others. And at pos. 3 - too large a brilliant field of saturated blue. Why it is bad - see above.

Further on fig. there are examples of mistakes that are more or less forgivable. At pos. 4 the blue field is muted, on pos. 5 its area is relatively small. At pos. 6 the location of the cold color is generally unsuccessful, the so-called. the effect of the dominance of the top, but the pale blue tint significantly levels it. Here the main mistake is too detailed and complex composition, designed already for a fairly developed figurative thinking.

Note: to completely abandon the blue in the color of the developmental rug, of course, is also bad. The child must learn to distinguish it. Here it makes sense, in addition to choosing soft shades, to drive the blue to the center of the rug, where it will be psychologically neutral, see for example. video below.

Video: developing mat "Underwater World"

The error of the rug on pos. 7, presumably, is clear in the light of the foregoing: this is too small and devoid of a clear meaning of the detailing of the zones. How to understand these patterns to a person who thinks in terms of "baka - it hurts", "wet - bang"? Also in pos. 8: the rug is clearly for a girl, but what's the point in each sector? If children, due to still undeveloped figurative thinking, are pragmatists, then girls are doubly pragmatic. And for the most part, they stay that way for the rest of their lives. The same flaw, of unclear meaning, in position 8: zones of a suitable size are clearly expressed, but a purely childish question: why is that here? Can you explain to yours?

Correct mats

Rugs for girls

The detailing of a developing rug for a girl can be quite detailed, as, for example. in the master class at the beginning. But on condition that the whole composition is semantically transparent and oriented in a certain direction. If the range of interests of the daughter is still unclear, then the zones should be made larger, clearly defined, and the details in them should also not be smaller, on the left in Fig. Girls generally prefer round rugs; the range of interests for the future hostess is not an abstract concept. Interests for successful housekeeping require many different ones, and in this case, you need to zone the round rug with sectors, in the center. If the rug is rectangular, then in the middle there must be a free place for the mistress of this little world, on the right; in women, the desire for autarky remains for life.

Other special mats

For a fidgety child, who is always drawn to where it shouldn’t be, a rug with a soft barrier is well suited, on the left in fig. A large children's carpet can be supplemented with a separate barrier in the center. It does not have to be filled, a very low pom-pom barrier will do. How to sew a children's rug from pompons, see the video at the bottom of the section, but in the same way you can make a border on any developmental rug.

Children's educational mats with special features

The soft barrier is also psychologically soft, in contrast to the playpen fencing, and keeps the child in his legal operating zone unobtrusively. Suddenly, a beloved child intends to do Skoda on the side, something like this flashes in his firebrand: “Uh-uh ... Mmmm ... Based on the analysis of the totality of acting factors, by trivial conclusions we come to the conclusion that, in principle, unauthorized activity objectively possible, but only very likely - my mother will scold.

For girls who are very, very economic, in a good sense of the word, a rug with large deep pockets and flaps is suitable, on the right in fig. Being a kopush for the same future mistress and housekeeper is not such a sin; in life can be useful in the same way as courage for a boy.

Video: do-it-yourself pom-pom rug for a child

About car mats

Developing car mats are mostly boyish, although in modern life, knowledge of traffic rules and the ability to drive vehicles are necessary for everyone. Therefore, the narrow specialization of the mat for road traffic cannot be considered its disadvantage. After all, where does it say that there should be only one favorite toy? Or that it is impossible to sew another, general developmental one to the car mat?

If a child plays with cars on the rug alone from childhood, it is desirable to make it somewhat stylized, detailed and textured, as described above, on the left in Fig. If his driving discipline is controlled by the traffic police inspector in the form of an older brother, the detailing is more detailed and close to reality, in the center. But in any case, it is not necessary to put a traffic light at each zebra crossing, or leave all zebras without traffic lights. It is best to depict traffic lights at 1-2 crossings, on the right in the same place, so that you can understand: it is a zebra in Africa, a zebra, with or without a traffic light.

Rugs with arches

Developing rugs with arcs more than replace the playpen, without at the same time presenting explicit prohibitions in the form of its fence:

Virtually, but unambiguously, define the child's own space, without creating at the same time physically insurmountable obstacles; this contributes to the development of self-discipline from an early age.
For arcs and toys suspended from them, it is much more capable to grab, learning to walk, than for the arena barrier.
On a rug with arches for a child, the probability of flopping backwards with a swing (which, by the way, the playpen does not prevent) is minimal.
Being already a fully qualified walker, with the help of the same toys it is convenient to make sips, pos. 1 in fig.

Arcs for a homemade children's developmental rug can be made in different ways. The most durable and inexpensive are obtained from a plastic gymnastic hoop covered with padding polyester and sheathed with fabric. It is only necessary to decide how to make them collapsible, so that when the need has passed, they can be cleaned and hidden.

In industrial products of this kind, arcs are often crossed and provided with a hidden hinge, pos. 2. It is difficult to make it with your own hands, given the soft lining of the arcs, and tying the crosshair with a cord (pos. 3) or a bow is unreliable.

The easiest way is to make the arcs tangent and tighten the joint tightly with a braid or elastic band, pos. 4 and 5. If the legs of the arcs are connected with a strip of plywood 3-4 mm thick, then the tent from them will turn out to be no less durable and convenient for assembly and disassembly than a hinged tent. Connecting the legs of the arcs with plywood is also not difficult: wooden corks are driven into their ends, and a screed strip is attached to them from the underside with self-tapping screws. Next, the visible wooden parts are sanded and painted.

In cramped living conditions or, say, when the whole family goes to the country for a long time, a developing mat-bed and one arc can come in handy. In this case, her legs are placed in pockets sewn on the outside on the sidewalls. For a child to sleep, so that the relief of the rug does not press, they put a mattress.

About the rug figurines

Figures for a developing rug, as already mentioned, are sewn. Patterns of several types are given in fig. The tree, top left, is a simple application. These details are sewn onto a green flap in the form of a crown. But the hippo, so beloved by little ones, is already something like a textile cameo: it is 3-layered from patches of different colors of the same shape. In subsequent, bottom-up, flaps, windows are cut through which the previous or lower layer peeps through. The figures from the set on the right are made in one technique or another.

A rug that develops the logic, thinking and fine motor skills of a baby can be made by any mother. On it, the child will get acquainted with the bright colors and texture of materials, and then, as they grow older, play various games with fairy-tale characters. In addition, while the baby is busy playing, mom can easily do household chores.

Rugs can be completely on any topic: the world around us, plants, animals or fairy tales. One has only to take into account the characteristics of your child, be patient and apply all your creative imagination. And our tips on how to sew a developmental rug will help in this difficult but exciting business.

Rug "World around"

Materials:

pieces of material of various colors (blue, blue - for the sky and the sea, green - for grass, yellow - for sand, etc.);
fleece, organza (for sea waves and clouds);
synthetic winterizer (as a filler);
decorative braid;
Velcro tape;
buttons of various textures, beads, brooches, animal applications.

Tools:

thread, needle;
sewing machine.

Stages of work

Decide on the size of the rug, based on the dimensions of the room. The developing rug can be either square - 100x100 cm, 150x150 cm, or rectangular - 100x150 cm, 140x170 cm.

Since the rug will be divided into zones, cut out two green, differing in shade, squares and one yellow rectangle from the fabric. Connect these three pieces of material with a sewing machine. Moreover, the size of the resulting canvas should be 10-15 cm smaller around the entire perimeter of the proposed rug.

In the middle of the canvas, sew a blue oval of cotton fabric - the future lake. Pre-sew the oval with a padding polyester for softness.

On the green part of the canvas along the lake there will be a tree. Cut the trunk out of a brown textured fabric, such as an old sweater. Sew a decorative braid along the trunk. The crown of the tree will consist of several wavy pads stuffed with padding polyester. The upper part of the pillows is made of smooth satin, and the inner part is made of any cotton material. Sew the crown in the center so that it can be bent, and hide secrets inside - funny buttons or beads. At the bottom of the tree trunk, gather and stitch a satin green ribbon, which will play the role of grass.

Cut out the rocket parts according to the template: body, wings and porthole. The body from the wrong side will need to be sewn with a piece of padding polyester. Sew all the details of the rocket to the yellow zone.

Sew pieces of Velcro tape along the edge of the green lawn. Then you can attach voluminous flowers or fairy-tale characters to them. The core and petals of the flower are best stuffed with small plastic balls, beans, peas or cereals for the development of the baby's fingers. Sew Velcro on the back of the flower.

The lawn and sand can be populated with various animals by choosing suitable applications or pieces of fabric. Sew pictures together with rustling polyethylene, so that when the baby's fingers touch, the animals seem to come to life. It will not be superfluous to have a funny house in the form of a pocket, in which you can hide small toys.

In one of the "sandy corners" make a piece of the sea. From dark blue fleece, cut a right corner with the opposite wavy edge and sew it to the corner of the yellow part. Populate the seabed with inhabitants. To do this, you need to sew fish from multi-colored shiny pieces of fabric and attach them, along with beads and other treasures, to the bottom of the "sea". Sew pleated organza over the populated bottom.

We frame a piece of the sea on both sides with the sky and waves. To do this, cut out one corner element 10-15 cm wide from dark blue and light blue material, which will need to be sewn, laying on top of each other, with the “bottom” of the sea. Fold back the top blue fabric, cut out the waves and stitch them to the "sky".

In the same way, perform "space" from the side of the rocket. You can choose a material with a pattern in the form of stars, or you can make them yourself.

On the reverse side of the "space" and "sea" make a "sky" of light blue fabric. To do this, you need to cut out strips of fabric of the same width as for the "space" and sew them with the "lawn". Attach the sun stuffed with padding polyester, clouds decorated with organza and a fleece cloud to the “sky” with Velcro. Sew a blue decorative rain ribbon to the cloud.

Lay the finished rug on a flat surface and cut out the outer base along it. Sew the base to the rug.

Helpful Hints

The basis for the rug can be quilted with oilcloth, so that later you can easily wipe dust and various dirt from it.

So that the developmental mat can be hung on a wall or a crib rail, sew a Velcro loop on one side of the base during assembly.

When making an educational toy, try to sew all the details as securely as possible, as the baby's hands can tear off even the strongest threads.

As the child grows older, you can sew on more and more complicating elements with locks, lacing or buttons.

Educational pillows for toddlers

For very small crumbs, a rug made of multi-colored soft pads is perfect. To do this, you need to cut the required number of identical squares from a material of different colors and textures. Then the same number of base squares is cut out, but smaller.

Each multi-colored square is assembled to the size of the base square, sewn in this form to the latter and stuffed with any kind of filler. Next, the resulting pads are connected to a piece of material that serves as the base of the entire rug.

Developing tactile mat "Sun"

Such a "Sun" can not only serve as a resting place for the baby, but also acquaint his fingers with various tactile sensations that help the development of fine motor skills. The center of the sun is made from a round piece of material stitched with padding polyester, and its petals or rays are made from multi-colored cotton fabrics.

Each petal is stitched in the form of a pocket, which is filled with various materials: beads, cereals, pasta, beans, sand, rustling polyethylene, buttons and small pebbles.

Folding "Garage"

For older children, you can sew a developing folding rug in the form of a garage for cars or houses for dolls, which will acquaint the baby with numbers, teach them to carefully fold their toys. Since such a garage is easy to fold, you can take it with you for a walk, visit or kindergarten.

The base of the rug is sewn from dense denim. On one side, a ribbon of the same material is sewn, which is divided into pockets. Each pocket is labeled with a number. On the opposite side of the pockets, a felt road is sewn. A loop and a button are attached to the back of the rug.

Rug with photo pockets

Such an educational toy for a baby is convenient because it can replace several educational books. After all, any images can be placed in pockets with a transparent wall: animals, household items, plants, numbers, letters or photos of family members. The child will never get tired of playing with such a toy, because the inhabitants of the houses can be changed as they grow up.

Sewing this rug is very easy. To do this, houses are sewn onto a rather dense material with a window made of a transparent material, for example, vinyl, and in the center there is a ring road with branches to the houses. The universal development mat is ready!

Updated:

2016-09-03

If you make a developing rug with your own hands, such a craft can replace purchased toys, the cost of which today is far from small. But this is not about money, but about the development of your own baby. Every parent wants their child to grow up smart and healthy. It is not a pity for money, time, or own efforts. Therefore, in our article we will present a master class on making rugs for a newborn and not only. They are great for developing fine motor skills.

To begin with, let's decide at what age can children start using such developmental mats? In fact, they are suitable even for newborns. There are no restrictions on playing with such crafts, so decide for yourself until what age your baby will play with them.

If we are talking about a child under one year old, then the emphasis should be on the development of fine motor skills. This is achieved through the use of tactile and sensory components on your mat. This is the perfect solution for newborns;
If the child is already over a year old, then create crafts for development and learning. The more difficult, the longer the baby will be able to play with it and at the same time learn something new;
Be sure to limit newborns in playing with developmental mats, as they cause a lot of emotions and impressions, which leads to rapid fatigue;
Older children, on the contrary, should spend as much time as possible playing educational games.

How to play with a rug

Each mother is able to sew a developing rug with her own hands for her baby. It is very useful for the development of fine motor skills and you do not have to spend extra money on buying expensive, but not always the same useful toys. You just need to figure out how to make a developmental mat.

Do you really need a baby mat for development? Certainly. Even the simplest developing mat with arcs will give the baby a huge benefit. Many underestimate such products. But in vain.

Starting with newborns and ending with children up to 5-6 years old, direct teaching methods used for adults are categorically not suitable for them. This is what they will do in school.

In the meantime, they are at an age when it is important to combine learning with games so that they are interested, exciting, but at the same time useful. Having made a developing mat with your own hands, your baby will play and develop. Newborn games depend on your imagination, while older ones can turn on their own imagination.

There are many options for how to play on a developmental rug. Here are just a few of the main options, because in fact they can be listed endlessly.

Study, observation of the rug. For newborns, it is quite enough just to look and observe. This will already give them certain new knowledge and information.
Introduction to carpet. Here you will be needed to show what his carpet is capable of. Something makes noise, rustles, rings, turns over, opens, fastens with a zipper. Combine this with sound accompaniment in the form of poems, songs. Soon the child will learn to play on his own.
Secrets and surprises. Try to stimulate the child to quickly understand all the features of the rug. To do this, you can make pockets, fasteners on it and hide some items there.
We collect the harvest. If you make a do-it-yourself developmental rug for children using Velcro elements, you can turn the game into harvesting flowers that need to be unfastened and put in a basket.
We distinguish colors, shapes, understand what is more and less. Show that the big bear cannot get into the rabbit's hole because it is much larger than the rabbit.
We consider. With the help of crafts, you can teach a child to count the number of animals on his rug, circles, objects of one color or another.
We study types of animals, fruits, letters and other things useful for the baby on his rug.
Role-playing games. The rug can be a large forest where different animals live. You will play as a bear, and the kid will play as a bunny, creating different stories and situations.
We create our own stories. Come up with an interesting story with your child. Moreover, he should create a fairy tale, and you should just prompt if necessary.

We create ourselves

Now about the master class. Your task is to create and create a do-it-yourself children's educational mat with arcs, Velcro, pockets, animals and other elements. It all depends on you and the age of the child. Who knows, maybe soon you yourself will begin to give a master class to your friends and acquaintances.

For newborns, the simplest models are enough, and for older adults it is better to make something more complicated, multitasking. Look at the examples in the photo, maybe something will inspire you.

Project

You should start the master class with the development of your own project. Without it, work is not worth starting.

Turn on your imagination and create in your imagination the future image of a rug for a child. It is impossible to simply sew on different applications and patterns that do not have any meaning and relationship. How can you teach your child to understand what you yourself do not understand.
Transfer the idea to paper or computer. View the master class on creating layouts. Due to the layout, sizes, shapes, possible games, developing moments are determined.
Make a base pattern in the form of a rug and elements that will be sewn to it.
Study the types of fabrics, applications, accessories from which you can make certain elements of a developmental rug.
Let's get to work.

Manufacturing

Are you ready to make your own DIY mat? You can choose a model for the smallest or an older child. It all depends on how old your treasure is. The craft is made with love and always taking into account the individual characteristics of the baby. You should not have any problems making such an educational toy with your own hands.

We bring to your attention a master class that is suitable for almost any idea. It is impossible to present a master class for each individual version of the developmental rug, therefore we will try to rely on the general instructions.

Let's hope that the presented master class will allow you to achieve your goal and create the best rug for the development of your child.

Base. The base will consist of two elements of fabric. Make the lower part, which is laid on the floor, from a non-slippery material, and for the upper one, take a plain, dense and light fabric. Suit fabrics are excellent, to which it is easy to sew various elements. A synthetic winterizer or other safe soft filler is placed between two pieces of fabric. The child should be warm while on the mat. Choose your base shape. But usually it is a square, rectangle or circle.
Background. The background depends on the general idea on the basis of which you create a craft with your own hands. These can be pieces of green fabric that mimic the forest. Or blue, creating the effects of the sea, lake, river. They are sewn or glued to the base. If you choose glue, then make sure it's non-toxic.
Elements. This is the most difficult step and takes the most time. Your task is to create a lot of different elements, cope with arcs, pockets, animals, flowers and other acting “persons” of the rug. Do everything carefully and beautifully so that the arcs turn out to be arcs, and not strips of an incomprehensible shape. Learn a master class on creating various items, animals, fruits from fabric and accessories. This will help make your rug more original and beautiful.
We distribute the background with elements. First, lay them out on the surface, distribute the roles in order to understand in what sequence it is better to sew or glue the heroes of the rug. Choose the color of the threads in advance.
We connect the components. We sew everything carefully and remove excess threads. Here it is unlikely that it will be possible to work on a typewriter, so you have to do everything manually. Arm yourself with threads with a needle and start connecting the elements with the base. Something can be sewn on, for something it is quite possible to use glue. Master class completed.

Always remember the most important thing - the safety of the child. Using different buttons, beads, fasteners, make sure that they are fastened securely and the child will not be able to tear them off or swallow them.

Develop your baby, give him more freedom to improve his imagination. Today, less and less children are allowed to exercise their imagination, and this is incredibly important. Don't forget about it.

Every caring parent should know how to help their child improve. For example, he can make a developing mat for him with his own hands. This children's carpet is not only playful, but also useful in terms of improving the intellectual abilities of the baby. You can sew many of these rugs. The best ideas for such work are described in this article.

The developmental rug is useful in terms of improving the intellectual abilities of the baby

Child psychologists believe that such a product must be present in the house where the baby lives. There are many reasons for this, the main one is that such a carpet helps a small child develop tactile sensations.

You can find an educational carpet in a children's store or you can make it yourself for your children. In addition, there are quite a lot of ideas for such works. Here are some of them:

Didactic children's rug.
Sensory baby rug.
Pompom flooring.
Puzzle mat.
Mosaic rug, etc.

One of the components of a happy child is his development. Well, who, except for parents, is most interested in their child growing and developing? The key to parental love is caring. It is a caring parent who must ensure that his child develops harmoniously.

Having made a developmental mat for a child, the parent will help him with this.

Gallery: do-it-yourself developing rug (25 photos)

How to make a developing rug with your own hands (video)

Why is it needed?

Specialists such as pediatricians and child psychologists have not yet agreed on a single functional purpose of such children's carpets. However, they all believe that their use at home favorably affects both the cognitive and mental properties of the baby's personality.

In order for such a product to really help the baby develop, it is important that he devotes quite a lot of time allocated to him for playing activity to the rug. However, parents should ensure that their child, among all his toys, does not give preference exclusively to the carpet. It is important to follow this rule, because otherwise, the child may grow up to be a pronounced introvert. This means that he will be fixated exclusively on his own inner world.

There is no need to hope that such a rug will replace the baby's parents. However, it can make their task much easier. For example, while the baby's mother is preparing food, her child will be busy playing with a developing rug. It is especially useful for kindergarten teachers.

Therefore, answering the question: “Is it necessary to use such a rug?”, One can answer unequivocally, yes, it is necessary.

How to sew a do-it-yourself developing rug for kindergarten?

Such a rug will not only bring practical benefits to children, but also decorate the nursery.

You need to do it like this:

For this work you will need cotton fabric. It is better to use fabric of different colors. Small pieces are cut out and sewn together. It is recommended to use a sewing machine. The shape of the carpet should resemble a cover.
Then pieces of drape are cut out. The drape is inserted into a sewn case.
In this way of creating a rug, many buttons of different colors and different sizes should be used. Button "islands" will be created. For example, from the bottom on the left side of the product with buttons you need to embroider a butterfly. To do this, it is necessary to draw in advance with a pencil on the fabric its silhouette.
A little to the right, you can embroider a hedgehog, and below - a house.
Let each element be different in size and color so young children can more easily identify it.

Such a rug will not only bring practical benefits to children, but also decorate the nursery

Tip: all objects on such a product should be depicted as positive, for example, a hedgehog needs to embroider a smile with red threads.

Sensory developmental mat for baby

Sensory perception in a child is formed at the moment of contact with sensory objects. Therefore, the creation of such a carpet will be of great practical value for a small child.

Master Class:

It will take a lot of fabric patches for sewing individual elements. It is also worth considering the fabric surface, which will become the basis of the product. Cotton fabric works great.
You need to prepare two square pieces of fabric of the same color and sew them. The seam should be on the wrong side.
Then it is worth considering what elements will be on the rug. It can be a Christmas tree, a hedgehog, a strawberry, a lion, a penguin, etc. For sewing each of these elements, you need to choose a fabric of the corresponding color. Each of the details should be large enough so that the baby can see it well.

Sensory perception in a child is formed at the moment of contact with sensory objects.

How to make a didactic rug?

Little children should be able to establish the simplest cause-and-effect relationships from childhood. A didactic rug is the best assistant in this business. It is important to make it in such a way that the child can follow the logical chain.

So, the way to create such a product:

You need to prepare the base carpet. As a base, a fabric folded in half and stitched in this way is suitable. It is important that the seam is on the wrong side.
Now you need to do didactic design in order to turn an ordinary rug into a developmental one.
From several fabric pieces you need to sew a house. It should be as simple as possible, consisting of a square base, a triangular roof, two rectangular windows and a door.
All elements are sewn into the rug by hand. It is recommended to use a thread that matches the fabric. The stitches should not be too large.
Now you need to sew the road leading from the house somewhere, for example, to the kindergarten. The road must be rounded.
Next, another road is made, going to another object, for example, to a store. It is necessary to make the elements in such a way that the baby understands what exactly they mean. For example, if a hospital is depicted, then a house with a red cross in the center is being made.

Little children should be able to establish the simplest cause-and-effect relationships from childhood.

Tip: It will be difficult for the baby to identify all the objects on such a developmental rug on his own, so it is important that parents explain all the designations to him.

Detailing should not be too big, but not too small. Each element must be clear so that the baby can clearly see what exactly is shown in front of him.
Bright details should be finer than dark or dull details. Screaming colors will not please the baby. Therefore, if the rug is too bright, the child will quickly get tired of playing with it. It's all about putting too much strain on his eyes.
If the child walks around the house on stilts, it is better to remove the rug from the floor, because if he runs over it, he can tear off some details, such as buttons. Also, the baby can fall, catching on the edge of the carpet.
In order for the child to better navigate the objects depicted on the developmental rug, it is necessary to accompany the story about them with illustrations. It would also be nice to show the baby certain objects in life. For example, if a dog is depicted on the rug, parents can point to a dog running down the street.

Do-it-yourself children's developing rug (video)

A hand-made rug will definitely help a small child develop useful intellectual skills. The main thing is that parents make the carpet with love.

My name is Elena. I am the mother of two children. Since childhood, I really love to make something with my own hands for myself, family, 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 a developmental rug. What a wonderful thing this is! At 4 months old, lying on the floor, the baby stubbornly fiddled with everything for a long time, fingered it with his fingers, “mumbled” everything in his mouth. Until 7 months, until we began to explore new horizons, it was his favorite toy.

Again, interest in him woke up already, when he was about a year old, he could walk confidently. We hung the rug on the back of the bed. From this age, we are already actively pulling everything, “rustling” clouds, attaching stars, putting animals in a car, etc. Now we are 1.5 years old, and the rug is again a favorite and interesting toy that we play every day.

In addition, our girlfriends often come to us - girls aged 2, 3 and almost 4 years old, and the rug also attracts them, but they already have other more story-driven games (the bunny goes to the store, went swimming, where there are more apples, etc.). d.). For games other than the ones I made, they use small stuffed toys, which are now in abundance 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, to spend with the younger, he copes very easily, invents various stories for him, based on the plot of the rug, and both are not bored.

So, let's begin.

1. First you need to conduct an "audit" of stocks. Collect all the shreds, ribbons, fasteners, laces, etc. available in the house. It is better to wash all the shreds first, so that later in the finished product they do not sit down and nullify all the work. Then the patches need to be smoothed out and analyzed, everything that you managed to find. Depending on the colors and textures of fabrics, we come up with a plot. The theme of the rug can be any - the sea, a city street, a 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 result. But, for me, it was easier to navigate the whole pile of prepared material. Here's what it looked like for me.

3. And this is what happened. The rug has been in active use for more than a year, it has already been washed many times, it is a little frayed, so do not judge strictly.

4. According to the sketch, we cut out the details, grind the fabric with an overlap 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 just take the fabric of the right 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, what sensations he will experience. To make the baby's tactile sensations more diverse, if possible, use different types of fabric: coarse calico, silk, velvet, etc. Some details can be knitted using different techniques and types of yarn. Knitted fabrics also diversify the tactile sensations of the baby.

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

7. Think about the easiest way to teach a child something? Of course in the game! Play as much as you can:

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

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

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

Account, more-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 up on the trunks of apple trees.

8. In order to interest the child, we make various pockets, doors, “pulls”, 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 a 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" the car.

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

Here is a girl on rubber legs walking in a clearing.

There are also packages in the clouds, different in rustling. We love to portray 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 quite a crumb plays on the rug, then it is better to remove small details for a while completely.

9. Assembly. As a base for density and warmth, I took an old flannelette blanket (the former baby blanket of my eldest son), you can take a synthetic winterizer on a coarse calico basis or something similar, we adjust it to fit the size of our upper, playful part. We cut out 4 rectangles from the fabric with a width of 6-8, two of them are the length of the width of the rug and two are the length of the height of the future rug. Then we grind along the edges all the parts together. In some places, she fastened two canvases together. In order for the rug to be hung on the back of the crib, I sewed ropes to the top of it.

10. The rug is ready.

As I already said, the manufacturing process is very laborious 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, there is nothing terrible in the fact that apples will “grow” on your apple tree in another month, after your baby has tried the rug.

I don't know if I can help you, but I've tried my best to keep my ideas short and clear.

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

Spruce, crocheted of synthetic thread, slightly prickly to the touch. The glade is also knitted, but already from woolen yarn.

And the apple tree is already smoother, there are apple-buttons on it.

In this pond, the fish "swim" along the wave-string.

Butterflies already “fly” here and giraffes live.