How to make a massage mat with buttons for children with your own hands?

It is no secret that you need to take care of your baby's health from birth. And a massage mat is a great way to do this.

baby massage mat design photo — For the health of the child, you need to buy or make a massage mat for children with your own hands.

Description of massage mat: benefits

A massage mat is not a toy, but an opportunity to stimulate a child’s body in an easy and relaxed way.

baby massage mat — Foot massage increases blood flow and trains the foot muscles.

This device helps:

Speed up the child's brain function;
Develop immunity;
Stimulate the emotional state;
Maintain cardiac activity;
Relieve fatigue;
Develop the vestibular apparatus.

baby massage mat photo design — The massage mat helps to form the ankle joint, relieves fatigue, and is a preventative measure against scoliosis and osteochondrosis.

Scientists provide compelling evidence that foot massage has a positive effect on the condition of internal organs and on the emotional health of a child.

It is very difficult to create conditions for a baby to be sufficiently active in an apartment, but a massage mat will help the child develop properly.

How and When to Use a Massage Mat at Home

Parents need to remember that simply buying a rug and putting it in a visible place is not enough. After all, first and foremost, a rug is a serious therapeutic device. In addition, once a child stands on an uneven (or even prickly) surface, he or she will not want to touch it again.

baby massage mat design ideas — It is especially necessary if your child has been diagnosed with varus or valgus foot deformity, asymmetrical gait or flat feet.

Children should be accustomed to this device gradually, carefully and in the form of a game. Try to interest the baby.

To begin with, simply place the child on the rug. Let him have the opportunity to “get acquainted” with the accessory, get used to it and understand that there is nothing scary about unevenness. Give him time to “make friends” with the rug.

baby massage mat options photo — The mat works great for preventing various diseases.

Then start moving on the surface. In the first years of life, no more than five minutes, and no more than three times a day. The exercises are elementary: walking at different speeds or standing in place.

Important! If there are different types of bumps on the surface, you should walk in one direction: from small to larger bumps.

Types

Forms

The shape is chosen based on your personal preferences, conditions and possibilities. Circle, square, rectangle or oval – the choice is yours.

Rectangular or square options are more common.

Size

It can be different: from small (like a bedside rug) to impressive sizes. Some parents prefer to cover the entire space of the nursery with such a rug. And sometimes they make several separate small fragments with a massage surface, and then lay them close to each other.

baby massage mat ideas — In addition to strengthening the legs, the massage mat sends signals to the brain, thereby training its work, developing the areas responsible for memory, thinking, and speech.

Remember, if the rug is small, it will be inconvenient to do exercises on it. After all, it is only at the very beginning that the baby just stands, with age it will be necessary to do certain exercises on it.

baby massage mat ideas design — There are several types of children's foot massage mats.

Materials

There may be variations here. The main thing you will need is:

thick fabric (like denim);
a bedspread that you no longer use;
a piece of rubber or a rubber mat (a yoga mat will do);
laminate.

homemade orthopedic mats — Rugs vary in the material they are made from.

Elements for sewing

Anything that can be sewn on will do:

buttons;
wooden and acrylic beads;
plastic bottle caps;
hot pads;
sponges for washing dishes;
curtain rings;
curlers;
pencils;
ballpoint pen refills;
kitchen sink grates;
thick tape or rope.

baby massage mat ideas photo — They can be soft and elastic for children in their first years of life, or they can be quite hard for older children.

And this list can be expanded endlessly.

There are options for bedding with sewn-in elements: small bags filled with cereal or sand.

Elements that can be glued

As they say, what can't be sewn on can be glued on. And this is absolutely true when it comes to creating a massage surface.

DIY baby massage mat — You can make your own rug from chestnuts, pebbles, bottle caps, and various cords.

You can glue:

pebbles (natural sea or artificial for aquariums);
coffee beans;
beans or peas;
walnut shells;
wooden elements: cubes, bars, disks.

Tactile models

To make tactile models, it is important to use as many different "to the touch" elements as possible. Therefore, velcro, zippers, and fabrics of different textures are added to the above-mentioned details.

baby massage mat ideas options — For a child from 1 to 3 years old, it is necessary to choose a soft surface with small irregularities.

Developmental models

They are made using different objects and fragments, and are distinguished by the presence of numbers or letters, different geometric figures or elements of the surrounding world (flowers, butterflies, river, bridge, etc.)

baby massage mat design — Children perceive them as a toy and playing on such a mat does not cause aggression in them.

Making a massage mat for children with your own hands

Basic requirements for a self-made rug

A do-it-yourself rug is a more budget-friendly option than one purchased in a store. If you take into account a number of recommendations, it will not be inferior in functionality.

baby massage mat options — The orthopedic mat should not emit unpleasant odors and should dry quickly.

Avoid elements with sharp corners. It is important that the child does not feel discomfort when looking at the accessory.
If the model consists of several fragments with different elements, provide so-called rest zones, that is, soft areas for the legs to rest.
The size depends not only on the area of the apartment, but also on the age of the child. For a baby, a small square is quite enough. But an older child will clearly get bored on a small rug. For him, it is worth thinking about a larger model with different coverings.

baby massage mat photo — When using the mat, your feet should be clean, and the mat itself should be periodically treated with a soap solution.

In order to be able to add or remove fragments later, sew Velcro onto the edges of the main fabric and individual sections. Then the accessory will be “new” every day.

With buttons

For this model, prepare buttons (as many as possible), thick fabric for the base, thinner fabric and a needle and thread.

Buttons are sewn onto the fabric with strong threads in random order, alternating large and small ones. Then the fabric with buttons is connected to a dense base. The finished fabric is finished with a border.

If desired, the buttons can be arranged in different shapes. For example, you can use buttons to make a sun, a cloud, and butterflies.

Orthopedic

To make an orthopedic model with your own hands, you will need many different elements: corks, lids, voluminous tape, a washcloth and everything that is at hand.

Sand

To make this rug at home, you need thick fabric (linen, coarse cotton, denim), from which large flat pockets are sewn. Their size and number are arbitrary. Appliques in different styles are created on the pockets.

The pockets are filled with different cereals, but in such a way that there is free space. Then the pockets are sewn up and connected to each other.

Railway

Your little son will certainly appreciate this massage attribute. After all, exercises on such a mat are not only beneficial for health, but also very entertaining.

To make it, different elements are sewn onto separate pieces of thick fabric, including two wide elastic bands, into which “sleepers” – wooden cylinders – are then inserted.

From pebbles

Perhaps the simplest option: pebbles are glued to a solid base. First, you need to check the surface of the stones to make sure there are no sharp or protruding corners. The shape and pattern of the rug are chosen based on your preferences and available materials.

baby stone massage mat — You can decorate the mat in different ways, depending on your imagination, but the more fun the mat is, the easier it will be to attract the child to play on it.

Textile massage mats

Variations are possible here. For example, a massage attribute assembled from many small "bags" with filler.

You can assemble the model in the form of a game of "hopscotch". Make fragments from textiles and fill them and arrange them in a certain order.

Combined massage mats

The name speaks for itself. These rugs combine even the most incompatible. They are made from anything that comes to hand: buttons, shower curtain rings, zippers, decorative elements of various shapes, dish sponges, braid and much more.