apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I bought several sets of interlocking foam floor squares for use at Burning Man 4 years ago. They were muted blue colors with moons and stars that could punch out from the larger squares. I bought them at Target from the children's section for maybe ~$10 a set. One warning though: they off-gassed like hell. Even after a week outside in the desert, I brought them home and they still stank of chemicals. Maxwell's idea above sounds more like something I'd want a child to crawl around on.

Okay, wool rug? And then she, what, dry cleans it if the kid spits up on it or spills grape juice? :) I don't have a kid, but that seems impractical for that purpose. What about those food service rubber floor things that look rather like those colorful ones but are black? Depending on the look of your condo, that could be cool. And, I'm sure you could also do some of your own sprucing up of them.. You could also do Maxwell's thing with the foam and just put a vinyl type material over it that could be wiped clean.

What about plynyl mats by chilewich? They aren't nearly as thick but are very easy to clean, and they come in a wide variety of weaves. Unicahome has a good selection online.

You could also get a rubber underlay, I am thinking those gym tiles, and overlay the plynyl mats over that to create a much more cushioned floor.

I like the idea of the black rubber tiles they use behind bars. And you could put some FLOR squares on top to make a nice rug. They come in many different colors, patterns and textures and some can be downright scratchy but go for the softest ones. If they get spit-up on them just pick up the square and rinse it off. Get a few extra squares for the really nasty spills.

Now, anne, when you say "behind bars" you talking The Towhouse or the Big House? ;)

I've seen modular floors made for garages that might work.

Other sources might be gym suppliers. The ones I've seen are mostly black with multi-colored specks and made from recycled rubber.

My parents have mats made of the same foamy material that are in plain black and are larger than the ones pictured. They use them in front of the stove for cooking accidents. I belive they got them at Costco.

I have seen things like the soft tiles at large chain hardware stores and on occasion discount clubs like Sam's or Costco, but they were more expensive than buying buy the case per Max's link.

We were staying in temporary housing in Europe when my daughter was 12 to 16 months old earlier this year, and we actually bought tiles very similar to the "garish" ones you mentioned because they were extremely cheap there and we had outdoor carpet glued directly on concrete in our space. We bought four sets of ten tiles approximately 12 inches square to do the entry hall and most of her room.

We probably would have had the same concern about it being tacky if we weren't in a temporary space overseas. But not only were they fantastic padding for a new walker, she learned her colors and numbers BEFORE she returned to the US. I didn't even know toddlers could learn this that fast, especially before they talk! She also loved taking the numbers out and putting them back, as well as wearing them. We actually had to take a set of ten back home with us because it was one of her favorite toys. You might consider having one set like this that you can use occasionally if you wind up finding a solution more in line with your tastes.

We have a couple of similar sets we bought on clearance for $4 at Target now, and we keep them with her toys so she can take them out to play with/on when she wants. But we have carpeting now and she is a very good walker and doesn't need the padding any more.

Hanging on the wall of my local tooo groovy children's store is a floor mat that looks like a giant woven potholder. It is ADORABLE, washable, and woven from recycled t-shirts or something. You could roll it up when the adults were playing.

If you happen to be in Park Slope Brooklyn, it is on Fifth Ave near Lincoln/St. John's. There's a child-sized Eames shell rocker in the window.

P2 - the only bars I have a close relationship with are the kind that have lots of liquor behind them :)

Just thought of this...what about cork? I'm sure it's not good for the spills, but great for the cushy factor. Can cork be sealed? Anyone? anyone?

The gasses that offgas can be *toxic*, depending on country of manufacture. As well, soft foam like that is a choking hazard if chewed on as it breaks off so easily.

If you cover the stuff in fabric, it will probably slide around.

We used a thin yoga mat that is washable (and extremely non-skid). Covered it with a soft, thin, washable cotton rug. Rolled the whole thing up and put under couch when not needed. And had a nice yoga mat for myself when no longer needed :)

Yes, cork can be sealed. It's used in a lot of commercial spaces and is extremely durable once sealed. Of course, it losses it's cushy feeling once it's sealed but the look and durability are great.

We had the same issue and ended up getting some of the foam mats similar to above, but in plain grey, from Modell's. They were cheap, didn't smell too much (i.e. minimal offgassing, apparently), and let us fit it to the layout of our room. My only complaint is that our kid eats the edges of the tiles, so he takes a tile and grabs at it until it comes unlocked and then chews away.

aronsons on 17th st between 6th and 7th avenues has interlocking rubber tiles like the photo above, but they are made in solid colors. i installed them in my kitchen for my senior dog,they are so comfortable and cushy, it's my favorite room to walk around barefoot.

I came across this on the web:

http://www.milliken-kex.com/kex/kexwebp.nsf/KLKey/Home%20First%20Page?OpenDocument

And I think they carry this product at Home Depot.

My parents turned a big hallway/dining space outside of their kitchen into a play space for toddlers by putting a big, very thick cotton (I think?) blanket on top of the hardwood floor. It was durable and washable, and my baby sister loved to play on it. Best yet, she never really left it because it was her space! I don't think they ever had her in a playpen much.

The blanket didn't have a soft feeling... it was solid. I don't know how to describe it! It's still around, too, some 17 years later. If you can't find a durable, large blanket, I'd suggest you sew on a few little pieces of velcro on a few blankets and put them all together. That way you have really easy-to-clean textiles that mark the baby's space and don't look ugly or off-gas hideous toxic things.

Hmm, just realized that didn't seem very clear. With the velcro, I meant to put the blankets on top of each other, for thickness!

I love the suggestion of the yoga mats, too, from "M" above.

Holy cow!! These are all such creative and awesome ideas. Thank you SO much everyone. Seriously, these are all great. I may start by looking at the solid color tiles--thanks Patrick! But I'll investigate the others, too.
Guido--any idea what the name of the store is? I'd love to call them to find out dimensions/price before I haul out to Park Slope (big trip w/baby for me)

Nell:
The Park Slope kid store with high and fun design
(actually, we are lousy with them over here, but I love the curatorial eye at this particular place)
Romp
http://rompbklyn.com/

Nell-

I was at bed bath and beyond last night, and found something that might work for you. I think they are called "carpet links." They are like carpet squares that fit together like the picture above. The top is sort of a fake berber, either in a beige or grey. The underside is a plain off-white color that is sort of rubbery. They were really cheap. Not very thick, but might work for you.

I use www.wondermat.com in our playroom. No odor, excellent service, easy to use and remove, sweeps up easy and even mops up easier than our woods floors. Usign any other product not made for the safety of children would be dangerous in my opinion.

THIS was a great question - I have been searching for nice floor mat solutions for my 7 month old.

I am looking for a cork floor mat for our baby boy to play on. Where could I find one in the shape of a puzzle?

Hello,
Reading through the comments regarding vinyl, earlier on...Please be aware that vinyl/pvc materials are extremely toxic to children (and everyone). I urge everyone to not be seduced by easy to clean, soft plastic products. There's some great websites on vinyl, and why it's so dangerous. Several big corporations, including Microsoft, are now phasing out vinyl/PVC because of its incredible toxicity to people (especially children) and the environment.
see:
http://www.besafenet.com/phaseout.htm
http://www.besafenet.com/PVCFlyer.pdf
and don't miss:
http://www.pvcfree.org/
Thanks,
Kathy

I bought an alphabet foam mat at the Scholastic store in SOHO. I think they are $29.95 per set. Two sets put together make a nice play area for kids.