When my kids were babies and tummy-time touring their way throughout the house, it was a given that their play mat migrated to each room with them. And while I have fond memories of our jungle themed mat and odd interactive thingies (who doesn't love a squeaking, googly eyed hippo, honestly?), I'm at least 98 percent sure my now-tech-loving littles would have preferred the Emoji Baby Play Mat.
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Exclusive to Land of Nod, this hand-quilted mat is just soft and squishy enough to be both comfy and sturdy as your baby strengthens her neck, arm, and shoulder muscles -- but, let's be real. It's the cheeky emojis that take center stage. Each face is outfitted with multi-sensory features; some of them make rattling sounds, others crinkle or squeal when they get a squeeze. And the middle face is swappable -- the mat comes with three extra emojis -- should your baby be in the mood for a change. And, if you think about it, emojis are kind of perfect and useful for babies' development: simple shapes for eyes and mouths might help them recognize "happy" "sleepy" and other emotions. Aunt Ruth, on the other hand, who will not stop populating every Facebook post with strings of random emojis that are apparently meant to form sentences, has no such excuse. You can find the Emoji Baby Play Mat at Land of Nod. It's suggested for "all ages" and the more I think about Aunt Ruth and her love affair with emoticons, the more I think the age suggestion is spot on.
