Pre-schools, daycares and kindergartens may have that wonderful break in the day called naptime. Many of us wish we still had a naptime, especially if we could get cozy with a special nap mat. A lot of schools and day care facilities do have cushioned mats, much like gymnastic mats that they simply spread on the floor during naptime, but these have to be cleaned regularly, which is work for the teachers or day care workers.
An alternative is to have each child bring his or her own nap mat to school or day care. There are several reasons why this may prove a better option. First most mats are washable or have washable covers. This allows parents to clean off the grime and dirt associated with little kids, as often as they would like. Each child having their own mat may also prevent spread of illnesses, which are so common in care settings for young children.
Many nap mat varieties have great patterns, colors, and are ideally suited for lots of little kid tastes. It can be very comforting when you’re away from mom and dad to have something that you love, and that smells like home. If the goal really is to get kids to nap a bit, each child having a nap mat may accomplish this better.
There are a lot of nap mat varieties and they come in many different prices. Most have light fill or foam that given a little cushioning to hard ground. Some can be washed, or have washable covers, and many come with convenient carrying handles so they can be ported back and forth to school as needed. A few nap mats have extra things like attached blankets or pillows to make a quick rest time that much more comfortable.
As mentioned, price is pretty variable. You can buy a nap mat for a little more than $10 US Dollars (USD), but most cost at least $20 USD. Due to demand for these mats, many of them have high quality features like hypoallergenic fill and all cotton material. Price can easily go up significantly for higher quality mats, especially those made in the US. It’s not unusual to see mats that cost between $50-75 USD, but it isn’t necessary to pay this much.
In addition to having a nap mat for preschool, these mats can be terrific for other settings. They can be taken on trips or used at home when kids want to have a rest, but don’t want to go to bed. Long play dates for little kids may be more comfortable if there’s a rest time, complete with nap mats. Also, very young children attending slumber parties can use these mats to make sleeping on the floor easier.
