Vinyl tablecloth as infant playmat
Instead of spreading out a blanket or towel for floor play, I use a vinyl tablecloth with a fun print. This way, if the baby spits up, I can wipe it clean easily without having to wash a blanket or spot clean my carpet. Also was helpful when he was initially rolling and crawling because it helped him 'slide.'





These are great because you can also keep them for later use as Play-Doh/paint cloths. I've even gotten them at the local dollar store. Can't argue with that price.
Posted by: Dana | 17 June 2006 at 06:54 PM
You can buy oil cloth by the yard from fabric stores. It's also great for underneath the perennial sloppy eater and can be thrown in the washing machine.
Posted by: caitlin | 17 June 2006 at 08:31 PM
When my daughter was in a "young fives program" (Pre Kinder), her teacher would put these vinyl cloths out for the kids to have a picnic lunch (almost every day). I thought that it was BRILLIANT and bought a few at ACE Hardware. Now I see these vinyl cloths have been made into lunch boxes - again, brilliant!
Jill
Co-Founder, Silicon Valley Moms Blog
Posted by: Jill | 18 June 2006 at 09:27 AM
When you play with wet paints (finger paints, water colors, etc.), flip a vinyl tablecloth over. If anything spills, the flannel backing absorbs the mess, and it won't run everywhere as easily.
Posted by: Julia | 19 June 2006 at 06:59 AM
My mom did this with us!
Posted by: annab | 19 June 2006 at 12:35 PM