Baby Play Mats

The Most Innovative New Businesses in Town

1. Tri State LED / Seesmart ( Seesmartled.com ): This Greenwich-based company, established in 2010, is based on the simple idea that saving money is the next best thing to making money by switching regular bulbs for LED lighting instead.

“LED lighting not only saves a substantial amount of money on power bills, but the longevity of this technology significantly reduces the maintenance on current lighting systems,” explains Tri State LED founder Bob Ostrander. “LED technology is where the lighting industry is going and we are working with federal, state, and Local facilities across New England to help reduce power and save money.”

By opting for LED technology, customers save a minimum of 50 percent on their lighting costs. “We also educate our customers on all Incentive Programs and Federal Tax Deductions that make this technology even easier to switch to,” says Ostrander.

2. BestRantWins.com ( BestRantWins.com ): The genesis of this new website – born from a Wilton-based father-son entrepreneurial team – is that people like to complain about things they feel strongly about. As such, BestRantWins.com, which will launch in July, urges social-networking urbanites can go to speak their minds about everything that bugs them or excites them.

“Everyone’s got an opinion, everyone’s got a story, everyone wants to rant about something – and everyone wants everyone else to hear about it,” explains cofounder Stuart Bloom. But this site isn’t just a place to dump your thoughts. “While everyone's got something to rant about, our Judge Hugh Tellem, of substantial credentials, I might add, evaluates how well that rant is expressed,” Bloom explains. Translation: If Judge Tellem rates your rant the best of the month, you’ll win $25! Stay tuned, via Twitter, to @BestRantWins and become friends with Judge Hugh Tellem on Facebook.

3. Plain Mary ( PlainMary.com ): A few years ago years ago, a mother-to-be named Hannah Lissette received a stunning, handmade play mat as baby gift by one of her friends.

“I loved the product so much, I talked her into making it into a business,” says Lissette, who formerly worked at New York- and Greenwich-based hedge funds. In 2005, Plain Mary, a line of posh baby gear including the signature handmade keepsake mats, was born.

But unlike the vast majority of baby products you’ll find on registries, most Plain Mary baby gifts and accessories are made locally in Fairfield, and all undergo a tough quality-control check under bright photo lights (to make sure items are flawless). Every play mat and custom item is hand finished and hand checked by an in-house designer. And there’s also a personal touch: “We hand-write notes with every purchase,” says Lissette. “If you purchase one of our custom items as a gift for someone else, we send you a photo of the finished product so you know what it looks like. That's how my grandmother would have run a business and that's how we intend to carry on the tradition of standing behind our product and the quality level we preach to our customers.

Baby Play Mats, Plat Gyms and Play Nests

A baby play mat may not be at the the top of your list of “essential things to buy” but its actually an important piece of equipment that can play a crucial part of your babies early development.

Baby play mats are available in a variety of shapes and designs which we can split into three main categories: play mats (including tummy mats), play gyms and play nests.

Play mats (tummy mats) – are padded cushioned fabric mats with developmental toys and activities. play gyms – are usually padded or cushioned fabric mats with an arch for adding additional developmental toys and activities. Play nests – are an inflatable fabric covered ring that allows younger babies to sit to see and touch the textured surface and the included toys.

All of these mats are designed to help your baby to exercise and build control over his/her muscles. They provide a stimulating environment which encourages your baby to explore the world around them. They Boost hand-eye co-ordination skills encourage them to reach up and grasp toys.

A baby play mat is basically a learning/play zone where he or she can play safely (obviously with mum and dad supervising at all times!). You may have already brought many individual toys (educational and play) for your baby, but a playmat has the advantage of having all these sensory textures and learning tools in one place.

All play mats should provide a comfortable surface and environment for your baby to crawl and play (a soft and fun surface for tummy play!). Activity playmats boast a number of different developmental toys (contrasting textures, sounds, bright colours and toys), so your babys preferences (likes and dislikes) will go some way in helping you decide which play mat has the most appropriate features.

Another important requirement is the need for easy cleaning. Its very probable that the play mat will get dirty very quickly, so a hard wearing durable mat will look as good as new after a wipe with a damp cloth.

They provide healthy exercise, can help to improve hand eye co-ordination skills and the soft comfortable textured fabrics provide a safe surface for your baby to spend their time when playing.

If you want something that’s a little more substantial, then you should look for a suitable “activity mat and play gym” which has the added benefit of having an additional surface (arch) to add further toys and activities.

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