GB2198635A

GB2198635A - An activity mat for use by young children

Info

Publication number: GB2198635A
Application number: GB08630109A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony R Walkey
Original assignee: BRITON ATHLETIC AND SPORTS COM
Current assignee: BRITON ATHLETIC AND SPORTS COM
Priority date: 1986-12-17
Filing date: 1986-12-17
Publication date: 1988-06-22
Anticipated expiration: 2006-12-17
Also published as: GB2198635B; GB8630109D0

Abstract

An activity mat for use by young children in, for example, playgroups comprises a plurality of incisions and a corresponding plurality of removable plugs 14, 15, and is formed from a closed cell foamed plastics material. The mat may be formed from laminates of differently coloured materials and rows of apertures are formed in the mat to provide removable plugs which can be inserted in or removed from the apertures to provide, if required, contrasting patterns. <IMAGE>

Description

AN ACTIVITY MAT FOR USE BY YOUNG CHILDREN Field of the Invention This invention relates to an activity mat for use by young children.

Background to the Invention Activity mats currently in use in, for example, playgroups are formed of a foamed plastics material and can be used by young children in playgroups to roll on, jump on or engage in other gymnastic activities without harming themselves.

Such an activity mat can only be used for a limited number of activities and it is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an activity mat that can be used by young children for a plurality of purposes which assist in the development of agility, co-ordination and ingenuity.

Summary of the Invention The present invention provides an activity mat of a closed cell foamed plastics material, wherein a plurality of incisions are formed in the mat to provide a corresponding plurality of plugs which are removable from and insertable into the apertures formed by said incisions.

The apertures are conveniently of a regular shape, preferably circular, with the plugs of corresponding disc-like configuration.

It is preferred that the apertures should be disposed in a regular array in the mat, for example, the apertures may be arranged in three or more rows.

It is further preferred that the apertures should be of more than one size, conveniently of two sizes. The arrangement may then be such that, in each row, the smaller and larger apertures are arranged alternately, with the smaller apertures of one row arranged in register with the larger apertures of the adjacent row or rows.

The mat is conveniently formed as a laminate from sheets of foamed plastics material which are differently . coloured.

This means that the plugs can be inserted into the apertures so that the colours of the plugs either correspond to or contrast with the colour of the surrounding surface of the mat.

The foamed plastics material may be a rigid polyvinyl acetate and the mat may be used in conjunction with side supports so that, in addition to its use as a mat, it may be supported by said side supports in a vertical condition so that it serves as a climbing frame.

An important advantage of the use of a closed cell, relatively soft rigid foamed plastics material such as polyvinyl acetate is that, not only is the mat relatively easy to clean, but there are no physical or chemical hazards to its use by young children.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of an activity mat in accordance with the invention; and Figure 2 is a perspective view of a plug.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment As shown in Figure 1, the mat 10 is of generally rectangular form, for example, 1 metre wide and 2 metres long. A typical thickness of the mat is 75 millimetres, the mat being formed from three sheets of differently coloured material so that, as can be seen from Figure 2, a generally striped effect is obtained. A typical arrangement is that there should be a central layer 11 which is white, an upper layer 12 which is blue and a lower layer 13 which is pink.

The mat is formed from soft, closed cell foamed polyvinyl acetate so that there are no physical or chemical hazards to its use by young children, in particular, there are no sharp edges, and the material is hygienic, being easily cleaned should it be dirtied through, for example, incontinence or sickness.

As shown in Figure 1, the mat 10 is formed with three rows of apertures, the apertures consisting of larger apertures 14 and smaller apertures 15. The larger apertures 14 are typically 300 or 250 millimetres in diameter whereas the smaller apertures 15 are typically 200 or 150 millimetres in diameter.

The formation of the apertures 14 and 15 in the mat provides a plurality of disc-like plugs 16 which can be inserted into and removed from the apertures 14 and 15. As will be appreciated, because of the colour contrast between the upper and lower layers 12 and 13 from which each plug 16 is formed, each plug can be inserted in the associated aperture 14 or 15 so that it either has the same colour as its surroundings or is differently coloured.

It is to be appreciated that a mat as shown in the drawings can be used by young children in many different ways. For example, all the plugs can be inserted in their respective apertures 14 and 15 and the mat then used as a safety mat for rolling, jumping and such-like games. With some only of the plugs 16 inserted in their respective apertures 14 and 15, the colours of the plugs can be arranged to form game patterns. The plugs can be used alone, to form stacks, etc and they can be used to assist young children in coordination, for example, a young child may be given two plugs of one size and two plugs of the other size and asked to insert them in the respective apertures in the mat.

The mat can be used not only as a mat resting on the floor, but it can be provided with side supports whereby it can be held vertically so that it can be used as a climbing frame.

Other games can be played when the mat is held vertically to form a frame since the array of apertures 14 and 15 can be used in ball games. For example, one child on one side of the mat can throw a ball through an aperture to a child on the other side of the mat.

The mat can be formed of other foamed plastics materials, for example, foamed polyethylene.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An activity mat of a closed cell foamed plastics material, wherein a plurality of incisions are formed in the mat to provide a corresponding plurality of plugs which are removable from and inserted into the apertures formed by said Incisions.

2. An activity mat according to claim 1, the apertures of which are of a regular shape.

3. An activity mat according to claim 2, in which the apertures are circular and the plugs are of corresponding disc-like configuration.

4. An activity mat according to claim 2, the apertures of which are disposed in a regular array.

5. An activity mat according to claim 4, in which the apertures are arranged in three or more rows.

6. An activity mat according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the apertures are of more than one size.

7. An activity mat as claimed in claim 6 as appendant to claim 5, in which the arrangement is such that, in each row, smaller and larger apertures are arranged alternately, with the smaller apertures of one row arranged in register with the larger apertures of the adjacent row or rows.

8. An activity mat according to any one of the preceding claims, which is formed as a laminate from sheets of foamed plastics material which are differently coloured so that the plugs can be inserted into the apertures so that the colours of the plugs either correspond to or contrast with the colour of the surrounding surface of the mat.

9. An activity mat according to any one of the preceding claims formed from foamed polyethylene.

10. The combination of an activity mat according to any one of the preceding claims and side supports which can be used to support the mat in a vertical condition so that it serves as a climbing frame.

11. An activity mat of a closed cell foamed plastics material substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.