Part of MBP's Get Out and Play Week

Around here (and probably where you are, too), it's spring break. All of the kiddos are out of school, and even though I don't have a little one in school yet, we definitely feel like we're on spring break, too! With the weather being so absolutely beautiful here in the Carolinas (finally!), we're taking advantage of the warmer temperatures, and getting outside! We've been doing everything outside from eating lunch or snacks, to just plain playing our hearts out! I've been after my husband to build us a picnic table, so we have a cute little spot in the backyard to enjoy picnic lunches, but his schedule hasn't permitted him to do this, yet. So, I went on a hunt for an outdoor mat that we could use for warm weather play and picnics, and I found the perfect product!

I recently became acquainted with the Monkey Mat, which is a handy, portable lightweight mat that can be used indoors, or outdoors. Mother of two, and Monkey Mat creator, Christy was in desperate need of a portable, clean/sanitary surface that could be used virtually anywhere wanted or needed. With two adorable girls, and busy schedules, she wanted a safe, clean surface that could be placed wherever they happened to be- the airport, the park, outdoor concerts, festivals, or even in their own backyard.

As a mom, I know how important health and safety for our littles ones really is. All too often, I found myself without a good spot to put my baby down to play at the park, other than an old blanket that soaked up water or other spilled liquids. We've been on a lot of trips, which have required us to stay overnight in hotel rooms, and you'd better believe that I went all Kate Gosselin with the 'shoes must be worn on this carpet at all times' rule! I just wanted to keep the grossness that was probably lurking around off of my child! So, when we were offered the chance to review our very own Monkey Mat, I jumped at the chance!

Our individually packaged Monkey Mat...

The Monkey Mat comes packaged in clear plastic, with a cute little tag. When folded up, and in its pouch, it's a cute little square that can be attached to the diaper bag, stroller, your purse, a backpack, etc. I immediately took notice of the sticker on the front of the Monkey Mat pouch, which informed me that the Monkey Mat unfolds to a super large 5x5 mat. I couldn't wait to see how large it really was, so I unzipped the top, and started to pull the mat out from inside of the pouch.

Isn't it cute? This is the perfect size to toss into a bag or quickly clip onto something when you're ready to head out the door!

It's easy to pull the mat out- just reach in, tug, and it comes right out.

As I pulled the mat out of the pouch and began to spread it out on the floor, I was really amazed by how lightweight the fabric was. It's durable enough to walk on and play or sit on, but truly light. The corners are weighted, and each corner has a loop, in case you want to anchor it to the ground, so it stays in place. The weighted corners are wonderful, because it's been really windy here lately, and this helps to keep it from being blown across the yard!

Our Monkey Mat (we chose blue), laid out in my dining room...

Weighted corners with loops...

The Monkey mat folds out to a 5x5 square. It has plenty of room for my busy two-year-old to scoot around on, and room enough for me and my husband, as well. We can easily lay down and lounge outside- reading, talking, or just enjoying the sunshine. One of mine and Balian's favorite things to do during the spring and summer is take a picnic lunch out in the yard. We do have actual outdoor furniture- tables and chairs, etc- but to kiddos, there's just something super fun about sitting on the ground to eat lunch or a snack. We've even used the Monkey Mat in the house to have floor picnics on rainy days!

Inner square with toy loops...

Another excellent and useful feature of the Monkey Mat, is the inner square on the mat. At each corner of the square containing the Monkey Mat logo, there is a toy loop. So, parents have the option to attach up to four toys for their itty bitties to play with, which keeps the toys off the ground, and sanitary.

Other great uses for the Monkey Mat...

Travel Mat

Picnic Mat

Exercise Mat

Yoga Mat

Beach Mat

Baby Play Mat

Changing Mat/Pad

Camping Mat

Guess what ese I've done with the Monkey Mat? I've used it as a table covering! Need a tablecloth and find yourself without? If you have the handy Monkey Mat, no worries!

Here's what I love about Monkey Mat-

*I can shake dirt, crumbs, sand right off of it.

*If it gets dirty, I can wash it (it's machine washable), or wipe it clean.

*I can put this in the dryer on low!

*If I need more space, I can tie two Monkey Mats together at the loops to double my space!

*Lightweight, portable, multiple uses!

*Available in lots of colors!

Of course, I wish that I'd had this when my little guy was a baby, but even though he's a toddler, it's still a wonderful product to have, and it's serving our family well. I will be even more excited to put this product to the test when we head to the beach in May for our family vacation. I have a feeling that I'm going to love being able to spread the Monkey Mat out on the sand for a great place to sit, play, etc. With summertime right around the corner, I know that we're going to get even more use out of the Monkey Mat. I see a lot of picnics and outdoor events in our future, and no matter where we find ourselves, we know we'll always have a safe, clean place to sit or play, as long as we have our Monkey Mat with us!

Want It? Buy It!

To learn more about the Monkey Mat, or to purchase one of your very own, head to the Monkey Mat website! Check out all of the fun Monkey Mat Moments, Tips, and more! Monkey Mat is a PTPA (Parent Tested Parent Approved) Award Winner, and a product that makes our list of Mommy Must-Haves! Monkey Mat would love to connect with you and hear your thoughts, so find them on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Pinterest, and feel free to leave a comment so we can share it with our friends at Monkey Mat!

What could you use a Monkey Mat for this spring/summer?

Special thanks to our friends at Monkey Mat for allowing us to put this awesome travel mat to the test and share our experience with our readers!



Disclosure: Other than the above mentioned products, which I received directly from this sponsor for review purposes, I was not compensated for facilitating this review. All opinions expressed are my own. Your experience may differ.