Floor play at child height has been our signature since day one: "reinventing the art of living on the floor with the family comfortably installed at child height."

And that's why we designed our playmat as a surface adapted to baby's motor skills but also to moments of family sharing. Because at their height, we see life differently by giving them our full attention.

So we asked Gaëlle Ribière, our favorite psychomotor therapist and founder of Éveil et Conseil *, who speaks better than anyone about our reason for being: play at children's height.

Why is it so important to play on the floor with your child?

Above all, being on the ground allows the child to discover their bodily support and to know their body well, which constitutes the basis of good motor skills.

On the other hand, adjusting to the height of your child allows you to consider them as an individual in their own right; you show them a particular interest.

It's a bit like giving him a voice, like giving him the right to make his own choices. This will reassure him and place him in a position of being an actor in the relationship with the adult.

I also like to talk about the eye-to-eye gaze that is created in these moments of sharing on the ground, because it is fundamental for the child in his or her development.

Where and how to play at child's height with a baby?

You can play almost anywhere, as long as the child is safe, of course. In the kitchen, the living room, the bathroom...

On the floor, it's often the easiest thing to do, and even more so if you're on a comfortable mat!

The baby does not particularly need to play or be occupied, on the other hand he needs interaction, to be in a relationship, and placing yourself at his level allows for better connection.

It's also a moment of pause that the adult takes to be available with their baby and share with them, so the mat might as well be welcoming enough to meet the parent's need to relax!

How can we make play more accessible to children as they grow? Is the floor still the best place?

A child's space evolves according to the stages of motor acquisition. For a small baby, for example, you can condense a play space to 20 cm from their face; they won't necessarily need more. But as they grow, they'll move around more and need a larger space.

This larger space is also the one that gradually separates him from his parent, who thus offers him more choice and freedom. In fact, it is as much a physical space as a psychological space. The child thus expands his boundaries as he grows.

For an older baby, for example, you can place small toys on a low table or stool at the end of the rug so that your baby can walk across the rug and then grab them from above. This will satisfy their current need for movement!

And then at any age, physical games are always a good idea (guilis, "plane" game)!

Do you need a lot of space to play at your child's height?

What is important, in my opinion, is above all that the parent enjoys being on the ground with the child, and therefore that they are comfortably installed. Thanks to this comfort, they will be able to remain in body-to-body contact with their child for a long time, and thus promote the attachment bond.

We often think about the child's comfort (rightly so!) but that of the parent is just as important for quality shared moments!

Then, as the child grows, the play area will become larger. When you're testing distance, for example, or crawling, you need more space. So obviously, having a comfortable surface that expands according to your desires and the child's development is ideal!

*Éveil et Conseil is a collective of health and childhood professionals.

They are committed to informing you about your child's healthy development and reassuring you about your parenting. Visit their website www.eveiletconseil.fr You will be able to find lots of precise and practical content on motor skills, awakening, language, emotions, acquisitions... In short, everything you need to reassure yourself as a parent!