As a mother of a toddler, I have learned lots from other moms who've come before me, including my own. So, when I see and hear about new products on the market that are mom-invented, I usually want to give them a try. The Floor Topper Mess 'n Toss Mat is one of these mom-invented products. Floor Toppers are put out by Neat Solutions, the same folks who introduced Table Toppers, which are a product that are a must-have as far as I am concerned.
My son is a messy eater. He loves to eat and enthusiastically has been self feeding since well before he was 1 year old. At not yet two, he still creates quite a mess on an almost daily basis at mealtimes. This is not so much of a big deal at home where we have a splat mat set up under his spot at the table, and tile floors that can easily be mopped or swept up. Going to my parents, in-laws, and out to restaurants is completely another ballgame. This is where the Floor Topper Mess 'n Toss Mat comes to play.
What's a Floor Topper?
A Floor Topper is a 38"x38" square of lightweight plastic intended for putting underneath your child's high chair or booster seat. The package I have includes white table toppers with an ABC pattern going around the border of them. Floor Toppers can easily be folded up to put in your diaper bag, and pulled out for use when you are at a restaurant, visiting friends or family and want to minimize the mess created by dropped foods, spilled drinks, and various finger foods aka projectiles.
After the mess has been made you have a few options. If its really bad you can just fold up the mat and toss it in the trash. Or, you can wipe it down and reuse it again. We've usually opted for tossing it out afterwards. (You probably would do the same if you saw the way my son attacks his lunches).
Step all over me.. You have my permission
We first put our Floor Toppers to the test when we went on a family vacation this summer where we stayed in a lakeside rental with my inlaws. I'd brought a package of these with us and put one under the chair we attached my son's booster seat too. Since our family was paying quite a bit to rent the property for a week, the last thing I needed was our toddler staining or grinding in food into the carpets. Its not so big of a deal to clean up dry foods, but the first time we had a pasta dish with tomato sauce the floor topper paid for itself.
We also used them at a few restaurants and found them to be particularly useful. My son does behave very well in restaurants, except for the fact that he drops and spills food. I've often been embarassed afterwards at the mess he's left and we've resorted to leaving huge tips because of the extra clean up that is required. Using a floor topper does cut down on this leave behind mess significantly, and makes me feel better about eating out in restaurants. I don't think using one of these in a restaurant is a necessity, but I find it to be the polite thing to do considering our situation. For the rare occasion that we do get to eat out as a family, these rise to the occasion.
Floor toppers can also be used as a drop cloth for messy crafts too (Think finger painting, or play-doh). My son has become quite the budding artist recently and loves both crayons and markers. While these wouldn't traditionally be classified as a messy craft, with a toddler they certainly can be. Putting down a floor topper helps protect our floors and also creates a disposable play area to contain the mess. The ABC pattern is also not only entertaining its educational too - my son and I both like it.
Area for improvement?
Now, this might just be my son, but I do wish that Neat Solutions had made their Floor Toppers a bit larger. I would have liked an additional 6 inches to a foot added in each direction - making the 44"-48" instead of 38" square. The 38" does do a pretty good job at containing most of the messes though, I'm not complaining too loud.
Where can I buy Floor Toppers?
Packages of Floor Toppers can be purchased in quantities of six or 10, and are very easy to find for purchase online, or at places like Toys 'R Us, Baby Depot, etc. They are usually found hanging on the ends of aisles near where you'd purchase sippy cups, and other feeding accessories.
A package of 10 sells for under $10 dollars, so they are less than $1 dollar a piece.
I need to say Thank you to the Mom who invented these!
~Less time wasted on cleaning up the massive messes that our son makes means we can spend more quality time together as a family (and making more messes!) ~
Protect floor surfaces and furniture at feeding and playtime High density polyethylene provides durability for use Conveniently portable for the on-th...More at Amazon
Protect floor surfaces and furniture at feeding and playtime High density polyethylene provides durability for use Conveniently portable for the on-th...More at Amazon Marketplace
Lay one of these mats down and let your child go wild. Designed to protect floors from mealtime messes, crafts, and everything in between, these mats ...More at BabyCenter Store
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