More toy, than mat. Lot's of fun.
Although, my son (18 months at the time) already knew the alphabet he absolutely got a kick out of this mat. He loves playing on it. He loves taking the letters and numbers out. It's a great learning and/or reinforcing tool. Ask your child to bring you "this" letter or "that" number and they'll never tire of it. You'll tire first.
The pieces fit well enough. And, the thickness is adequate. But, truth be told, unless you keep on top of it, the numbers and letters (and borders) may end up in different rooms of the house. So, if you are buying a mat for the sole purpose of having a soft place for your child to play this may not be the mat for you. Some of the smaller pieces can also get lost if you aren't careful (but, don't worry, they'll turn up), like the little triangle inside the number 4 or the two pieces inside the letter B, for example.
The foam mat seems durable enough. Haven't had it that long but, the letters and numbers have been tossed around enough (and the puzzle pieces have been stepped on enough) to make durability a non-issue.
The pieces also fit into a nice, compact, transparent vinyl, zipper-closed storage bag when no longer in use or transporting.
This is a really good (albiet, simple) learning tool for your child. But, be warned, as I said before, you have to keep on top of the pieces, because they will end up all over the place. This is, without a doubt, more toy than mat. When I'm putting the numbers and letters back in their place it can be a pain (becaue you'll do it alot), but my son does love this mat.
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Great mat for babies and toddlers
I bought the alphabet mat for my 5 month old to play on. It provides him with a clean, bright place to play. I also think it will help him to learn his alphabet when he's older. The only problem is that its a bit thinner than I thought. It great for crawling and playing, but it doesn't provide as much cushion for a baby who tips over when he's learning to sit up.
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