Double Sided Play Mat
Front: Dance Like a...
Back: Nature Treasure Hunt
Beginner Sewing Project
With all the outdoor activities of summer, a lightweight blanket is handy to keep in your car or stroller. Grab this preschooler sized mat to take along to a
- parade
- splash pad
- fireworks show
- picnic for 2
- movies at the park
- concert at the park
- nature walk treasure hunt
For the brave moms who dance along with a preschooler like no one’s watching.
Dance Like a Ninja
Your preschooler will love to wiggle like jelly, jump like a rabbit, and spin like a tornado with this dance mat.
This is about more than burning off excess energy. It is a great way to learn and practice balance, coordination, and imagination.
Dance Like an Airplane
Take along as a parade blanket to help entertain your preschooler while waiting for the parade to start. They can get all their wiggles out before they need to sit down.
Comfortably seats 1 child and 1 adult.
Happy Dance
Let your little mover toss a pebble along the path like hopscotch to choose their dance move. At the end of the path is “Happy Dance”!
For the child who hunts for dandelions, pinecones and rocks like precious treasure.
Seek & Find
This play mat is great across age groups. A toddler may hunt dandelions, a preschooler may collect seeds and rocks, while an older child may be ready to find specific types of leaves.
Play this as an I Spy game while visiting state parks or any time rules about nature collection apply.
Win the Treasure
Sew an opening in the blanket under the treasure chest to hide a surprise treasure for the end of the game. A painted rainbow rock, oooh!
How to Sew a Double Sided Play Mat
This is a beginner level sewing project.
Materials Needed:
- 1 yard on 54″ or wider fabric of Treasure Hunt Play Mat
- 1 yard on 54″ or wider fabric of Dance Like a Play Mat
- sewing machine
- Scissors, pins, thread
Do not trim the white border around the design. You will use the edge for your seam allowance.
- Sew a straight stitch or serge 1/2″ outside printed design
- this prevents fraying and makes your blanket seams more durable, because they will be jumped on.
- skip this step with fabrics that don’t fray like fleece
- Prewash and iron fabric
- If you choose a fabric with a bias stretch like twill, reshape pattern into a rectangle after wash.
Pin Your Fabric
- Line up mat designs with printed sides facing each other.
- fabrics with a stretchy bias can pull on a 45 degree angle in prewash. If your printed designs won’t line up, gently stretch along the bias to reshape rectangle.
- Pin edges in place.
- Place a pin at your stop point to leave an opening at the treasure chest.
Sew Your Fabric
- Sew your two pieces together.
- For straight seams, follow along the edge inside of the printed design showing through underside of fabric.
- Remember to stop at treasure chest to leave an opening.
- Pull your fabric through the opening
- To make a secret pouch under treasure chest, hem the pouch edges.
- If you don’t want a secret pouch, stitch up the opening.
Finish the Edge
- Pin flattened edges in place 3/4″ inside edge.
- Sew through both layers 1″ inside edge to create your blanket border.
Optional
Sew through both layers following a pinned path to attach layers throughout blanket. You can choose a pattern to sew or randomly swirl around the blanket. If you made an opening for the secret pouch, don’t let your stitch pattern close off pouch.
You Did It!
You successfully wore your preschooler out. OK, you sewed your very own play mat too. But let's admit that both are an accomplishment.
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