Interlocking foam mats

Do you have them? Creative uses for them?

While surfing, I came across a home daycare photo that shows using these foam mats to protect her walls from food splatters (dining area). I want to see it again but can't find it.

I have a picture saved somewhere of using them up the wall in the playroom to protect for falls and protect walls from bumping. Haven't seen them in the kitchen. Not sure that is really an issue in most homes as we just keep on top of the kids and teach them how to behave properly - and that means not dumping their bowl of spaghetti on their head and then flinging wads against the walls. Have only had to wash walls of food once or twice and it was from juice being spilled and splattering - now all kids use lidded cups - problem solved.

I had some of the mats in my kitchen on the ceramic floor when our dog got older as she had trouble walking on the floor. I disliked how much actually collected between the seams on the floor under and had to take them up and sweep and wash often. In a playroom they would collect a lot less.

There was actually a post about the kind of foam used in the mats as containing something harmful but forget if that was just a scare tactic or if it was true. They are still sold and used so probably not something people worry about - again unless child uses them as a teething toy issue probably doesn't exist but worth looking up.

My basement playroom is carpeted and my main floor area is hardwood with an area carpet on it but no underpad - just the carpet meant to protect the floor not pad it whereas basement has a dense pad meant for potentially damp areas.

My worry would be the dust, dirt and grime that would get on them and under them between the cracks over time. That sounds like a lot of cleaning. I agree with Playfelt because I expect my dckids to behave properly in the house and at mealtimes. We have a lot of fun but I don't want them bouncing off walls and their food is expected to stay on their plates. Rough, crazy play is for outside.

The kids didn't deliberately play with food but sometimes there'll be some spots. What was worse was wall paint peeling off over time.

But yes, crumbs do fall through between mats and every now and then, got to thorough vacuum underneath. If liquid spills, it needs to get wiped and cleaned underneath too.

Also I will get the solid mats (not those with the alphabets or shapes, etc.), lesser cracks for crumbs to fall through.

My biggest complaint with the mats is that when you want to move stuff around the furniture has made dreadful dents in the mats so they don't look nice and it isn't just the heavy stuff as the mats are easily compacted.

When we discussed me opening up my hdc my SO was very hesitant. He is quite anal and likes things to be in perfect shape....he has since learned and is still learning that things get broken lol. One of the things we did was put foam mats on the walls. I have the alphabet ones going all around my playroom (2 letters high) and it has protected the walls greatly!! The door frame that doesn't have mats around it is badly dinged from toys like the doll strollers. I also have the solid colour ones on my floor, 3x4, to give a little extra padding as my carpeted floor is pretty hard. The toy shelves do leave a mark though so if I change things around I have to keep that in mind. My SO does most of the cleaning so he just vacuums them and I wipe them down with clorox wipes when necessary. I don't find that either set gets crumbs in them but the alphabet ones do get annoying because of course the kids will take the letters out from time to time haha. I used green painting tape to attach them to the walls and it doesn't remove the paint when removed. It gives the room a daycare look as they are very colourful!

I found in the kitchen that the chairs and table would get banged against the walls and we have soft walls so I put some coloured ones around the table as well. The kids are not allowed to throw their food but they are kids and food does get spilled from time to time and I just wipe it down.

Not really a creative use but I had to cut the big ones for the kitchen. I cut the bottom pieces off (the interlocking pieces) and the kids used them in their art and glued them onto paper.