C recently brought back two reusable colouring mats from France for the twins, but after the twins coloured on the mats with the markers provided, I noticed that there were still some leftover stains on the mats, despite washing them with soap and water. I thought it was a pity to let the twins “ruin” the mats, so I kept them with the intention to let them use the mats again when they’re older.
A few weeks ago, N suddenly asked if he could have a reusable colouring mat (he was upset that Daddy didn’t buy one for him, and only got them for the twins), so we spent some time choosing from the different designs on the #ohmymats website. It took a way longer time than expected to pick the mats, because there were the Mini Mats (15cm x 10cm), Small Mats (38cm x 24cm), and the Large Mats (43cm x 28cm) to choose from, plus the twins saw us looking at the designs, and wanted to choose their own mats too.
Here’s what we got in the end! Three Mini Mats, three Small Mats, one Large Mat (for me!), as well as two sets of the broad tip markers (meant for young children who can’t quite control the pressure applied when colouring), as well as a set of the fine tip markers (for older children and adults).
For size comparison
I tested the broad and fine tip markers on a mat, to see if the broad tip marker could be used to colour within a small area, and it could! I used a red broad tip marker to colour one wheel, and the blue fine tip marker to colour the other. I also drew a line with each marker, so you can see the difference in the thickness. You’re welcome.
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Didi and Meimei: HELLO everyone! Mummy said that we have to do the review for the mats since she bought them for us, so here we are! She told us to smile and take photos with the mats. That’s quite easy, see?
Didi: Okay, time to start colouring! I like erm… purple! And orange!
Meimei: Hmmm… which colour should I use? Orange? Blue? Purple? Green?
Didi: Meimei, you’re colouring too slowly. Just press harder with your marker, and move your arm more. Look at mine!
Meimei: Yours is so messy, please. Mine is better.
Meimei: Mummy said she likes that this mat has a slightly raised edge all around the mat, so that we won’t end up colouring the table if we colour without looking. I looked while I was colouring, but I still coloured out of the lines… oh well, at least I didn’t dirty the table!
Didi: Oops, I think I coloured my hands by accident. Wet wipe please!
Didi: Ooohhh let’s see if I can clean the mat with this wet wipe too.
Meimei: You’re done already? Okay, I’m also done. I want to clean my mat too please.
Meimei: Cleaning is so boring. Maybe I should try colouring my hand instead. Didi, look! My hand is dirty!
Didi: Oh is your hand dirty? Let me help you clean it properly with my wet wipe.
Meimei: Thank you, Didi. You’re so kind!
Didi: Mummy says we have to take a photo with our colouring mats again. Yay! We finished our review!
Meimei: Colouring is quite fun, isn’t it? I want to colour another one.
Didi: Okay, if we smile nicely, maybe Mummy will let us colour the Mini Mats.
Meimei: This Mini Mat is so cute! I LOVE unicorns! I’m going to colour this one pink.
Didi: Truck. Purple. No, red. Colour colour colour. Faster faster!
Didi: Meimei, I’m done with my Mini Mat, so I coloured my hand and a bit of the table. See? Mummy told me not to colour the table, but it’s okay, I’ll clean it with the wet wipe later. Oops, Mummy doesn’t look too happy. Shall we stop, Meimei?
KorKor: The two of you are such noobs. Let me show you how it’s done. First, you pose nicely with the mats and markers.
KorKor: Then you colour! Mummy gave me the fine tip markers so that I can colour neatly and even blend the colours together. I’m using red, orange, and yellow for this T-Rex.
KorKor: And my Small Mat is done! Colouring is so fun, and I can’t believe so much time passed while I was colouring. Maybe I’ll ask Mummy to buy the Insects design when it’s back in stock, because I love insects more than dinosaurs.
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I think the mats were a hit with all three kids, and I’m going to pack small wet bags with a mat and a set of markers each, so that they can do some colouring while waiting for their meals the next time we head out. I got the wet bag from Qoo10, and the silicone mat can be rolled up to fit neatly into the bag.
Honestly, I haven’t been letting the twins do any kind of tracing work, which means they don’t really know how to hold a pencil properly. These colouring mats come in handy as the twins get to improve their hand-eye coordination, as well as their motor skills, while having fun colouring. They make great gifts (and even birthday goodie bags), because they’re so practical, yet fun for kids.
*Disclaimer: We received the mats and markers from #ohmymats for the purpose of this review. All photos and opinions are, as always, our own.
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#ohmymats is giving away a set of Mat and Markers to one lucky reader of Growing with the Tans! Visit our Instagram page to participate. Terms and conditions apply.
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