Where to buy cute kid placemats, preferably in real life?

[fauve01]

title says it all...DD is now at the table and i'd like to get some plastic placemats with cute designs (maps, abcs, animals, etc) to protect the new wood table. hopefully they don't cost an arm and a leg, and preferably they are somewhere IRL (online would be OK too--just hate to pay shipping LOL)!

Thanks in advance.

Anne + DD 10-03

[squimp]

We love the Crocodile Creek ones - they have flowers, animals, maps, bugs etc. I've seen them at two of our local baby boutiques.

Here's a place with a bunch of them and $1 shipping. Just scroll down the page - there are about 12 choices. I've never bought from this place, but they do have $1 shipping right now.

http://www.thebabymarketplace.com/securestore/c273858.2.html

[Pennylane]

I purchased a few at Walmart. I got a Map of the US, one that had trains on it, an ABC one and a Elmo one. They had them in the section where you find kitchen towels.

Ann

[annasmom]

I have seen some seasonal placemats at Target and Pottery Barn Kids. I bought some Crocodile Creek placemats from www.babymarketplace.com last week, but I haven't gotten them yet. I hate to pay shipping also, but $1 wasn't bad, and they were $1 cheaper than the ones at PB.

[mum1day]

Another vote for Crocodile Creek!

They are awesome!

[mommato2boys]

Sorry to step in here, but can anyone tell me what the crocodile creek ones are made of. I need some placemats for DS's lunch box, but they must be able to be rolled or folded down to fit in the luch box. Are these hard plastic or soft?? TIA!

[Andrea S]

Learning express has a bunch if you have a store in your area.

Andrea
mom to Andrew 8/14/02
& #2 EDD 3/28/06

[squimp]

They are a very thin hard plastic that is flexible, but you wouldn't be able to fold them up to fit in a lunch box.

[almostamom]

Teaching supply stores (Teaching Tools, Learning is Fun, etc.) usually carry a pretty good selection of these.

~Linda~
DS 11/9/04

[mommato2boys]

Thanks, that answers my question....I will keep searching.

[Ceepa]

I had one from WalMart until I started making them with DS. We take a sheet of construction paper and put stickers on it, magazine clippings, or draw a cityscape, or whatever and then we seal it in clear contact paper (cut pretty wide and folded over).

They hold up to spills, being wiped down with a damp cloth, spoon banging, etc., but when they start to look a bit worn we just get out our art supplies and make a new one.

They're not as durable as a store-bought one, of course, but DS likes to look at them while he eats and we can make them topical for seasons, holidays.

[Ceepa]

I had one from WalMart until I started making them with DS. We take a sheet of construction paper and put stickers on it, magazine clippings, or draw a cityscape, or whatever and then we seal it in clear contact paper (cut pretty wide and folded over).

They hold up to spills, being wiped down with a damp cloth, spoon banging, etc., but when they start to look a bit worn we just get out our art supplies and make a new one.

They're not as durable as a store-bought one, of course, but DS likes to look at them while he eats and we can make them topical for seasons, holidays.

[fauve01]

I will check out the place with $1 shipping, and check the other places mentioned. I LOVE the idea of making one with DD (and she will too), so thanks to Ceepa for that suggestion too.

~Anne + DD 10-03

[CiderLogan]

Thanks for posting this! I had been looking for new placemats too and was excited about the $1 shipping deal. I just ordered two!

Jenny
Mom to Julia, 8/03
...and another GIRL due 5/29/06!

[irene12]

In for 2 of the placemats. Thanks for the info.

Irene