Kushies Shangrila Activity Mat with Portico Toy Arch
Reviewed by: Baby Gizmo Senior Editors
Mom Rating: (4 Reviews)
Title: A Chic but Educational Playmat
Best: Colors; Textures; Variety of Toys; Reversible Mat Options
Worst: The mat toys don't Velcro to the black and white side of the mat
Full Review:see below
Lowest Price: $119.95 (from 4 sellers)
Full Review: The Shangrila™ Activity is one of Kushies' Zolo Toys that was inspired by the Theory of Emotional Intelligence with the goal to encourage self-expression, build self-confidence and inspire the imagination.
As the most luxurious play mat on the market, this is the playmat of the Hollywood Celebrities! It's chic, educational, expensive and even sold at Barneys New York. It's a whimsical, reversible playmat with bright colors and fabulous textures on one side and black and white graphics for young babies on the other. It has a collapsible black and white 4 way arch that makes set up and storage a breeze. Each leg of the arch snaps into round, padded pieces that then Velcro to either side of the mat. The entire mat rolls up into a tube shaped packaging that makes traveling with this mat easy. The patented portico (the mat's 4 way arch) is also very flexible so it moves with baby if they pull on it.
The bright colored side of the mat has 3 different textures: a soft orange texture, a blue satiny ocean, and a green micro-fiber-like material. The soft orange part is so yummy soft that our babies spent much time snuggling their faces against it.
There are 8 removable toys, including 3 hanging googly-eyed characters and 5 different toys that Velcro to the mat in different places. The 3 hanging characters, each with their own characteristics (one is a rattle and two are crinklers), attach to the arches anywhere with a ring of Velcro. This is great for allowing you to put the characters high in the middle for a new baby who just observes and low toward the edges for an older baby to grasp.
The mat toys are amazing and allow parents to interact with their babies by playing peekaboo and hide ‘n seek. The 5 mat toys include: 1) an hidden mirror pod, which is a safety mirror with a cushioned lid that opens and closes over it. Mirrors are always a hit with our babies and this is no exception. 2) A hide•n•seek plush toy, that looks like a black and white soft mushroom top that opens to reveal another googly-eyed character. 3) A gel toy with floating bubbles and fish. 4) A tug•a•bug™ plush activity toy, which is an adorable dome shaped toy that has two characters that are attached together and can be pulled either way to hide the characters in the dome. 5) A pressure-activated sound pod that is heart shaped and includes a squeaker, a rattle and a crinkly noise inside. Each of these toys have color coded Velcro (that matches the Velcro on the mat) on the backside of the toy to indicate where each toy belongs, but they are all interchangeable.
With everything being baby-friendly on the mat, it is soft and contains no sharp edges or hard pieces that may hurt baby. We have to admit that we fell in love with this mat as soon as we saw it. Not just because we love what the celebrities have, but because the variety of colors, textures and toys is outstanding. We weren't the only ones that like it either, our babies love it and it keeps their attention whether they are 'talking' to the characters or snuggling up against the soft mat. This mat is more expensive than most playmats but it's not only chic but functional and educational as well.
