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Story mats

I translated the word from french, since I don't know if there is an english word specifically. Story mats are little mats meant to tell stories, nursery rhymes, etc, to kids. I have made them for my library, but they can be used in a lot of situations. I have read online that some places leave them for people to use and not just for animations, which I would love to do. I have made them from my own brain. I have lots of ideas for story mats and other similar tools (story cubes, puppets, etc), but we'll see if I get to make them

Sea story mats (Work in progress)

- May 2026

These are my first two story mats. They're very wonky, but my coworkers love them so that's all that matters. Kids haven't tried them wait, but I can't wait to see how they feel about it.

The mats are done, but I haven't made the plush toys that go with it yet. I plan on making a school of rainbow fish to teach about colors, a fisherman, boats, and a few sea animals.

They are made from leftover fabric I had or was given, except for the navy blue and batting.

The first mat, with the lighthouse, features waves with different textures that act like big pockets, so you can place stuff behind them.

On the second mat, I was trying to make different 'hiding places' for a fish or another sea animal. It can hide inside the cave, in between the kelp or behind the coral.

These are mostly made for babies, so they can explore the textures and play by themselves. I would like to make mats that are meant for older kids, with a more distinct graphic style. A bit like a storybook, where the illustrations play a big part! I wanted to make a 3D house for Goldilocks and the three bears, and I have a big project for the Little Red Hen. I'd like to make a patchwork mat, with traditional quilt patterns. I probably don't have the skills for that yet, but I feel like it would be a very interesting challenge, and could make for a very nice teaching material as well, both to teach the story and the art of quilting (because I'm always trying to sneak fiber art somewhere)