Absolutely. We craft every piece with ultra-soft, food-grade silicone that’s safe for chewing, grasping, and exploring. Plus, they're a screen-free way to encourage sensory play and early brain development from day one!

Great question — and you’re not alone in wondering! When teaching early reading, the most effective approach is to focus on the sound a letter most commonly makes — and for X, that’s the /ks/ sound you hear at the end of words like box, fox, or ax.

While “xylophone” and “x-ray” might seem like obvious choices, they actually introduce trickier sounds (like /z/ or the letter name), which can confuse new readers. Our approach follows the science of reading, which prioritizes consistent phonics and sound-symbol connections to help kids become confident, independent readers.

It might feel unexpected at first, but teachers and literacy experts agree: this method sets the strongest foundation for reading success.

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Easy-peasy! Simply pop the silicone pieces in the dishwasher or hand wash with warm, soapy water. They're made to handle countless adventures and cleanups!

With regard to your placemat that is peeling, you will hopefully be happy to learn that the “excess” peeling plastic you're encountering is not a product/manufacturing defect, but instead a protective backing designed to protect the silicone “sticky” side of our single-sided mats during shipping. Please check out the link below to see a visual of what you’re experiencing.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CvPjwcuNtuV/?igsh=dmJlMTNuZXgwcG5h

You might have disposed of the plastic wrapper in which the placemats arrived, but the product label on the front of your placemat also has instructions guiding customers to peel off the protective layer that you're seeing partially starting to peel away.

Once the protective layer is removed, should any food/fuzz/dirt accumulate on the back of the silicone, it easily rinses off with water. Hopefully this helps.