The Leiden Hippo Mat™ includes Leiden’s canal-rich old centre, the Oude Rijn and Nieuwe Rijn, De Burcht van Leiden, Rapenburg, Pieterskerk, Hortus botanicus Leiden, Leiden University Academy Building and Old Leiden Observatory, Molen De Valk, Morspoort and Zijlpoort, and Leiden’s museum landmarks.
The mat includes a canal-rich old centre, with waterways, quays and bridges helping to shape the layout. These details give children natural places to cross, turn, pause and create routes through a city scene rooted in Leiden.
Fun Fact: Canals create gentle boundaries and crossing points, making them useful for simple route-making and toy car journeys.
The Oude Rijn and Nieuwe Rijn are included as defining water features on the mat. They help reflect Leiden’s city structure, creating routes around rivers, bridges and waterside journeys.
Fun Fact: The Oude Rijn and Nieuwe Rijn meet in central Leiden near the area around De Burcht.
De Burcht van Leiden is one of the strongest landmark features on the mat. Rising above the old city, it gives children a clear destination for adventures, lookouts and circular routes through the layout.
Fun Fact: De Burcht is a medieval shell keep built on an artificial mound, giving Leiden a castle-like lookout tucked inside the city.
Rapenburg is included as one of Leiden’s best-known canal streets. On the mat, it brings a quieter canal-side feeling into play, linking university, museum and garden-inspired routes in a recognisably Leiden way.
Fun Fact: Rapenburg is closely connected with Leiden University and the city’s museum quarter.
Pieterskerk appears as a major historic church landmark. Its strong silhouette gives the play mat a clear point of orientation for arrivals, town-centre stops and familiar city stories.
Fun Fact: Pieterskerk is closely linked with Leiden University ceremonies and the city’s history, and is also associated with the Pilgrims who later sailed to America.
Hortus botanicus Leiden is included as a major green garden zone, with paths and glasshouse-inspired details. It gives the mat a softer place for garden walks, quiet stops and nature-themed storytelling between city routes.
Fun Fact: Founded in 1590, Hortus botanicus Leiden is the oldest botanical garden in the Netherlands.
The Leiden University Academy Building and the Old Leiden Observatory reflect the city’s long association with study, science and discovery. On the mat, they create meaningful destinations for campus routes and thoughtful city adventures.
Fun Fact: Leiden University was founded in 1575, and Leiden Observatory was founded in 1633.
Molen De Valk gives the mat a bold windmill feature and a strong visual stop on the skyline. It works well for toy car routes because it is easy to recognise, easy to return to and full of local character.
Fun Fact: Molen De Valk was built in the 18th century and now functions as a windmill museum. Its name means The Falcon.
Morspoort and Zijlpoort are included as historic city gate landmarks. Together they give the mat a sense of movement around the city edge, with routes that can pass through, loop back and connect to the wider street pattern.
Fun Fact: Both gates are surviving Leiden city gates from the 17th century, giving children natural start and finish points for cross-city journeys.
Leiden’s museum landmarks add cultural destinations to the mat, including Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Rijksmuseum Boerhaave, Naturalis Biodiversity Center and Japanmuseum SieboldHuis. They support routes built around discovery, history, science and careful observation.
Fun Fact: The mat includes details inspired by Leiden’s museum and science heritage, including a tiny electricity-themed Easter egg linked to the Leyden jar.
The landmarks on the Leiden play mat give children clear places to name, visit and connect. As they drive toy cars from a museum to a garden, or from a city gate to a canal bridge, they naturally practise route-making and storytelling. These familiar features can also support early geography language. Words such as bridge, gate, canal, museum, river, garden, centre and route become part of play in a simple, meaningful way.
For families in Leiden, former residents, visiting relatives or anyone with a connection to the city, the Leiden Hippo Mat™ offers a quiet sense of local pride. It is designed to feel personal without being overcomplicated. As a gift, it brings together familiar city character, everyday floor play and a gentle invitation to explore Leiden through imagination, roads and recognisable landmarks.
The mat includes Leiden-inspired places such as De Burcht van Leiden, Rapenburg, Hortus botanicus Leiden, the Leiden University Academy Building, the Old Leiden Observatory, Molen De Valk, Morspoort, Zijlpoort, Pieterskerk, museum landmarks, canals and local cultural details.
Yes. The Leiden Hippo Mat™ is designed as a road play mat with wide, drivable roads, making it suitable for toy car routes, parking, crossings, journeys and imaginative city storytelling.
The Leiden play mat encourages route-making, observation, vocabulary, early geography language and shared storytelling through familiar landmarks, roads, canals and local features from the city.
Every Hippo Mat™ helps fund play and learning for children through Reg’s Pledge.
Would you share Hippo Mat™ with someone who’d love it too? A friend, family member, school, nursery, or local group is a great place to start.
Once you’ve shared, you can leave your name, location, and a short message for the Hippo Mat™ Hall of Fame.
No sign-up needed. Just a quick share.
