Table of Contents

7 Best Water Doodle Mats (2025 Reviews)

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If your child loves to draw and paint, but you’re sick of cleaning up the mess afterward, a water doodle mat might just be the answer. These mats allow your child to draw with a pen filled with water on a special canvas. As the designs dry, the colorful ink fades away, making the mat reusable for hours of fun. There are tons of different water doodle mats available, making it hard to choose the right one for your child.

I’ve gathered the best water doodle mats to help you narrow down your choices and find one that your child will love.

Best Water Doodle Mats

  • 1. Jasonwell Aqua Magic Doodle Mat Letters

    (Most educational — $$)

    Why it’s great: This water mat makes learning fun, with animal-shaped letters around the border. It comes with plenty of accessories, including pens, stencils, stamps, molds, and more. Plus, you’ll get a storage box to hold everything when your little one is done. The included drawing book will show your little one how to draw different designs, giving them step-by-step instructions. It also comes with suction cups which allow you to hang this on a glass surface. It’s large enough for two kids to play, at 40×32 inches.

    Keep in mind: Make sure to wipe it off completely after use – allowing the water to air dry on it could leave water stains.

    Good for: Younger toddlers who are learning their letters.

    Jasonwell Aqua Magic Doodle Mat Letters

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 2. Creative Kids Blippi Water Doodle Mat

    (Best for blippi fans — $$$)

    Why it’s great: This water mat has a Blippi theme that fans of the show will love. Like the previous option, it has the alphabet around the border of the mat, helping little ones learn and recognize their letters. It comes with water pens, stencils, stamps, stickers, and more, with 26 pieces total. As a fun bonus, there are hidden pictures throughout the mat that your child will love searching to find. The mat is thick and durable, so it should last for as long as your child is interested in it.

    Keep in mind: This is one of the smallest mats, so it’s best for one child.

    Good for: Kids who love Blippi and drawing.

    Creative Kids Blippi Water Doodle Mat

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 3. Coolplay Kid Activities Water Drawing Mat for Travel

    (Best portable mat — $)

    Why it’s great: Have a long car ride or airplane trip coming up? This portable water mat is the perfect solution! You won’t have to worry about carrying bulky coloring books, stacks of paper, and coloring/drawing utensils. All you’ll need is this mat and its water pen. The pen attaches to the center of the book, which folds in half and has a velcro closure. It also has handles, making it easy for your little one to carry it themselves. Like the rest of the water mats, the designs disappear within 3-10 minutes, offering your little one a reusable surface for hours of fun.

    Keep in mind: You’ll need to fill the water ahead of time or bring a source of water to refill the pen when you’re on the go.

    Good for: Little ones who travel a lot and need a good source of entertainment.

    Coolplay Kid Activities Water Drawing Mat for Travel

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 4. AquaDoodle - Draw N Doodle - Classic Mat

    (Best classic mat — $$$)

    Why it’s great: Aquadoodle designed and created the very first “magic” water mat, and this is it! This classic mat is the original, which inspired so many others. It has soft, durable fabric that’s built to last, and it’s still pretty lightweight, making it easy to move. It’s affordable and just the right size for your child. The border depicts fun and brightly colored animals that are sure to capture your child’s interest. This mat comes with a water pen and has four different colored sections.

    Keep in mind: This mat only comes with one pen and no other accessories.

    Good for: Single kids who love to draw and don’t need all the extra stamps or stencils.

    AquaDoodle - Draw N Doodle - Classic Mat

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 5. Aqua Water Doodle Mat - Extra Large

    (Largest mat — $$)

    Why it’s great: This is the largest water mat on the list, at 60×40 inches! That’s definitely large enough for 2-3 kids to use at the same time. The border is full of fun designs and shows numbers and letters to help your child learn and recognize each. This mat also comes with a variety of accessories, including stencils, shapes, stamps, and multiple pens in different styles. It also comes with a drawing book.

    Keep in mind: This one seems to work best with warmer water, so you might want to warm up your water or at least use room temperature water in the pens.

    Good for: Families with multiple kids who need an extra larger water doodle mat.

    Aqua Water Doodle Mat - Extra Large

    View on Amazon.com ➜

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  • 6. Glow-in-the-Dark Water Doodle Mat

    (Most fun — $$$)

    Why it’s great: This water doodle mat has all of the same great features as the others, with an added bonus – it glows in the dark! When your child gets bored with regular drawing and painting, just turn down the lights and hand them one of the flashlights. These flashlights double as pens, offering a unique way to make new designs. It comes with multiple pens in different styles, flashlights, stencils, and a storage case to store it all when your child is done playing.

    Keep in mind: The border is fairly large, so it doesn’t leave as much drawing room as most of the others.

    Good for: Kids who need a unique feature that’ll keep their interest in their water doodle mat.

    Glow-in-the-Dark Water Doodle Mat

    View on Amazon.com ➜

  • 7. Jasonwell Aqua Magic Doodle Mat

    (Most exciting — $$)

    Why it’s great: This is another great water doodle mat from Jasonwell. This mat has a fun space theme, with images of our planets and other objects from space around the border. It comes with multiple pens, stencils, stamps, a drawing guide, and a little stamp board, offering hours of fun. It’s also on the larger side, at 48×36 inches, allowing multiple children to draw and paint at the same time. It also comes with suction cups that’ll allow you to hang the mat on a glass surface.

    Keep in mind: This one isn’t as durable as some of the others, but it’s also lower-priced, making it easy to replace as needed.

    Good for: Kids who love drawing and anything related to space.

    Jasonwell Aqua Magic Doodle Mat

    View on Amazon.com ➜

Best Overall

Jasonwell Aqua Magic Doodle Mat Letters

The Jasonwell Aqua Magic Doodle Mat Letters is our overall top recommendation. It's the highest quality product we have found with the most affordable price making it the best value on our list..

Jasonwell Aqua Magic Doodle Mat Letters

View on Amazon.com ➜

FAQs about Water Doodle Mats

  • 1. What are the benefits of using a water doodle mat?

    There are plenty of reasons to get your child a water doodle mat. They are reusable and washable, which means there’s less mess and less waste. It also saves you money on paper, markers, crayons, and other accessories needed to create art. Plus, it’s quick and easy to clean up afterward. The water dries and the drawings disappear, which means you’re not scrubbing marker or paint off your table, or worse – your walls! These mats are easy to store and are usually large enough for two kids to use at the same time.

  • 2. At what age can my child use a water doodle mat?

    Since water doodle mats don’t create a mess, they can be used with kids as young as a year old with supervision. In fact, these mats were designed for toddlers and are best for kids under five, as older kids might start getting bored with them.

  • 3. What kind of water do you use for a water doodle mat?

    It doesn’t really matter what type of water you use, so you might as well just use tap water. You’re basically just filling up your child’s “magic” marker, so there’s no reason to use any filtered or purified water. Hard water could cause some scaling if you don’t rinse or wipe down your mat after each use, but that’s usually not a huge issue.

  • 4. Are there any disadvantages to using a water doodle mat?

    Other than your child possibly getting a little wet, there’s not much negative to say about these mats. The only other issue is that the drawings and designs will disappear, so you won’t be able to save any of your child’s art.

  • 5. How long do water doodle mats last?

    These mats are pretty durable, so they should be able to last for a few years – until your child outgrows them. Make sure to wipe it down after use and store it in a cool, dry place to help lengthen its lifespan.

  • 6. What do you use to draw on a water doodle mat?

    Water doodle mats come with a pen or marker that you fill with water. That’s the main tool your child will be using on these mats. However, any tool that can transfer water will work, which means you can use wet paintbrushes, sponges, and more. You can get as creative as you want, but the tools provided will likely still work the best.

  • 7. How do you clean a water doodle mat?

    Since you’re really just using water, the best way to clean the mat is just to wipe it down after each use. If something else gets on the mat, you can use a little soap and water to wipe it down. Some mats are machine washable, but that seems a little unnecessary, given what it is. Even if it is, you won’t be able to put the mat in the dryer, as that will ruin the mat’s ability to work. Check the manufacturer’s recommendations for the best care instructions for each individual mat.

Conclusion

Water doodle mats are a fun and mess-free way to get your little one to use their imagination and promote their creativity. They come in a wide variety of styles – some of which are pretty educational – and there are plenty of affordable options.

Each mat is a little different, and we’ve covered a range of options in our list, so you’re sure to find one that your child will love.