Fussy while Down?

I have two playmats for my 3 mo. son that he usedd to absolutely love. All of a sudden, when we put him down on the mat, he screams bloody murder and cries until we pick him up again, no matter how long we leave him there for. (30 seconds, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes.) It seems like he always wants to be held and it's just not realistic for me to do.

Is this normal and what is the best way to get him to not be upset when we place him on his mats?