baby activities/classes

[agm04]

I don't see any threads about this - sorry if I've missed them.  What are your kids doing, if anything?  


DD stays home with our au pair, and I'm realizing she doesn't get out much.  It was fine up until now, but I think it's time for some activities.  I'm thinking gymnastics and swim lessons for now, but am interested in what you guys have enjoyed.

[dmorgendorffer]

We only have DD currently enrolled in one - a local Music Together class. She loves going to the class and loves when we play the music at home or in the car.

I've considered signing up for classes at Gymboree or The Little Gym but the scheduling for her age group makes it difficult to commit to it.

[lilyelayne]

Our library has a music & activity hour (Wacky Wiggle Wednesday) that we go to once a week.

We have a family pass to the big public park north of town so weather permitting we go 1-2x a week. There's two playgrounds, a big pond with a paved walking path around it, and now that it's May the sand beach & swim area on the pond is open. Oh and a big field that I imagine we'll play in more and more now that he's getting older. So lots of different activity opportunities there!

Babywearing play dates once a month.

Swim lessons haven't worked out yet but I'd love to make it happen. There's a kindermusik class in town but I'd rather spend that money on swim, and I don't know that both are in the budget right at this moment.

--

I wish G had more opportunities to play with children his age. I'm doing a lot more to try to cultivate mom friends locally, for both of us. He sees his toddler cousins (2 & 3) a couple times a week so he's not without kid interaction, but I'd like him to socialize with stranger kids, if that makes sense.
He sits with me in church because I want him to & there's no nursery at the service we go to.

[tortor4]

We do free library programs usually 3 times a week. They have book babies, dance party and mother goose (which is singing and dancing and learning letters). We have a ton of kids in my family and we've been going to these programs since she was just a couple months old but for some reason she's really just drawn towards adults. So I've been trying to help her make friends with kids.

[kartish]

V has a a pass at My Gym, and we go to the library for Discovery time, but both of those haven't been happening very much lately due to naps and some other things.

I want to sign him up for swim classes and be more consistent about the gym. Library time we'll work on too, but is hard because they are in the library main right now cause of remodeling, and there are so many distractions right now.

He has some cousins that are six months older and a year older, as well as some older; but lately we haven't seen them much. I'd like that to change also.

[aggiebug]

Mmch? Oh wait that's not what you mean? Ha really kidding we dont watch much TV but it seems to happen more regularly than anything else these days.

We were doing swim lessons but now I can only do twice a week which is more than I would like tbh. Maybe now that I am beginning to feel better we will look into music classes nearby.

I was doing mom's group 1st and 3rd Wednesdays and library the other weeks but it's been hard to get to the library recently. This is free and we have generally loved it so I would definitely start there.

[dmorgendorffer]

Yeah, it was a bit shocking when we signed up for our music class, I actually had to email to inquire about the cost because they kept the pricing info hidden until you had created an account to register. Although the cost does motivate us to make sure we get there every week and do the make up classes for the weeks we miss.

I wish some of these programs operated on a model more like my yoga studio where you could buy a 10 class pass or something and they just punch the card when you actually attend. We would definitely do gymboree if we were able to do something like that but I can't see paying for the class knowing we can't really commit to being there every weekend.

[aggiebug]

May 2, 2016 13:49:13 GMT -5 dmorgendorffer said:

Yeah, it was a bit shocking when we signed up for our music class, I actually had to email to inquire about the cost because they kept the pricing info hidden until you had created an account to register. Although the cost does motivate us to make sure we get there every week and do the make up classes for the weeks we miss.

I wish some of these programs operated on a model more like my yoga studio where you could buy a 10 class pass or something and they just punch the card when you actually attend. We would definitely do gymboree if we were able to do something like that but I can't see paying for the class knowing we can't really commit to being there every weekend.

Ugh seriously! The music class is like $20/ class and you pay for like 10 week session. Even going during the week making 10 weeks in a row is incredibly unlikely so $20 a class is more like $25+ ugh. But my mom gave me money because 'I really *need* to get her in a music class' so I guess I will!

[cougarette]

I was just looking up swim lessons. The classes start soon, so we need to decide.

Other than that he's in daycare, so that's not helpful here.

[aggiebug]

May 2, 2016 14:14:09 GMT -5 cougarette said:

I was just looking up swim lessons. The classes start soon, so we need to decide.

Other than that he's in daycare, so that's not helpful here.

Ya know bring up swim lessons with the therapist this week. I bet she has feedback but I would think it would be really awesome for gross motor development.

[cougarette]

May 2, 2016 14:20:32 GMT -5 aggiebug said:

May 2, 2016 14:14:09 GMT -5 cougarette said:

I was just looking up swim lessons. The classes start soon, so we need to decide.

Other than that he's in daycare, so that's not helpful here.

Ya know bring up swim lessons with the therapist this week. I bet she has feedback but I would think it would be really awesome for gross motor development.

Well that's true. And I think he'd do really well since he loves bath time so much. He also stretches his arms up to crawl, and when he lays on his back he kicks his legs really fast.

[agm04]

Thanks guys! Good to see what everyone is doing. The library is a great idea. I looked, and the one closest to us only has baby activities at 11 am, which is too close to her nap time right now. But I know that will change soon, so I'll definitely start checking those out!

[dreemkin]

I've done a library class before but it wasn't for me. DD1 takes a swimming class but no other classes over here. We go to play areas a lot, for exercise and exploration (the mall, the zoo, the park), and that's about it. She has her older sister lol.

[agm04]

dreemkin sibling = built in activity. haha. our neighbors/good friends have a son DD's age, and they get together quite a bit, but he's a bit...aggressive. I'd like to get her exposure to some softer personalities too. There's also a great park in our neighborhood that's always buzzing with kids, but since DD isn't walking yet and it's often muddy, we kind of stick to the swings and the slides for now.

[taberbtb]

We do a drop in every now and then at the local pool. It's $4 for us both to go in for the parent & tot swim, and it's offered at different times 5 days a week so that makes it easier for us. That being said , we only go once or twice a month.

The sitter has signed her (and her daughter) up for free music classes at the early years centre, otherwise we don't do much in the way of classes. Especially with the summer coming it's easier (and cheaper) to hit the park, or do stuff outside.

[maryxc1]

When my first was this age, we did Gymboree and story time at the library. Other than that, we pretty much played at home or he came with me to run errands and such. We are still doing story time and Gymboree with DD, but have added a weekly Chick fil a play date with friends who have kids the same age as both of mine.

[mmarie]

We do the library when it works with nap time and if I'm not working. The offer it 3 days a week so we can usually make it to at least 1 a week. June is the start of swim lessons and tumbling through our county rec park.

[mishka29]

We do swimming.

[lilyelayne]

badw0lf I feel like one day at daycare gets your kid more interaction & activity than my kid gets from our entire weekly outings. Also I can't wait for swimming weather!

[mmarie]

If DD went to day care, I probably wouldnt do any extra activities at this point. But she is either with my mom, MIL, or H while I work. And we don't really have friends with kids her age. Most are years older, 1 is about 6 months older which is getting better now that DD is more mobile and can kind of keep up, and a couple younger which will be better soon too. And she likes to get out of the house. She gets really crabby if we haven't gone anywhere in more than 2 days.

[seamonster]

We're starting swim lessons again in a few weeks. I'd like to do a music class, but the weekend classes haven't meshed well with our schedule. There's not much baby or toddler stuff on the weekend and DS is in daycare while we work during the week.

[agm04]

badw0lf i second what lilyelayne said. i wouldn't really worry about activities if DD went to daycare.

[Deleted]

We do swimming once a week and she loves it! I'm loving that the class is planned around both parents being in the pool so it's a nice family time.
DH also takes her to the "open preschool" run by the municipality 1-2 times a week.

This thread has now inspired me to look up music classes! She loves playing her instruments and singing so I think it would be a big hit!