Activities?

[yl]

The only local activities I can find are on weekdays around 11, so I got nothin.

[Deleted]

I have been looking into music classes. My SIL takes her daughter and she absolutely LOVES it. So far just looking into kindermusik.

[nutmeg8484]

Molly does Gymnastics. But, it's Saturday morning at 815. I know they offer several classes on weekday mornings too.

[rach]

AB does no organized activities yet. My oldest did something called My Gym- its kinda like Gymboree? It was really cute and very age appropriate for this age group.

Our gymnastics place doesn't start lessons until 2.

[rachydc]

A will be starting dance class at the end of the month (glorified mommy and me) each Saturday for 8 weeks, she will also be doing soccer on Sundays when time allows/my husband can take her. There are a few "MyGym" like inside play areas by us, but they're often over crowded and over run with bigger kids that trample the littles, as well as $$$ so I only do those about 1-2 a month. I think her school offers soccer classes as well so she'll be doing that during the day too. I cant wait for consistent warmer weather!! It just makes life so much easier. We need to keep her as active as possible!!

[jacks15]

L does a gymnastics class at a gymnastics gym (not a Gymboree or anything). It is sometimes a hot mess and geared toward a little older kids, but I can tell she's picking up on things. Her class is 18-36 months and we started around 17 months.

I was thinking about switching to a Gymboree membership for a few months, but then watched a YouTube video of one of their classes and I can't handle that much cheeriness on Saturday mornings and it seemed too similar to daycare (which she's in full time). But it might be good for structure during the week for non-daycare kids.

[lonegalathome]

O has done kindermusik. He LOVED it. It really depends on the local teacher in my opinion. I think We Joy Sing is also national.

Right now the only consistent thing he does weekly is story time at the library and speech therapy. I'm waiting on swim for a little bit because 3 in the pool is overwhelming me.

You can also look in your local parks and rec options, many of them have younger classes.

My Gym is definitely appropriate! Classes start at six months. There is a 14-22mo and a 23mo -2.5 so its really age specific. @wafflesfriendswork - not sure where you are in the area, but they are in Bethesda, McLean, Potomac, Chantilly, Alexandria and Gaithersburg.

Chantilly has a free open house this weekend: www.mygym.com/chantilly/events/144

[kasiaskis]

We are going to start Music Together classes next month. They were recommended by a friend, are on Sunday mornings and they are in the neighbourhood so we can walk there. We will see how it goes. I still can't comprehend how most working families are able to fit multiple scheduled activities into their lives, especially on weekdays.

[ashiscute]

Nothing? Maybe swim lessons at some point if it matches up with big kids schedule but I'm not super pressed.

DD did gymnastics at 2.5 and that was okay but I'm not sure id have done it much earlier. DS did soccer right when he turned 3 and I definitely wouldn't do that again!

[queenofcats]

Just storytimes right now. We have 3 we go to each week. We just moved so I need to research more activities since she's an active child. I've run into the same issue of it being 2 and up. I think she'd loooove a dance class, but all I've found are for 3 and up which is frustrating.

[imavera]

Kara does gymnastics at Little Gym. I'm obsessed with that place and have had at least one child attending since my oldest was 9 months. That's her only activity, though. I'd love to put her in a music class, but I can't since I have the boys.

I did soccer with my oldest at 2, and it was such a disaster- lol! Swim lessons start at 2.5, so she'll start those in January.

[kingsley123]

Music class, a play group, library story time, and ballet class. We also try to go to the zoo once each week.

My kid goes nuts if we don't go outside erryday, and winter here means no playgrounds for months and months...hence all the activities.

[italianmommy]

We invested in a zoo membership (only 15 min away from us) and a membership to the Science Center (20 min away). We do free storytime at the library 2x a week.

[catladymeow]

Last winter we did swimming lessons. This winter we are doing soccer.

In the nice weather we spend a ton of time at the park but in winter that's a no go so I like these classes bc they get us out of the house and doing something to burn off energy.

Edit: these are weekend activities. On weekdays she is kept busy at daycare.

[lonegalathome]

Mar 15, 2017 12:54:27 GMT -5 @justinslovo said:

Finley will be in nothing. And I feel horrible about it. Liv was constantly on the go, but our demographic here is less than ideal and having a little brother messes things up even more.

Ahhhhhhh! Horrible middle kid guilt already.

This is happening over here too. Poor A.

[catladymeow]

Mar 15, 2017 13:34:19 GMT -5 sharebear05 said:

What does soccer look like for 20 month old kiddos?!! It sounds chaotic.

At our classes it is pretty much a dozen young toddlers running around chaotically with a bunch of mini soccer balls.

[Deleted]

Mar 15, 2017 13:43:26 GMT -5 catladymeow said:

Mar 15, 2017 13:34:19 GMT -5 sharebear05 said:

What does soccer look like for 20 month old kiddos?!! It sounds chaotic.

At our classes it is pretty much a dozen young toddlers running around chaotically with a bunch of mini soccer balls.

This is exactly what I pictured. If you add Lil to the mix, I anticipate much repeating of "mine" and loads of frustration. Hard pass.

I'm on the waiting list for parent/child swim lessons at my old swim club. I've been trying to teach her while we are in Florida. My child has no self-preservation instincts and no fear of water, so this is fun. 😳 I'm trying to comfort myself that she will be easy to teach once she grasps that there's something to learn because she isn't one of those kids who is petrified to put her face in the water. She's very eager to practice making bubbles, and sometimes air even goes out instead of water going in. 😬

[italianmommy]

Mar 15, 2017 13:52:02 GMT -5 lawandorder said:

Mar 15, 2017 13:34:19 GMT -5 sharebear05 said:

What does soccer look like for 20 month old kiddos?!! It sounds chaotic.

Srsly, anyone that says they like little kid soccer (talking like age 7 and under) is a lying liar that lies.

It's so boring. It's a swarm of kids running. and maybe a standout that scores some goals.  Snooze.

I can picture this. Total mayhem. And my child would be the one picking up the soccer ball, tossing it at some kids head, yelling "FROW!!!!!!!!!!" ("Throw" - the only thing she does when presented with a ball)

[Deleted]

Mar 15, 2017 13:59:30 GMT -5 sharebear05 said:

@officedronette drop L off at my house one day for "soccer" with DS and his massive collection of toddler sports gear and I'll let you teach DS to swim. He has a fear of water and instincts to flail. We can help each other

I will happily teach him to swim. I can teach fear into respect and comfort. Teaching "this will kill you!" is apparently harder.

Seriously yesterday she reached for something in the toddler pool and lost her footing and went under. I gave her half a beat to find her feet and come up on her own - nope, perfectly content to just kind of float sprawled out under the water. YOU CANT BREATHE UNDER THERE, CHILD! Sigh.

[lindylogana]

Absolutely no activities. I have 2 bigs in soccer. I didn't start that until they were 4. Maybe I'm in the minority but no way could my toddler have the attention span for anything scheduled and I'm not paying for something he wouldn't appreciate.

[decembergirl1216]

We tried gymnastics at a little over 2, it was a disaster. She didn't understand taking turns, was frustrated with being made to do something structured. We did "soccer" at 3.5 which went much better. She mostly just runs up and down the field for a half hour, but gets to socialize with some friends which she enjoys. Story time at the library and programs at the metro parks were great when she was 1.5-2.

Owen is in nothing structured. Library story time, outside play, and metro park events for him for now.

[imavera]

@justinslovo, lonegalathome- I felt so terrible when I realized this year that I didn't sign up my middle for any activity for him. Kara got gymnastics, and Jeffrey has everything in the freaking world. He is in swim lessons, but so is Jeffrey :/ Middle child guilt FOR.SURE.

[wineandcake]

Nothing. And I don't even feel bad. Same with my older kid. They go to a babysitter and Mac does nursery school, that's enough for me.

[mrsklm09]

Ella does mommy and me dance with my nanny on Wed and me on Sat. I've started having my nanny take both girls to a gymnastics center for open gym once a week (my nanny is also a gymnastics instructor, so that works out nicely) and then they do library story time 2-4 times per week too. Avery started dance at 2 and we added in a tumble class for the second half of the year. Now she's in dance and swimming lessons and starting soccer this spring (she's 4). She also did one session of gymnastics this winter. Ella might do a tumble class this summer if she's old enough (supposed to be 2 but since she's done mommy and me for so long, I'm thinking she might be able to do it). I'd also like for her to do swim lessons but it's all mommy and me and I haven't worked that into the schedule yet. She loves the pool though.
We haven't done the Little Gym because my nanny would have to take her and I can't really justify paying that much per month since I'm already paying the nanny. I haven't found soccer that starts before 3.

[imavera]

Maybe our Little Gym class is more unstructured, but it's totally cool for the kids to run off and explore during the group activity/warm-up. It's not uncommon for all the adults to be doing the warm-up stuff while the kids are all off doing their thing, lol!

The little soccer class we did at 2 was all little drills and such, but the balls were not all just white. The kids would flip their lid if they didn't get the color they wanted. Such a disaster. Mine was the worst since he was in his "red" phase. So.many.meltdowns.

[hereiam]

We do Kindermusik and then after Easter I'll sign them up for swim lessons again.
I keep thinking about signing DD (4) up for things but haven't yet. We stopped kindermusik for her because they do it as part of preschool now. I'm leaning towards dance.
I'll probably wait for DS to be four to do anything more than kindermusik and swimming.

[kingsley123]

Mar 15, 2017 12:54:20 GMT -5 italianmommy said:

We invested in a zoo membership (only 15 min away from us) and a membership to the Science Center (20 min away). We do free storytime at the library 2x a week.

The zoo membership has been worth its weight in gold. Juss sayin.

[rachydc]

Mar 16, 2017 13:25:36 GMT -5 @wafflesfriendswork said:

Mar 16, 2017 13:07:19 GMT -5 kingsley123 said:

The zoo membership has been worth its weight in gold. Juss sayin.

Im bitterly angry the zoo is over an hour away. HH loves it so so much. I'd settle for decent park at this point.

It took 4 adults passing A around to make the zoo enjoyable for us, hard pass. 

[lonegalathome]

I felt like we spent half of our lives at the zoo when the big. It's were o's age. Let them walk and wear themselves out!

[girlmom]

Mar 16, 2017 13:28:57 GMT -5 rachydc said:

Mar 16, 2017 13:25:36 GMT -5 @wafflesfriendswork said:

Im bitterly angry the zoo is over an hour away. HH loves it so so much. I'd settle for decent park at this point.

It took 4 adults passing A around to make the zoo enjoyable for us, hard pass. 

Oh, did you think you were going to see the animals? We go for the squirrels and the playground. 😉

We went with my in-laws once and they were clearly set on seeing every exhibit and it was awful. Now that we have a zoo pass we don't have to worry so much about getting our money's worth, and it's much better.