Classes and Activities

It's a daily effort to find activities to keep baby entertained. Often the more activity and stimulation baby gets, the better their next nap time is! Sometimes though, you just want to get out of the house and see some other mums, have a little adult conversation or perhaps share in the challenges of daily life with a little one. Here's some ideas for you to check out in Vancouver. Feel free to explore and let me know if you come across some fun activities worth sharing! Vancouver Public Library Baby Storytime - Always a favourite way to keep baby happy. It's free which is great! There's a range of times throughout the week so if one clashes with nap time, then there's another day which could work for you. My baby loves it and often squeals when she realizes where we've arrived. Some mums hang out after for a bit of baby socialization. It's also a good time to pick up a selection of books for home, change it up. And did I metion it's free?! (worth a second mention for sure) YMCA Burrard St - This link will take you straight to the Robert Lee 0-5 year old list of activities. There's a lot to choose from here. Weekly drop in art classes, swim lessons, active play with toys and mats, child minding while you join a class and more. You can find other locations here too which may be more convenient for you. Vancouver Community Center Calendar - Here's a quick link to the drop in classes offered at Vancouver community centers. They have a 'Parent and Tot' activity tab to help you find something to do. These are great as they cost only a few dollars for a few hours play. Roundhouse for instance has a jumpy castle last time I looked into the room. You can also find programs and classes that run for a number of weeks such as music for babies, play and development and infant cpr for adults. The Juice Truck Mama Mondays - The Juice Truck store in Mount Pleasant hosts drop in's for mums and babies on Monday afternoons. A guest speaker is invited to chat about their specialty or service and topics range from baby sign language, to baby skin care and meditation for mamas. The space fills up quick so be sure to arrive early! Vancouver Coastal Health - They offer 'Parent and Infant Drop In's' which are talks hosted by the local health nurses for new parents and cover a wide range of topics from sleep to infant massage, baby health and more. They run for about 10 weeks at a time. Three Bridges for instance, hold their sessions at Roundhouse Community Centre or the Robert Lee YMCA. You can meet other mums in the area and they provide an infant scale to help you measure baby's growth as well as change mats for the inevitable diaper change. They break up the talks with songs to keep babies entertained and you can get some questions answered here. Well worth a visit if you can time the naps out! West End Community Center in Coal Harbour - Looking for playtime that is more age specific, then this could be a good option for you in Downtown. They offer baby drop in play sessions so you can get baby out of the house and into a safe environment with different toys and meet some mums in the process. Baby Jump - Gymnastics for babies... Say what?! "We offer children from 6 months to their 8th birthday the opportunity to explore movement through activities that enhance balance, strength, flexibility, coordination and agility. These are the tools children need to develop confidence, and physical literacy." As described on the site. They do offer drop in if space is available. I was a little skeptical, but after the first class, we were all in! What a great way to bond with baby, get her moving, become aware of space, things and fine motor skills. The activities have a purpose and there's plenty of circle time interaction. Plus there's equipment around to shake things up from home, a trampoline, ball pit and plenty of mats for safe play. They also offer play drop ins through out the week, check their site for seasonal updates. Vancouver Symphony Orchestra School of Music - They run along the same schedule as a school semester and require a yearly membership fee on top of class fees. Babies as young as 3 months can be enrolled in class, although I would wait until 7-9 months for baby's awareness and enjoyment level to increase before shelling out the dough. Chorus and Clouds - Art classes! Looking for another creative outlet for baby? Then check out Chorus and Clouds. They do courses and drop ins if there's space. On Tuesdays they often host meet ups for mum's and babes at the cost of a donation to their chosen charity. Topics vary from week to week, so check the site regularly to see if something catches your eye.