Baby groups: 10 Months old Free?!

brunettegirl

Inspiration is needed.. Pretty Please

I have an 11 month old baby who I want to take to meet other babies, however I don't have a lot of pocket money and he already does music on a Friday £6 and Creche £5.50 on a Thursday so £11.50 of my £15 budget is alot, these soft play places are quite expensive as he is over 9 months now - no idea why they have that rule! Anyways Im struggling to find FREE things to go to that are age appropriate. I have seen a few things at my local library, BUT they are all toddlers running around my lo is crawling and pulling to stand and if the soft play centres are anything to go by he will get trampled!!

Where can I go and get him to interact with babies the same age, this age of baby seems to be hiding in my area - even at music and creche they are all a lot older or younger, don't people socialise their babies over 6 months and under 1???

Please Help all I do is take him to the park and feed the ducks, he seems to stare longingly at the toddlers running around. I wouldn't mind some adult company either

Mrs_Ihenetu

Have you tried your local sure start centre or neighbourhood centre? My 2 kids go to a playgroup there for 50p (both of em) and they have a babies corner where my 9 m/o plays happily and there is also a free snack and drink for my DS. They also have baby groups, singing groups and young mums groups that are free. Also most library sessions strongly encourage the kids not to run around so your baby should be fine in a library-run session.

It's also very much worth asking your HV for a list of playgroups (most of which range from free to £1).

peachyprice

I would also suggest asking your HV or looking on the noticeboard at the clinic.

Our primary school does a free session once a week for babies, open to anyone, that might be worth a look too.

Anything run by the community will be a hell of a lot cheaper than the private option.

HTH

honeypop

Our local childrens centres (sure start) have a variety of free groups for under 1's, we tried them all then started attending our favourite ones more regularly.

Whereabouts are you (roughly?) maybe someone can help with local recommendations?

MERFE

I go to the surestart groups, the baby one is free but the toddler one a small payment, they also do a messy play and singing time, have a sensory room that you can book and use for free when its not in use. There are also 3 other surestart centres within 10 mins car drive to me if mine wasn't so good. I also do the baby bounce and rhyme at the library but I guess I've been lucky mine is full of babies the same age as Bob. I would just keep trying but you may find the parks get busier now the weather is better. I saw one of the mums from baby group at the park last night.

brunettegirl

The local sure start centre does do a group but its full of teenage mums...
Im 33 and don't really want to sit with the youngsters on baby number 4. I have nothing against them just nothing in common and want my own age group and baby age group too.

There doesn't seem to be much else that I have been given my HV is very rubbish to say the least though so not that helpful.
I live in Hull.

honeypop

http://www.hullcc.gov.uk/portal/page?_pageid=221,207999&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

That link contains your local childrens centres, you don't only have to go to your closest one though. Must be something free to attend out of all those! Give some a call to see what activites they do for the under 1s age group and attend a few to see which ones appeal to you.

pigpen

brunettegirl wrote: »

The local sure start centre does do a group but its full of teenage mums...
Im 33 and don't really want to sit with the youngsters on baby number 4. I have nothing against them just nothing in common and want my own age group and baby age group too.

There doesn't seem to be much else that I have been given my HV is very rubbish to say the least though so not that helpful.
I live in Hull.

I live in Hull too.. My baby is 7.5 months old.

Have you tried the Lambert street and Fenchurch street surestarts/childrens centres they tend to have mums older than 12 .. They seem to have a few friendships blossoming too in the groups. My DIL took GS to a few at Fenchurch.

Have you seen a hv? When I had Squeak she dropped the red book off never to be seen again..

peachyprice

pigpen wrote: »

When I had Squeak she dropped the red book off never to be seen again..

Sounds like my ideal HV

brunettegirl

I use Fenchurch street to get baby weighed, but everytime I go the mums seem very young.... and when i looked in on the group, it was very sectioned off mums in corners with baby not talking to anyone, didn't look very welcoming, so I pretty much ran away lol!
Never been to Lambert Street, just thought that was a nursery.

No not seen HV since baby was 2 weeks old, see a different one every time i go and tbh don't like any of them all very patronising and annoying even if he is my first. The getting told off like i was 5 for using talc was the last straw really! I avoid as much as possible.

rachbc

what about NCT? Our lcoa one has bumps and babies and toddlers and its very friendly...bumps and babies meet in peoples homes and toddler smeet in a community room at the lcoal primary