What do you look for in a baby/toddler group?

skintchick

Hi

I wondered if you would mind helping me out? I run a free group for mums in my town, but I feel it needs a rethink and I could do with some opinions.

It's free although I ask for donations to cover costs. All our toys are donated and I get the room for free. It's attached to a cafe so people can get refreshments and runs for two hours once a week, 10-12 as a drop-in.

When I set it up it was supposed to be for mums who already had a child/children, so they could go to a baby group with their new one and take along their older one as well.

The room is set up with a circle of chairs around blankets where mums sit with their tiny ones, and then the rest of the room is for the older children.

Originally I said the little one should be up to one year and the older one up to 2, but I have widened that to be the younger one up to "wobbly walker" or around 18 months, and the older one up to school age (so max 4). I also don;t turn anyone away who comes with "only" one child!

We don't do any activities, specifically, we just have toys out and I chat to mums and play with the kids.

I've been thinking about doing some clean crafts like stickers, colouring, that kind of thing.

But I wondered what would you want out of a group like that? Or would it not appeal at all?

Originally I thought it would helps mums meet each other but I'm thinking now it is more of a glorified children-friendly cafe, which isn't a bad thing, just different. We get around 9 mums a week but I'd like there to be a few more.

I really feel it needs rethinking and would love some input.

Thank you.

fluffnutter

I'm not hugely imaginative when it comes to activities, but I can offer that I find unstructured groups really hard work. I went to one run by my local NCT group recently which sounds a bit similar to yours and no one spoke to me! It was just a group of mums who already knew each other sitting around drinking tea whilst their babies lay in front of them. Unless you're a very chatty sort with plenty of small talk it's a bit daunting to be faced with a room of strangers. I won't say I find it intimidating (although some might), rather I just can't think of anything to say!

So I'd say activities are good and it doesn't really matter what they are. Maybe mix it up a bit, i.e. do some craft one week, some nursery rhymes the next, some singing the following. Ask the mums for input about what they'd like to do. If you think some are a little shy, have a box where people can scribble down suggestions.

As a general thing to do, make sure you introduce new members properly. At my post-pregnancy pilates, the woman who runs it asks everyone to introduce themselves and their baby/babies, say how old the baby is and briefly how their week's been. She also asks if anyone's got anything they'd like to get advice about, e.g. sleeping, feeding, so that the other women can share their experiences. It's brilliant, it really breaks the ice and makes you feel part of a group.

fluffnutter

This board's rubbish, skintchick. Move your thread to the normal family board and you'll probably get more replies.

Moomum

I go to a playgroup, it's 9.30 - 11.30 and we pay £2 cover charge per family which covers activities, tea or coffee and juice and biscuits for kids. The hall is set up with chairs around edge and have a baby corner, puzzles, ride ons, kitchen, dressing up etc,this has been developed over years due to donations etc . There is one activity table that changes every week, one that goes down well is slices of bread ormlarge rice cakes with different spreads, the little ones love spreading their own sandwiches. Mostly make it very friendly, the worst thing gong to a new club is to find lots of little cliques! Good luck!

Peanut2013

I go to a baby group that's 50p a week and designed for up to crawlers.

We just sit on the floor in a circle and the middle is filled with tummy time toys. We sit and gossip for an hour while playing with LO's (or in my case letting him sleep through every week, lol).

For me a good selection of toys for tiny babies as we went to one group that was up to 1 year and it was all 6 month plus toys so LO couldn't have joined in (no mirrors or rattles).

At the end though we do 3 songs as they do a singing group for 6 months plus which they like to promote a bit. Plus I like to do a few songs with him to get him used to it

What a lovely thing your doing though. Could you possibly do themed weeks? Like a messy week or an art week?

dizziblonde

If you want extra mums coming - our surestart goes out a couple of times a month to the baby weighing clinic to hand out leaflets and chat to mums there - they seem to pick up a lot of extra people for baby group when they do.

The other one they did that proved incredibly, ridiculously popular (talking an increase from the usual 20 ish mums to about 50 the week in question) was to get the Red Cross in to do a very light touch baby and kid first aid thing - could hardly get through the door that week!

The other one I more occasionally go to (well not at all atm since I can't walk and there's no parking nearby) is more what you run - with separate areas for the babies and toddlers... it's been a bit taken over by childminders ignoring their charges though - but it DOES serve coffee which is a counterbalance to the mild chaos somewhat.

Oh and please don't do icebreakers... I'm painfully shy (but hide it well) and flipping hate them!

jjj1980

Before I started back at work when my daughter was 2, we used to go to groups at the local Sure Start centre. One was for pregnant women nearing birth and babies uptil the age of 2(ish) and the other was for around 18+ months plus as it was more active.

For the younger ones, there were all the expected baby toys and books as well as mystery baskets with shimmer material, wooden shapes and brushes, puppets etc. Anything that could catch their attention and had different textures.

For the older ones there was a sand tub, mega blocks, stickle bricks, music instruments and more books. There were always crayons and paper, glue sticks etc out and quite often, there was a messy tray. This is an easy clean up one though, water and cornflour mixed together. It changes consistency when touched! Can clean it off very easily with a damp cloth or wipe. Doesn't stick, stain or cause any damage.

We used to sing songs at the end, using the puppets where we could.

bella2121

I go to a lovely playgroup it's £1 which includes a cuppa and toast for mum, kids get juice (most people already have this in there own cup) they then get toast, banana, pear, grapes sometimes melon apple and raisins. The kids tend to be from birth upto about 3ish until they go to nursery but there is ones who go to nursery in the afternoons that come playgroup In the morning.

There is a range of equipment for different ages, bumbos, bouncing chairs, walkers right upto duplo, kitchen, trikes etc they have the crayons, paper and stickers left on the tablet if anyone wants them. There are no organised activities which I prefer. Hope this helps

dizziblonde

jjj1980 wrote: »

This is an easy clean up one though, water and cornflour mixed together. It changes consistency when touched! Can clean it off very easily with a damp cloth or wipe. Doesn't stick, stain or cause any damage.

Aaah the day I planned to do this with my reception class and then go out straight from work somewhere important... wearing black trousers...

Not my finest fashion statement by the time you had the spilt cornflour gloop and hand marks from small hands patting you on the thighs after being IN the gloop.

aliama

I agree with Dizziblonde; ice-breaker introductions are awful. I loathe them, find them toe-curlingly embarassing and I hate hate HATE sitting in the circle, waiting for it to be my turn, and stressing out about what I'm going to say. If I want to talk to people, I'll talk to them; don't force me to, please.

Ahem. And now that massive over-reaction is over,

I look for:

- Lots of toys for all ages, which actually work and which look clean
- No aggressive play from older children
- Coffee for me

Errr, and that's it really.

For activities, what about putting together a dressing up box for the older kids?

notanewuser

My DD is now 2, so I only pay for things she gets benefit from. She adores her drama group, but seems bored of the music class, so we're stopping that at Easter.

When she was little I really struggled with groups because of the time they are held at. She's never been an early riser and would have to be woken to go to classes that started at 9:30/10am. Even now she's most alert in the late afternoon, typically after all the child related things are over. It's not easy.

Things I would have liked that weren't always there: batteries in the battery operated toys, decaf drinks, a safe space for when she was mobile (she did that early and was walking by 10 months), comfortable chairs for breastfeeding, nice cakes, nice nappy changing facilities.