SingaporeMotherhood | Baby & Toddler
July 2016
9 Activity Courses for Baby and Mummy to Bond Over
There’s nothing a mummy loves more than spending quality time with her baby, but that doesn’t mean that she can’t get variety. With so many different activity courses available for bubs and mums, you’ll be spoilt for choice for ways to build that bond with your little ones. Here are nine mother-and-baby activity course ideas and where you can do them together.
1. Learn through active play and music
Go to: Gymboree Play & Music Singapore (Tanglin Mall)
With a seven-level development program, Gymboree’s Play and Learn programme supports your little ones from as early as zero months! Their curated programme has play-based activities like tummy time and flashlight play for the very little ones, to free-crawling, language development, and social interaction games as they grow older. Accompanying mothers will learn fun ways in which to engage your babies; you can then reproduce the activities at home.
(See also: The Importance of Play in Early Childhood)
2. Sensory and collaborative learning
Go to: Blue House Infant & Toddler Atelier (Turf Club Road & UE Square)
This gorgeous 2,000-sq ft space is exclusively designed for infants as young as six months to explore and interact in a safe and controlled environment. Each Playgroup programme sees tots and parents collaborating together weekly under the direction of engaging facilitators. With anything from light exploration zones to natural materials interactions, you and your baby will have so much fun connecting and learning together in this space, you’ll be chomping at the bit to go again!
3. Social and exploratory learning
Go to: Wee Care (Tanglin Post Office)
Wee Care’s Parent-Infant PlayGroup for babies from four to 12 months of age encourages parents and children to take part in purposeful play together. With music, multi-sensory learning and soft play, each session is supported by specialists to make sure that your babies get the best care. A weekly theme also keeps each session exciting, so that mummies and babies will continue to grow your connection to each other in a fun and exciting way.
4. Mum-and-baby Pilates
Go to: Inspire Mum & Baby (WIS @ Changi)
If you’re a mummy raring to get back into shape, bring your bubs along to InspireBaby Mum & Baby Pilates classes. With exercises to help restore your core strength and build the upper body strength needed to carry your baby, you can break a sweat while making your little one giggle as you swing her into the air. It is said to speed up post-birth healing and recovery, reduce stress and prevent depression. There are plenty of benefits for babies too, with lots of playtime, music and songs!
(See also: How Athlete Mums Stay Fit through Pregnancy and Motherhood)
5. Baby massage
Go to: Mother & Child (Tanglin Mall & East Coast)
Nothing can quite connect mother and baby as closely as an intimate baby massage session. Tailored for babies from birth to six months, mothers can learn massage techniques that can help soothe babies suffering from gastrointestinal pain and discomfort, colic, and sleepless days and nights, or even generally stressful situations. Touch is also a great way to communicate your love and affection to your bubs, and your bond will grow stronger for it. Classes are limited to six mother-baby pairs at a time.
6. Baby signing
Go to: Baby Signs Singapore (various locations)
Your baby has loads to say, but before they learn to talk, they have very little means with which to do it! The six-week Sign, Say and Play course teaches basic sign language to parents and babies, helping to promote cognitive, social, and literacy skills, while opening a new channel of communication between baby and mummy. Sessions are conducted by a group of independent certified Baby Signs instructors. Check out their Facebook page or Meetup group for scheduling updates and venue details.
7. Developing through the arts
Go to: Centre Stage School of the Arts (Portsdown & Marine Parade)
If you have a baby with tons of energy to burn, then an activity-filled school of arts may be the place to do it. Via creative outlets such as through drama, arts and crafts, singing, music and dance, kiddies as young as six months can get all the physical and mental stimulation they need, all the while spending every minute with their parents. If all goes well, your little one will need a big nap afterwards, though admittedly, so will you.
(See also: The Power of Music in Child Development)
8. Learning Mandarin the fun way
Go to: Little Mandarins (Loewen Road)
Why not start bilingualism early? Little Mandarins’ Mums and Tots classes introduces the sounds and tones of the language through music, movement and games. Tailored for toddlers 18 to 33 months, the whole experience is fun and relaxed, while giving the young ones a headstart in the benefits of appreciating dual languages. Mothers accompanying their little ones get to learn new words together even while building their special bond.
9. Swimming lessons
Go to: AquaBambinos Swim School (Burghley Drive)
Aqua Bambinos offers indoor swimming lessons (in 30-deg Celsius water, no less) for little ones from six to 35 months of age. Songs, toys and a healthy dose of fun are used in their parent-accompanied classes, where teachers focus on helping parents teach their babies about water safety and build water confidence. There are baby change facilities and a child-friendly waiting area to keep wee ones busy while they wait for their swim lesson.
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