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Fun mom-baby activities

Great parent-child bonding experiences

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Originally published in Today's Parent September 2007

When Tammy Crosby starts singing “Hello, everybody, and how are you,” the song from their mom-baby swim program, 4½-month-old George starts smiling like crazy. “He thinks he’s going swimming!” says his mom.

Crosby has been taking George to the program since he was three months old. “The lessons are in a big, heated pool designed for rehab patients. It’s 94°F, so it’s great for little babies. They seem to enjoy it.”

Crosby enjoys it too. “It is nice to get out, and it’s lovely to meet other mommies. I’ve found some great friends there, and so has George.”

It can be a long, long day when you’re home alone with a baby, and a regular outing or two can really brighten up the week for both of you.

Taira Lovegrove tried out all kinds of programs in her daughter's first year:  Mother Goose (a song and story program), swimming, and a health unit program called Baby Talk. “I was 21 when I had my daughter, so most of my friends were in a different stage of life,” says Lovegrove. “It was so nice to make some new friends who were on the same path. I became good friends with one mom, and now I babysit her son.”

For Lisa Schell, mom and baby yoga has been the activity of choice. “I was skeptical at first, not ever having done yoga before. I wasn’t sure about how my baby would react.” That was five months ago, and Schell and nine-month-old Benjamin are still going. In fact, Schell says she’s hooked. “I’ll continue to be a yoga mom for a very long time!”

Mary Anna Avery, a parent educator at the Childreach Centre in London, Ont., thinks that mom-baby programs are an important way to build support for new moms, especially those who may be isolated from their extended family and friends. “Most new moms welcome the opportunity to talk about their experiences in their new role,” she says. “Coming out to programs gives them an opportunity to network and gain support and ideas. There’s a special connection for moms who are experiencing similar challenges, like sleep deprivation.”

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