Scheduling a playdate for an infant may seem silly, but it’s not! A playdate gives you and your baby an opportunity to socialize. You don’t have to just sit at home with a cup of coffee while you watch your babies poke and grab at one another either. Don’t be afraid to get out of the house: Switch it up a bit and become the mom that other parents are begging to meet for playdates.
Get Outside
Don’t stay cooped up inside. Throw a hat on your baby, grab a blanket and head to the nearest park for an outdoor playdate. Pack a picnic and meet up for lunch, or grab a cup of coffee and enjoy the outdoors. Sit on the blanket and introduce your babies to the grass, leaves, and other elements of nature right around them. If the park has a nice walking or biking trail, bring your stroller along and go for a walk, pointing out the puppies and other interesting sights for the babies to see. They’ll even just enjoy seeing the smiling faces of those who walk or run by.
Get Messy
Make your house the place where babies can get a bit messy. Give them their first taste of finger painting or do a cute craft involving their handprints and footprints. For babies who are ready to eat, have a baby food making and tasting playdate. Create different kinds of baby food and let each mom head home with a stash. If playing in the food is more your style, work in some sensory play by letting the babies wiggle their toes in gelatin, whipped cream, and other funny feeling foods.
Get Musical
Who needs to pay for an expensive music or dance class for babies when you can put one together yourself? Pick up a few tambourines, drums, and shakers. Invite some other moms over, turn on some music and play and sing with the music. If the babies kick with their legs, get up and dance. You don’t have to have a lot of rhythm to sway to the music or make up a short circle dance to enjoy with your mom friends and their babies.
Get Cultural
A museum may not seem like the ideal place for a baby, but the infant stage may be the only time you can quietly enjoy these places for a few more years. Head to the art museum with a group of moms and let the babies see the colors, faces and other features in the paintings, or expose them to animals in the natural history museum. In nearly every museum you’ll find shiny objects, interesting shapes, and fun patterns for babies to stare at in awe.
