Best activity classes you've been to with baby?

[Craftycakey15]

My baby is nearly six months old and I would like to try some new classes with her. We have only been to baby groups and sensory so far. Can anyone recommend the best classes you have attended with your babies at this age? I'm quite interested in going to baby sign classes, for example, but have heard mixed reviews. Thanks in advance.

[Nan0second]

Swimming. We go with puddleducks to a hydrotherapy pool. We both loved it (my husband takes her still age nearly 2 as I am at work)
Everything is really for you at that age. Go to stuff you can tolerate!

[4kids3chickensandagoat]

Baby Sensory has been brilliant and also jo jingles. But she enjoyed jo jingles more when she was slightly older, I.e 1. Baby sensory from 6 months.

[Daffydil]

Definitely signing. It's so useful!

As a PP said, everything is more about you than them at that age. All the classes make a lot of claims. I think the vast majority are twaddle. But a lot of things are still great fun for the babies, so classes can still be worth doing. But don't get caught up in the hype about developing their vestibular system etc

But I have found signing actually really great. My DD was telling me things before she was one. She signed "milk. All gone. More." while feeding (she usually only has one side, so I never bother offering the other any more.) if nothing else it really demonstrates how much they understand before they can talk. I love signing!

[Craftycakey15]

Thanks for the replies. I had heard that signing makes them talk later but that's got to be twaddle?!

[Daffydil]

I think it is. I also don't think signing increases vocabulary, which is something else often touted.

But it does make communication easier in the short term, is a fun class with lots of singing and rhymes and colours and animals and similar age children, and definitely opened my eyes a lot to DDs levels of comprehension.

[mimiholls]

I agree with swimming. It can really give them confidence in the water from an early age and it's a useful and lifelong skill they can build on as they get older.

[AllllGooone]

I loved signing and any free church groups I could find

[HandbagFan]

Would highly recommend Tiny Talk if you're looking at baby signing. DS is 14 months and has a handful of actual words, and a handful of signs too.

[Craftycakey15]

I would love to go to Tiny Talk or Sing and Sign (t he only baby signing groups I've heard of?). But they are all booked up anywhere near me:(

[Daffydil]

Do you have The Signing Company near you?

[CaipirinhasAllRound]

Buggyfit without a doubt. Made great friends

[TittyGolightly]

Tiny Talk and Monkey Music were winners for us. DD signed "more" at 14 weeks old!

[Ferrynice]

We loved baby yoga, I am convinced it helped DD crawl. She was trying for ages and ages then we did a coordination yoga move and it was like a switch clicked and off she went!
Not very successful were cliquey local baby and toddler groups and messy play.

[MonkeyBrainsInPickle]

My DD loves Water Bsbies. She still does it now aged two. She gets so excited when she sees the swimming pool she tries to run in there before the previous class has finished.

[allthegoodnamesalreadytaken]

Hartbeeps

[Craftycakey15]

Interesting, I wouldn't have even thought of buggyfit! Definitely need to do that. The sign company aren't near me. They do British sign language. I didn't realise the baby sign classes used BSL for teaching. Really want to do it but can't get into a Tiny talk or sing and sign class near me.

[Rumblemumble]

Messy play is a huge hit with my DS

[Littlelegs19]

I've been taking DS to hartbeeps since he was about 10 weeks old. He really does seem to enjoy it and lots of the sensory things they do we try to do in doors and he really does seem to get something from it.
I keep meaning to book him into some other classes but so far it hasn't happened!

[Daisies123]

I tried some of the Baby classes but they were so expensive (£6-10 a session) and didn't really do much more than the cheaper sessions at the local children's centre and church halls did (£1-2 per session). I didn't make any friends at the classes but did at the other groups. And the other groups did lots of play, singing, story etc. I just did swimming once a fortnight with DD and didn't bother with the baby swimming sessions as I couldn't see they were doing anything I couldn't do on my own.

Kind of wish I hadn't bothered with the classes now and saved money. The cheap groups were brilliant!

[CatsCantFlyFast]

On the talk later because they're signing thing - on the contrary my experience is that signing babies talk earlier because they understand the concept of communication. I loved tiny talk

[ShowMeWhatYouGot]

My son really enjoyed these classes

Baby sensory 2 months-11 months
Baby sign 4-14months
Jo jingles 6m -2
Tumble tots 1+

[Dalesgirl16]

I'm starting jo jingles soon

[purpleme12]

Jo Jingles. Loved it

[lisaboo83]

Baby signing is brilliant - I go to Little Signers Club, maybe see if there is one of those in your area? I'd definitely recommend it.
Water Babies is fab too and my ds LOVES it!
Also enjoyed doing baby yoga with Mama Baby Bliss.

[hazeyjane]

I loved baby massage and the free singing in the library group.

I did makaton with my dds and ds, which is the signing system used on Something Special with Mr Tumble. I work in a preschool now and we use it all the time.