baby day out

[123xanadu]

I'm getting a bit stuck on how to get out the house and do things other than walks with my 7 month old. I don't have friends to meet up with so that's out.

I do drive, we've done Sea Life down at Loch Lomond and my son loved it,but I don't know what else to do. I've never seen him so animated and want something similar.

He's still pretty young and won't remember any of this but good on you for getting out and giving him experiences. I'd actually recommend pets at home or a local fish shop (pet fish not eating fish!) as an easy trip out. Mine like going to feed the ducks. The safari park is a really good day out.

Anywhere you enjoy will be fine for him at this age.

Any local farm parks? Soft plays? Baby classes?

Are toddler groups back on? This or baby book sessions at the library or any local baby classes might help you make some new friends?

When you have young children is an stage in life when it's easier to make friends as you are all in the same boat with things in common.

Yy to a out shop etc. Is there a Dobbie Garden Centre near you? They usually have a koi pond and sell food you can feed them with

@ElephantOfRisk

I should have said it's partly for me as well, I'm struggling a bit with being in the house all the time and my husband works shifts .

Dobbies or other fish shops a free way to enjoy an aquarium with your child!

Where are you based and do you have a car?

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

I never thought about Dobbies,

I have a car and I live beside the Erskine Bridge.

We're going to try a baby group on Thursday.

City farms, petting farms, safari park, zoo?
You can often get an annual pass for places which works out really reasonable if you go regularly.

Parks with ducks or with other children playing, babies love to watch other children. He can sit in pram and watch them and you get a rest on a bench.
Likewise any baby and toddler groups he can watch the others playing and now he's sitting up can join in. Your health visitor should have info on local ones but they're often in community centres, church halls.

Any rhymetime groups near you? Baby swimming classes (just fun in water really)
Library is good (if yours is open again). In non-covid times they do things for babies and children so be worth popping in to ask

Good luck with the baby group and your trips out. Your baby will enjoy just being out and about. Have you tried swimming?

There might be local Facebook groups too. We had a post on one of ours recently (not near you) from a new mum just looking to see what was on or if anyone wanted to go for a walk with their babies and she got loads of responses.

I think it's been more difficult in covid times for people to make decent connections, especially over winter time.

Mine also used to (strangely) like a trip to ikea. Lots to look at from the stroller, warm and dry, and when you get to the kids rooms area there's usually rooms set up with soft toys and play kitchen etc they can have an explore of. The cafe usually has a little play area set up too.

If you are on facebook have a look at 'help what am i going to do today' its got huge list of things to do, places to visit local baby groups etc. Its Scotland wide but mainly west, central and great for ideas

Another vote for Ikea - great on a wet day. My son loved it, there was so much to look at. He once had a monumental meltdown in the kitchen department aged about 2.5, because he didn't want to leave and was clinging onto a potato masher and thrashing on the floor. I was desperately trying to calm him down when an older woman - in her sixties I'd guess - threw herself on the floor beside him and started wailing and rolling around beside him. He shot up off the floor, looked at her absolutely horrified and threw himself back into the buggy. It was the best thing ever and I'll never forget that woman and how she defused the situation. And gave quite a few customers a good laugh!

Anyway, I'm rambling. IKEA on a wet day - you can treat yourself to lunch or a cuppa and cake and little one will have lots to look at!

There used to be a list called "30 things to do before you're 3" -I found it on this link
notanothermummyblog.com/30-things-to-do-before-youre-3/

I know ParentClub is not very popular on MN but there are some decent suggestions on there for simple, low cost activities - I liked the idea of making a sensory box of things you find while at the park - obviously taking care not to include any dogpoo !

Safari park if you enjoy animals, Blair Drummond has a fair few walking around bits as well as the drive through. Or one of the zoos might fit better. The season tickets for adults are pretty reasonable and you don't have to pay for the child until they're 3.

Glasgow Transport Museum might be interesting as well, or any of the Glasgow museums. Art Galleries, a mooch around Braehead, everything is new and exciting at that age!

Definitely IKEA although you NEED self discipline to not spend more than an annual season ticket to the biggest attraction. The cafe is very much baby friendly and not expensive, I just seem to be unable to leave without a trolley full of household items I suddenly need and more Kallax... The wooden toys and kids' cups and tableware are worth buying though and really good value!

Buggy bootcamp? Or there's some mum & prams walking groups around (afraid I'm not near you to know specifics). Check noticeboards in your local park there's often things advertised on those.

Bookbug and buggy walk or buggyfit are best for getting a chat with other parents. Swimming is a lovely thing to do, there’s often parent and baby classes . Ither than that take baby places you’d like going like museums, art galleries, shopping, cafes. Oh and lots of cinemas do screenings you can bring babies to.

Bookbug is good at that age.
Check out your local area FB page for baby groups and meetups.

Do you have any Messy Monkey groups nearby? A hour long session - 45mins of gunk and slime and water play, then 15mins where all the babies get bathed in buckets of warm soapy water before hometime. Good sessions!

Loch Lomond sea aquarium is great. I recommend the transport museum, its fantastic. You could also try the science centre

Dobbies at Braehead , take a pound coin you can feed the fish, look at the tanks, walk about the outside garden centre & look at the plants (there’s a play bit, but he’s a bit young). Go in & have a coffee, there’s always millions of grannies waiting to dote on a baby

Also recommend bookbug! And swimming.Maybe a membership somewhere, eg we got a zoo membership that we pay on direct debit each month so we can go whenever and baby loves it.

Do you have a local FB group? Post on that to see if there are any mums up for having a coffee or a walk.

Heads of Ayr farm is good