Baby and toddler classes are great fun: all those songs, play and movement, as well as being around other children the same age.
But they have some surprising benefits too. Your child will not just be having fun – they’ll be busy learning all sorts of important early skills.
Here are just a few ways that baby classes can support your baby’s development, as well as your transition to parenthood.
Lots of parents are keen to ensure their babies are comfortable around other adults and children from an early age.
For your baby, ‘social skills’ are less about making friends, and more about learning from the behaviour of people around them. They might start to mimic other adults and how they use different facial expressions (like smiling). Studies have shown that babies find just looking at different faces stimulating.
You might also notice your little one ‘holding hands’ with another baby, tapping each other in the face, or exchanging noises. There’s a huge amount of sensory development going on while they are in this new and exciting environment!
‘I want Jacob to be a sociable baby. And get used to a lot of different people. I will be going back to work after a year – so he’ll be going to nursery. I want him to be comfortable with other people and other kids.’
(HAYLEY, Happity Parent)
Baby classes are also a great way to begin to introduce your little ones to different families from a wide variety of backgrounds: be those race, religion, or perhaps different family dynamics such as single or LGBTQ+ parents.
2. Spending Quality Time With Your Baby
According to recent research, up to 50% of parents lack confidence in their ability to play with their child. As parents ourselves, we don’t find this figure surprising – we all know that play and interaction are super important for our baby’s development, but that doesn’t always make it easier to find the time, energy and ideas for quality time (especially when there’s three loads of laundry piled up by the washing machine!)
Getting out to a class or group really makes time and space for play with your baby, time that is just for the two of you. Plus, you’ll learn songs, rhymes, games and movements which you can build into your daily routines at home. Your baby will love these repeated activities; and the first time they join in with the words or actions to a song is truly magical.
‘When we’re home just the two of us, it’s easy to forget to talk to Evie. I fall into the zone of doing housework, or thinking about other things. That’s why I try to get out to one activity a day, to have that quality time for her.’
(LAURA, Happity Parent)
3. Introducing Stories And Reading
We all know how much little ones love stories. But did you know, that when you read to your baby or toddler you are also introducing them to lots of early literacy skills like phonics?
A study has shown that babies who had lots of books read to them have a greater vocabulary and better early reading skills by age 4.
Babies love repetition and the more familiar they are with a story, the more they will begin to join in by clapping, pointing – or even with trying to mimic some of the sounds they hear. Rhyming books are also great for this as you will find that when your baby starts to talk, they may begin to ‘fill in’ the last word or sound of the sentence as they develop their skills in producing sounds.
Lots of classes have a storytime element, and libraries and bookshops often have reading sessions for little ones too, as well as Rhyme Times.
4. Developing Gross Motor Skills
As your baby starts to wriggle and move more, they will be developing their physical strength and coordination, as well as the awareness of how their body moves through physical space.
Baby massage or reflexology can help them relax and draw awareness to different areas of their body as they respond to touch, as well as helping with issues like colic and constipation. Baby yoga will help them with muscle strength, coordination and balance.
Splashing in the pool with your baby at a swim class is a great way for babies to develop gross motor skills and strength as they kick against the water.
According to the NHS, once your child is walking, they should be staying active for at least 180 minutes (3 hours) of the day! A toddler group is a great way to get your toddler run off some steam.
5. Practising Fine Motor Skills
Once your baby begins to start grabbing and holding: exploring new toys, instruments and textured objects at sensory classes, or your local stay-and-play, is a great way to let them practise their fine motor skills without filling up your house with millions of toys!
For older babies and toddlers, look out for messy play and arts and crafts, where they can practise mark-making and pre-writing skills with chunky crayons, pencils or paints.
6. Learning New Specific Skills
As well as being fun, classes can provide the setting and expertise to help you and your baby or toddler learn new skills. Swimming classes, gymnastics, languages, and baby signing are all activities where you need specialist equipment (like a swimming pool!) or expert knowledge.
As with so many aspects of raising babies and toddlers, the keys are repetition and consistency. With dedicated time in your schedule each week, you’ll be astounded at how quickly your little one progresses.
‘I started going to baby signing more for a fun activity than anything else. I had no expectation that Ollie would actually begin to use signs to communicate with me! But going along to the class every week, and then practising what we had learned at home, he picked it up really quickly. It was so lovely having that connection with him, long before he could talk.’
(LISA, Team Happity)
7. Thriving On Routine
Lots of parents find the routine and structure offered by attending a regular class or classes very helpful – especially if they are on parental leave and used to structuring their days around work. For some, that’s making sure there’s one activity planned for every day; others might be happy to have a couple of regular things on their calendar each week, while being more open and unscheduled on the other days.
Babies and toddlers also thrive on repetition, so having a shared routine can be a lovely way to experience the world together.
Try routine cards to stimulate conversations, and give your little one the joy of anticipation what you are doing that day.
8. Don’t Do It Alone
Even for the most independent among us, those first few weeks and months as a parent can be incredibly lonely. Classes are great way to meet other new mums and dads, share experiences, and start to build your support network.
There is probably no other time in your life when you’ll have so much in common with total strangers; so whether the people you meet at classes become friends for life, or just friends for this stage, you’ll never run short of things to talk about!
‘After meeting up with other friends who had babies, I realised how much it helps. Just talking to other people. Like when you’re feeding your baby at night time, just knowing that someone else is doing it at the same time.’
(ELOISE, Happity parent)
If you or someone you know is suffering from postnatal depression, loneliness, or other mental health issues after becoming a parent, we want to help. Our PND and Mental Wellness pages contain a number of useful resources, phone numbers, and articles.
As your baby turns into a toddler, they will begin to learn a whole new set of social skills. Following simple instructions at classes, such as “now we sit in our places” or “now we put away the toys” will help them to understand group dynamics.
From the age of about 12 months, your child will really start to enjoy other children’s company. They will start to play alongside other children in class, say hello and goodbye and make friends.
From ages two to three, they might start to take turns, begin to share their toys and respect one another’s physical space (well, some of the time!)
These skills will continue to develop at ages 3 and beyond as they play together more and more.
By attending classes you may also be introducing your child to new concepts like empathy. If another child is upset, your 18-month-old toddler might start to question why that is and a three-to-four year old might try to help make them feel better.
Have a read of our article about lovely things to try for every stage.
‘The tidy-up song at our music class has been a god-send with Ollie at home. He loves to help me tidy away the toys!’
(LISA, Team Happity)
Please note the names of Happity parents have been changed to protect their privacy.
Want To Get Out And About, Have Fun With Your Baby Or Toddler, And Meet Other Parents?
Search Happity to find everything that’s happening for the under-5’s in your local area – from music and singing classes, to messy play, arts and crafts, baby massage, gymnastics and more. Simply enter your postcode and child’s age to search, and then book your spot in a few taps. Enjoy dedicated fun time with your little one, watch their skills develop, and make friends at the same time. Mums, dads, grandparents and carers will all find something to love!
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