Class/activity suggestions

DCKate

Well, it's finally cold here in Chicago. I actually turned on the heat for awhile this afternoon. BOO.

Because I have PTSD from last winter, I'm trying to think of activities or classes to sign up for to help us get out of the house when the weather is frigid.

DD rides with me once a week at the barn and I just signed up for a toddler gymnastics class.

We spent all summer at the barn, park or splash pad. It's so much easier to keep DD busy when it's nice out.

Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

jobiann

We turned our heat on too, I'm not looking forward to both a toddler and husband who are only happy when they can go outside. I work full time but Marlene takes J and the kiddos to Story Time (an hour) at the library twice a week and to Tiny Tot gym twice a week (for 2 hours).

I also hope to do winter swimming lessons with him on Saturday mornings. Our city offers lots of toddler programs but for 3 and up. So I too need to find more things to do.

Our local gym is offering a ton of new mommy and me type toddler activities but they are during the day when I work. Boo!

DCKate

MichieU79 said:

Any toddler music classes by you?

Also, have you thought about starting her in preschool? I keep going back and forth on a 2-1/2 day program once he starts 2. I am just not sure I am ready to let him go. My nephew started his at 2 &1/2 and he is loving it.

It's hard for me to think of her as a big kid ready for school, but we are enrolling her in the 1 morning a week 2 year preschool they offer here in our city. She is such a social butterfly, and it's just one am a week.

Mom2anAngel2

The only "class" we do right now is story hour/craft time at the library. I want to do swimming lessons, but really have no desire to go in the pool with DS right now, so I will probably wait until after DD is born. We also go to toddler time at our local Sky Zone regularly. It's not a "class," and there is no commitment to anything, but the same people show up on a regular basis. DS loves bouncing on the trampolines.

ohiodoxiemama08

We have some toddler yoga classes that I would love to try--unfortunately they all conflict with my class schedule. I think any kind of movement class would be fun--so toddler gymnastics or music and movement is what I would look into if I were you.

mylittleladies1229

Do you have any Gymboree's near you?  They offer play and music classes an d have open play where kids can use the equipment if you are a member.

this decaf life

It never gets cold here but DD is starting "school" in January. 830-1130 M-F.

DCKate

Thabks, team! We signed up for a music class and I have all the story time hours at our library in my calendar!

brachysira

We go to toddler time at the library, and there are a whole bunch of libraries in our area, so we could almost do that every day at a different location.  The gymnastics places here have open toddler gym a few times/week in addition to classes.  I have heard the YMCA has good classes.  The moms' group here goes to an indoor splash pad/baby pool at a YMCA once/week--$5 if you are not a member.  The moms' group (on meet-up) also does a mall walk once/week and a monthly bounce house visit.  We take a nature center class for toddlers, and there are 3 nature centers, so there are even more classes we could try.  The university has a garden that offers a monthly indoor storytime when it is cold and other kid events.  The science center has a weekly toddler science class.  We'll do swimming on Saturdays through our city rec department.  The school system here has a weekly playgroup we found via google.  We also belong to an indoor play place for toddlers and may join a kids' science center that has an enclosed toddler science play room that people really like.  The mall apparently has a free toddler play area (and so do some fast food restaurants of course) and some Barnes and Nobles have story time.  There is an urban art group that has some pricey toddler art classes, and the next county over also offers a drop-in toddler art time for $1/class.  We do music once/week and there are a lot of choices.  We will also buy warm gear and play outside even when it is cold.  We won't sign up for too much because she mostly just runs around at classes and I don't want to pay for expensive classes when she just runs around.  We will try to set up more playdates because she's really getting into other kids.