Claire sent me a message asking me if I could do a post on things to do with babies in the rain: ” I’m finding it hard when the weather is bad to find things to do that are baby friendly and fun for me? ”
Great suggestion for a post, especially with the weather as it is! Hopefully this is helpful!
Check out this post first: http://www.northhantsmum.co.uk/activities/baby-classes/
Softplay
Softplay – Bouncing Tots and Active Tots have areas for small babies.
Swimming
Swimming – Basingstoke Sports centre has a small pool that is kept at 32 degrees and open between 12 and 1.30 on a week day and is an open session.
I would also check out the QMC pool as we swam in there last year and it was really warm! Also check out my recent review of Basingstoke Aquadrome.
Pots2Paint
Pots 2 Paint – Viables Craft Centre
A great way to get some special Christmas (or birthday) presents done. Handprints or footprints of your little one whilst they are tiny, will be treasured forever!
Baby Massage Classes
We did a baby massage class through our local children’s centre and I really enjoyed it. It was a great opportunity to bond with my daughter when she was tiny.
There are also several Mum’s in the area who run their own Baby Massage classes. I posted a list of them recently HERE.
Find some Mummy friends!
There are lots of Mum groups in the area who are on Facebook. It’s a great and easy way to keep in touch. If you are feeling a bit lonely, then post something up and you will be overwhelmed with the response. You can find some of these groups HERE.
North Hampshire Mum’s are VERY friendly and supportive :-D.
Grab a coffee and cake
There are LOADS of little cafe’s in the area which are very supportiive of new parents. My favourite for new parents is Elm Tree Garden centre (which I haven’t been to for ages!) which even supplies wet wipes in emergencies!
I also really love the Parlour Tea rooms, but it’s very popular now (for a good reason!) so you need to book in advance. It can get VERY busy.
I still haven’t been to the Tea Bar at the top of town either, which looks lovely too!
Go for a walk
Yes, I know it’s raining. Sometimes though, it’s just good to wrap up and get out of the house. Put the waterproof cover on the pushchair and just go out of the house and get wet. It’s not going to hurt either of you to get some fresh air, just make sure your baby is well covered.
We love Basing Wood and the Lime Pits (as I’ve raved about before!) but there is a great list of local walks suitable for pushchairs HERE. You can also see a reviews I’ve done recently on Alice Holt and Farleigh Mount.
Go (window) shopping
There are lots of local independent shops in the area. You can find a list of them HERE.
Also, you can’t go wrong in Festival Place. It’s mostly covered and sometimes it’s nice to just wonder around or people watch.
Debenhams cafe has a bottle warmer and microwave if you are weaning.
Places to Go
This is actually a tough one. Especially when it’s raining. These are some of the places that I went too when I had a small baby, that I found were supportive of Mum’s with tiny ones.
- Milestones Museum
- The Vyne – although watch out for the gerriatrics who can get upset over buggies being in the way :-D.
- RHS Wisley Gardens – yes, this is a bit of a trek, but they are very baby friendly and even have a discreet baby feeding area in their main restaurant.