Day Trip Ideas for You and Your Baby
Planning outings with your baby is a great way to engage with them and look forward to going to new places. Whether flying solo or taking friends or family with you, there are always plenty of options. If you live in a city, you are likely to have tonnes of free activities available to you, or if you live in more of a remote area, you might need to do a bit of planning in advance to make the most of your day out.
Parks
You probably already frequent your local park, but make sure you do if you haven't ventured there yet. As soon as your baby can support their head and sit upright, you can start having some fun gently pushing them on the swings. It's also an excellent opportunity to help them strengthen their legs by holding their arms and body weight while they navigate around the play area. If the weather is good, bring a blanket for a grassy area and let your baby explore the textures, sights, and sounds around them. If your baby is not yet sitting up, a blanket set up in the park is a great place to practice "tummy time", which helps strengthen their neck.
Local Classes
Having parents with children the same age is an essential part of parenting as it means you have someone who truly understands your life. Baby classes are a great way to make friends with other new parents. You can also get some great ideas about activities and general hints and tips from other parents.
If you're unsure if a class is for you, see if you can find one that works on a drop-in basis rather than paying for a block of classes. Alternatively, many places will offer a taster session class for free, so you can see if it is something that works for you and your baby.
Baby sensory classes can be so beneficial to your baby's brain development and help them learn the importance of social interaction in a way that makes them feel safe and comfortable. These classes are also a great building block for developing ideas such as sharing and becoming aware of other children's behaviours.
Theme Parks
Lots of theme parks now have specific areas for young children so that all of the family can have fun in one place.
Theme parks can be massive places that can be incredibly tiring, so make sure you have your stroller with a car seat to hand. Having a detachable car seat from your stroller means that you can easily detach your baby's seat with them, which can be helpful if you decide to use a busy cafe or restaurant but don't want to block walkways with your full stroller. You can collapse the stroller easily, and most theme parks will have storage spaces in their facilities for your equipment.
The sights, sounds, and smells of the theme park will be an exciting experience for your little ones, and there is bound to be some ride or show that they can experience.
Zoos/Animal Sancutaries
Children love looking at and learning about animals, and it's always a great experience. While your baby might still be too young to understand counting and colours, it's always good for you to get into the habit of seeing the world through a learning child's eyes and start talking about these things. Point to the animals and talk about their colours, how many legs they have and copy the noises they are making. While it might seem strange to do this with a tiny baby, they will love the engagement, and it will get you ready for the later stages of their development.
If you have a petting zoo that you can go to, this is also an excellent opportunity for your baby to have some stimulation from different textures. Make sure you have plenty of wipes and handwashing facilities close by!
Museums and Art Galleries
A stroll through the museum can be a perfectly relaxing atmosphere. When planning trips out with children, it is vital to think about what you will enjoy from it too. You can always wait until there is an exhibition you would love to see and maybe even wait until your baby's usual nap time to push them around while you appreciate the art. Many museums and art galleries will have separate spaces with activities for smaller children. Some museums are even explicitly aimed at children and are great places to frequent throughout all ages of your child's life.