Get your babies out and about, socialising and most of all having lots of fun! Baby and Toddler classes in Adelaide can start as young as birth. Baby and toddler classes help your child with early learning and development, teaching them valuable skills from movement to language, motor skills, emotional regulation more. They’re also great for parent-child bonding and social skills and a great way for you to get out of the house and hang out with other parents. Below are some of the baby and toddler classes available in Adelaide and greater South Australia.
Play Naturally OT
Play Naturally OT offers intentionally designed nature-based wellness groups outside in the beautiful Belair National Park! With so many of us having busy lifestyles and more technology in the world it can be challenging to really connect with ourselves, our children and nature – but when we do, we support our HEALTH and WELLBEING and that of our precious planet!
The program is for 0-5 year olds and their families and is run by the lovely Prue, an experienced Occupational Therapist (OT). She uses developmentally appropriate SENSORY nature connection activities to support CALM, CARING, CONFIDENCE, COORDINATION and CONNECTION for all children and families. Being supported through play to spend time in nature with your family while increasing your child’s physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development as well as their environmental awareness, is invaluable!
- Programs are currently run termly on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in Belair National Park
- 8-week program (with free 9th week as make- up session)
- 90 minute sessions
- Gumnut Explorers (0-5 years)
- Gumnut Babies (0-18 months)
- Wild Sprouts (18mths – 3 years)
- Nature Explorers (3 – 5 years)
Bookings, future offers and more info at www.playnaturallyot.com.au
To see photos of the gorgeous children and families connecting with nature and to follow along, visit play naturally OT on Facebook or Instagram
Small groups, and limited places! You may be able to use your NDIS funding.
We can’t wait to see you in nature soon, do it for yourself, for your children, and for the planet!
Book Club Playgroup at St Raphaels, Parkside
In their bright and air conditioned library, St Raphael’s School in Parkside invite you to help develop your child’s love and understanding of learning each Wednesday morning from 9:15am to 10:30am.
Each week they will choose a different picture book to read to the group. Based on the chosen book children will take part in craft activities, creative play, singing, and ‘a discussing the book session’ with lots of time for free play. How delightful!
With up to 85% of a baby’s brain development occurring in the first three years, it’s important we interact and engage early on. Their Playgroup is open to everyone, from birth to school age. St Raphael’s School is committed to the WORDS GROW MINDS campaign.
Head along and join their new, free Book Club Playgroup at St Raphael’s School on Glen Osmond Rd. (Enter via Macklin St.)
Find out more here: https://www.raph.catholic.edu.au/community/book-club-playgroup
Baby Sensory and Toddler Sense
The award winning programmes has been running for 8 years in Adelaide and focuses on brain development through play and fun. Every session is jam-packed with fabulous activities and fun adventures to help your child develop vital physical, communication, social and intellectual skills that form the foundation of all future learning. Toddler classes include additional opportunities for your child to burn off all that energy! Classes run in Tusmore, Para Hills, Woodville and Morphett Vale in their dedicated WOW Sensory Centres as well as throughout Adelaide including Maslins Beach, Glenelg, Mt. Barker, Coromandel Valley, Magill, Modbury and Gawler.
They know just what keeps your babies and toddlers happy, busy, motivated, interested and excited to learn! Join their exciting world of magic and adventure in a safe and happy environment – there’s always something new and wonderful to look forward to! If you want to give your child the very best start before school, catch up on the latest news with other mums and dads, make new friends, create magical memories, and make learning the highlight of your child’s life, come along and see what they do!
Benefits of attending Baby Sensory and Toddler Sense
Every session includes activities that have developmental reasons behind them to develop vital physical, communication, social and intellectual skills that form the foundation of all future learning.
The aims of their classes are:
- to create bonding opportunities between caregiver and child
- to help caregivers make friends and new connections
- to provide developmental information that will help caregivers understand their child better
- to lay crucial brain foundations to enhance all future learning
- to promote a positive attitude to exercise
- to keep children mentally alert
- to develop imagination and creativity
- to promote social and emotional development
- to enhance language and communication skills
- to develop an understanding of the world in a fun and energetic way
For more information or to book in visit
www.toddlersense.com.au
Mini Max at AFL Max
Did you know AFL Max now offer a fundamental skill program for toddlers? Whether you have a shy 2-year-old or an energetic 4-year-old the coaches at AFL Max have mastered the skill of wrangling little ones. They are structured 45-minute sessions broken up into 2 sessions. Mini Max for kids aged 3-4 and Miniest Max for 2-3 year olds. Sessions are held most days of the week, please check their website for up to date timetable. You’re encouraged to get involved too so it’s a great place for your kids AND YOU to make new friends.
Crocodile Club at SA Museum
Chomp! Chomp! Chomp! The Crocodile Club has arrived on North Terrace, as the South Australian Museum launches a playful new early learning program for our littlest visitors and their families. A collaboration between the Museum, Raising Literacy Australia, and its publishing arm Little Book Press,this free program is inspired by ‘Shoo, You Crocodile!’, thepopular 2020 picture book by author Katrina Germein. Colourfully illustrated by Tom Jellett, ‘Shoo, You Crocodile!’ follows a group of young school students who encounter a giant crocodile in a museum bearing an uncanny resemblance to our own South Australian Museum.
Inspired by the five floors and rich variety of natural history, fascinating science,and world cultures on displayon North Terrace, the children have an uproarious time bravely shooing the croc through familiar halls and stairways, past theanimals of the South Australian Biodiversity Gallery,to the rainbow Minerals Gallery, and beyond.
Access to the Crocodile Club is free, and includes self-guided tour resources, and an eye-catching limited release bag tag destined to become a must-have accessory across the state’s kindergartens and day-care centres. Plus, a subscription to bi-monthly e-newsletters will keep parents and carers in the loop with new content, special offers, and Museum updates.
Hackham Community Centre Playgroup
Hackham Community Centre, run by leading social enterprise Junction runs a Playgroup for ages from birth to five, engage in play with other children as well as their parents and carers.
Jacqui Jones attends Hackham Community Centre’s playgroup with children Kaiden and Saida.
“Playgroup has helped my family to build friendships and learn about activities and groups within the community,” Jacqui said.
Hackham Community Centre runs free playgroup sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30am to 11am during school term.
North East Salvos Playgroups
Playgroups are one of the best ways to get out of the house, let your kids interact with other kids their own age, develop some great fine and gross motor skills and also for you to meet other parents going through the same phase of life as yourself!
North East Salvos runs two playgroups – one on Monday morning 9:30-11 at Paradise Primary school, which has stories, songs, free play and an all together group activity each week. This playgroup is suitable for ages birth to 5. The other is an intergenerational playgroup held at a local residential aged care facility, which books out quickly! They only have capacity for up to 12 participants as it is a pilot program, so be quick! This also goes from 9:30-11, has stories, songs, free play, and has group activities primarily targeted to help older and younger generations to connect. This playgroup is targeted at 3-5 year olds.
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