What Activities and Playgroups To Do With A Baby or Toddler In Bangkok: Newborn to First Birthday

How do I keep my child entertained? 

The million baht question! I may not have the right answer, but hopefully you find the information below useful and insightful,

0 – 4 Months

Like any new mom, I had no idea how to interact or entertain my newborn. I wasn’t comfortable taking him outside anywhere until he was about 2-3 months old so we were under house arrest and sleeping a lot anyways so I didn’t feel much pressure to do stuff with him. He was just so tiny!

Once Kiaan was about 1 month, I put out his newborn play gym for him to lie down and play on. Available from various brands in a variety of styles and sizes, it’s essentially a very soft fabric activity mat with play gym arches on which some combination of rattles, music and lights are attached to attract baby’s attention and encourage movement. I lay down an extra soft blanket as added padding to make it more comfy. Kiaan played on the play gym mat by swinging his arms and kicking his legs multiple times a day and I saw his understanding, focus and coordination gradually developing.

4 – 6 Months

I don’t remember exactly when but I think it was around 4-5 months that I started reading to Kiaan before bed every night for 30 minutes or so. He didn’t understand or react much but he liked looking at the pictures and listened intently as I read. It was a really nice way to bond and introduce reading to him and now story time is a very important part of his bedtime routine.

When I felt Kiaan was stronger and I was more confident about taking him out but his nap schedule was still all over the place, we went to stroller-friendly restaurants near home during the daytime to keep things easy. Here are some of my favourites:

• Roast (Thonglor)
• D’ark at Emquartier

He also started going for walks sitting in his stroller around our condo’s garden and poolside twice a day in the late morning and early evening. He really enjoyed seeing new people and other kids play.

 

6 – 8 Months

Once Kiaan was able to sit up by himself and showed interest in exploring new things, I felt he was ready for more activity and exposure to new places and faces.

I found the Parents & Baby Hangout playgroup at Little Pea at The Commons in Thonglor Soi 17. It’s a playgroup that happens once a week on Fridays from 10-11.30AM for parents with babies below the age of 1. For a first time mom like myself who’s never seen the inside of a baby playgroup, let alone knowing what to do, it was the perfect “first step” into this new world. The playgroup is really easy going; it’s set in a large open space with a playmat and lots of toys and activities. The babies are free to play and explore while parents have a chance to meet and make some friends. The staff is super friendly and will play music, sing with the kids and do fun sensory activities such as playing with ice, spaghetti noodles or even finger painting. Overall, I thought it was the perfect place to start socialising Kiaan and to get a better understanding of the kinds of activities I can do at home with him. Note: nannies / helpers are also welcome.

8 Months – 1 Year Old

Kiaan started crawling at about 8 months and that’s when I felt like he could do with more guided physical activity for his development. Many of my friends recommended Little Gym at Emporium Towers (there is another branch of Little Gym at Thonglor too) and Gymboree in Sukhumvit Soi 49. I went for trial classes at both places (just call in advance and say you’re interested in a trial for your child) and Kiaan seemed to enjoy Little Gym more so I signed him up there.

We are still weekly regulars at Little Gym and I believe it does wonders for Kiaan’s physical and social development; he observes the other kids doing new things and gets the confidence to try himself. The gym is very spacious and it’s got a well-padded floor to protect babies if they topple and they often do! The staff is very active, fun-loving and supportive, they encourage me to try all sorts of activities with Kiaan such as somersaults, hanging off monkey bars (with support) and balance-beam walking. Each session is 45 minutes and begins with a song and circle time, then a skill of the week such as rolling, crawling etc, followed by free play (climbing, crawling through tunnels, playing with balls, running around, etc), tidy up time and bubbles at the end. Note: nannies / helpers are also welcome. 

1 Year +

Now that Kiaan is older, more independent and able to understand words, simple questions and concepts, I added a classroom-like playgroup once a week to his routine. I was looking for something close to home when I came across the playgroup at Kids’ Academy International School located in Sukhumvit Soi 63 Ekkamai Soi 2. It runs daily from Monday to Saturday from 9.30 – 11.30AM where the first half hour is free play and it officially begins at 10.00AM. Note: nannies / helpers are also welcome. Be sure to book spot in advance. 

Each sessions is packed with activities and fun. It starts with circle time and songs, followed by activities, snack time, arts and crafts, a puppet show, baby yoga, and finally story time.

We’ve been pretty regular about attending once a week since Kiaan turned 14 months and it did take him a few weeks to get accustomed to the more structured nature of the playgroup but he got the hang of it and now enjoys the activities and interacting with the other kids. He’s also more independent and actually gets excited whenever we enter the school. The teacher and other staff members are lovely and the school in general has a warm welcoming vibe.

Reading, play dates, walks in his stroller and playing in the condo garden every evening are all an important part of Kiaan’s daily routine. He’s still too young and small to go on swings or slides and do other activities by himself but he loves simply walking and running around kicking his ball. I also encourage him to walk and run around our apartment a lot. It’s enough activity for his tiny body right now.

For prices, schedules and other information, please contact the establishment directly as these are subject to change. Please also remember my suggestions above are intended to be helpful, they are by no means hard and fast rules. Be sure to carefully evaluate what works for you and your child.