Go read the Disclaimer again. I am not a doctor. This is not medical advice. Seriously.
I'd lived in the greater Seattle area (Shoreline, WA and then Seattle) my entire life. But I had a very limited idea of what was around to amuse a very small child, or even adults with a very small child with them. When I was reading books about other women making the transition to motherhood, I was completely mystified by references to the Stroller Brigade visiting the Zoo or Science Museum or Museum of Natural History (depending on the city). Why would anyone take a baby or toddler to these places? They are for older kids. Well, they were for older kids. But the recent crop of parents has not wanted to stay home, so places like the Zoo are adapting.
We all have a sense of what a playground is: swingsets, slides, climbing equipment, see-saw. Over the years, various regulatory bodies have modified the details of these playgrounds to make them safer and more accessible. There have been additional changes as well.
They moved indoors, because stuff indoors can be used year round and doesn't need to withstand the weather. They are aimed at younger children, and have structures or spaces designed for very tight age ranges (several slides, structures, swings of different sizes and configurations for different skill levels). Most of them cost money to access (altho fast food restaurants often have play spaces that require extremely minimal purchases to use, and year-round passes to some of the most expensive ones work out to very low per-use cost). And they are "themed". A play space at a zoo will include animals or their habitats. A play space at a children's museum will likely have specific sections focussed on specific developmental tasks as well as have other pedagogical goals (teaching about the environment, industry, economy).
One can certainly object to some or all of these attributes. But they are an effective way to entertain the kiddies without parking them in front of a video, even when it's below zero outside. Because most designer playgrounds have sections for multiple ages, it is usually possible to amuse all of the pre-K kids in your group within eyesight/earshot. It can be much more difficult to include school age children, but a second adult can enable a group to split at the zoo or a children's museum and amuse the older children in the main exhibit space. Or, if the littler ones conk out in the stroller, the older kids can stroll through the main exhibits while the little ones rest. Older, reliable children might be allowed to explore on their own within the institution.
If designer playgrounds are the tot answer to a daily-Disney-like experience, then wading pools, water features and public swimming pools serve a similar purpose to big water parks. Wading pools have enough problems with disease vectors that not all cities support them any more, and the ones which do are worth checking out carefully before letting your little one in to play. I thought Seattle's were pretty good. They empty them daily, test them about hourly and shock them as needed. Conveniently, they have a phone number you can call to find out which wading pools will be open for what hours each day.
Swim lessons for babies just a few months old (with a parent or other caregiver) can be reasonably fun and an opportunity to spend a half hour or so with other parents and their children. You may be able to drag another adult (parent or friend) along with you for no extra charge if you call ahead for the lesson you'd like to do that. Some health clubs which offer tot lessons allow non-members to participate for a little extra. Public pools often offer them as well, and are cheaper if available.
Libraries believe in getting them young. They'd rather you didn't let your tot chew on the books, but they do want you to come to the library and bring them with you for the appropriate story hour, sometimes called a "lap sit", because the kid sits on your lap while a library employee (possibly, but not guaranteed to be, a librarian) reads a story, leads a song or otherwise attempts to entertain the wee ones. Some libraries sponsor other activities as well, like Music Together or something like it, puppet shows, and similar.
In addition to Music Together, there are a number of organizations that want you to come with your baby and "learn" something. Some are focussed on motor skills, like Gymboree. Others are more wide-ranging in what they offer.
In Seattle, community centers have drop in play areas which are usually just big rooms with a bunch of toys, which may or may not include small plastic climbing structures. They charge a very minimal ($2 or so) fee for the day, and sell a card that discounts each visit slightly, much like their swim cards. They also offer a range of other activities, depending on what other facilities the center has available.
Numerous organizations exist to help parents connect with each other so their kids can hang out (and the parents can hang out). I did not use any of them, but Mommy and Me, Playgroups USA (which at least has a less offensive name) and others (including numerous parenting websites and craigslist) would all love to help you find other parents and their children. I generally went to playgrounds and wading pools and chatted with people there. I might have been happier meeting the same people more than once, but given the tricky politics of playgroups, I'm unconvinced. In Seattle, The Program for Early Parent Support is pushed by, well, everyone, not so much as a play group as a way to make connections between parents of very young children. Similar programs may or may not be available in other areas.
We did not belong to one in Seattle, but friends in the Bay Area say several hours of child care are included in their monthly dues at the health club. Certainly the health clubs in our region have nurseries (with attentive adults, other children and toys that don't belong to my son and are therefore inherently more interesting), pools and tot swim lessons. The clubs also offers a range of other activities which I don't currently take advantage of.
Make Your Own PlaySpace Indoors
Finding Fun Kid Stuff in a Small Town
Copyright 2007 by Rebecca Allen.
Created February 20, 2007 Updated February 20, 2007