As someone who had two spring babies and two winter babies, I can tell you from experience that spring and summer are the best times to have babies. You can do so much right away without having to worry about the weather and cold and if they are wearing enough clothes!
It’s so easy when you have a newborn to stay home and sleep, eat, repeat. However, it’s so important for your mental health to get out and do things! Just because you have a baby doesn’t mean you have to be housebound. Here are 15 great ideas for things to do with a baby in Lake County so you and baby can experience life. It doesn’t have to be a big adventure; a walk around the block is excellent too!
15 Things to do with a Baby in Lake County
- Get Newborn Photos
Seriously, get them done as soon as you get home. You will cherish them forever, even with your sleep-deprived bags under your eyes. They are only those tiny little bundles for a short time, really they grow so fast! We have done newborn, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months pictures for each kid’s first year and I love seeing them grow. We can help you find a photographer too. - Take A Stroller tour with the Lake County Forest Preserve District.
Don’t miss out on new exhibits because you have a baby! Watch the LCFPD schedule as there are no current ones but they frequently offer stroller tours of new exhibits at the Dunn Museum or guided walks through the Forest Preserves. - Join a Support Group
New mothers need new mother friends and others to talk to. Check for schedules and classes at New Mother New Baby {Northbrook} or Condell Medical Center {Libertyville}. - Take a No-Pressure Music Class
Don’t worry about staying on a schedule or trying to fit in babies’ naps so they will be awake and not crabby for the class. Many local libraries host music classes that are just as engaging as any studio class and don’t require the commitment to being there every week. - Walk Somewhere Other Than the Mall
Explore the greenhouses at the Chicago Botanic Garden. They are just as dry as the mall and less likely to make you feel like you need to get into your pre-pregnancy jeans. - Baby and Me Fitness
Speaking of pregnancy jeans, get into them faster with a mommy and baby fitness class. No need to leave the little one at the nursery bring them with you for mother-baby yoga. - Breastfeeding is Best – when you have support!
Go to a LaLeche league meeting or take a breastfeeding class at New Mother New Baby, or Condell Medical Center. Hire a lactation consultant to come to your house. - Go on a Playdate
Playdates are really for the moms. Haven’t found a moms group that you fit into yet? No worries head to the Grayslake or Libertyville Library for their drop-in baby play - Baby Swim Lessons
Yes, babies can learn to swim! Sign up for swim lessons and enjoy some time splashing together - Keep Splashing Year Round
Once everyone is happy and used to playing in the water keep the skills up year-round at an indoor pool many have special mom and tot hours or let baby swim free. - In-Store Events
Multitasking at its finest! You may have noticed that once you become a mom the need to do multiple things at once becomes a lifesaving skill. Entertain your baby and run errands at an in-store event. Hang out with Miss Jamie and then get the groceries at Mariano’s or hit up Barnes & Noble for a storytime and pick up that birthday present to send to your niece. - Hit the Parks
Baby too small to sit in a bucket swing and you don’t want to look like the desperate mom trying to pick up mom friends? Head to a park that has a trail and you can walk while checking out the playground, you may even run into another mom doing the same thing! - Schedule a First Birthday Smash Session
Worth every penny and the second cleaning up of the cake. - Go to a Concert
For real! Take the baby to a CSO show at Ravinia, or dine and dance at Out to Lunch Libertyville. Make your own Ravinia at any of the outdoor concert series. Don’t sit in front of the speakers and you (and baby) can enjoy the show. They will probably sleep through it anyway! - Toes in the Sand
My second child spent her whole first summer napping on the beach. We dug a shallow hole, laid down a blanket, put up a sun umbrella, and viola! When she was awake she loved dipping her toes in the sand and waves.
Looking for more ideas? Head over to Rookie Moms and take the Rookie Moms Challenge. A series of 52 weekly challenges to get you and your baby out of the house and having fun!
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