How to host a baby play date at your house

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Baby play dates are so much fun. You can watch the babies play with each other (or just stare at each other depending on how old they are) and you can enjoy other adults’ company at the same time. Usually one family will host the play date or you can meet up at a community center for free play.

Why I love baby play dates is that you can catch up with the other moms who are also home with the babies. We can talk about different topics about the babies or even family life.

This post is the first of a mini series, please be sure to come back and see the other blog posts. Here are the posts:

How to host a baby play date at your house (this post)
How to setup stations for a baby play date at your house
Reasons why baby play dates are so important for parents

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Contents

Here is how to host a baby play date at your place:

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1. Contact other babies’ parents and set a time

If you are hosting a baby play date in your house, you can invite other families by Whats App, Facebook messaging, or even an email or phone call. I find that setting up a Whats App group or We Chat (depending on what is popular in your area) is the best.

When you have contacted each family who is interested to come to your place for a play date, add them to the Whats App group and decide on a time together. This way, everyone who will be coming to your place will know what time to come over and have your address without you typing it over and over again.

When the next family wants to host the same group again, they can just use the same group chat and communicate with everyone easily.

2. Think about food and prepare the ingredients

Depending on the time that you are having people over, you want to think about food. Whether it is snacks or lunch, prepare something that will prevent hungry parents or older kids. Always ask if anyone has any preferences or allergies as you don’t want to trigger any trips to the hospital or local doctor.

As for the babies, you can ask if the parents would like you to prepare something. More often than not, the parents will bring their own food for the babies or just feed them breast milk. It is always a good idea to have hot water just in case if they need it for formula or cereal.

3. Setup a play area or to go outside, if weather permits

When the babies and mommies or daddies come, you can prepare toys for them to be able to play with or plan go to a nearby water park nearby your place.

What I like about going to the playground or water park is that it is so much fun, especially when it is still summer now. The weather is warm and it is perfect to do something outside that can be fun for the whole family. They can choose whether they want to play or rest, and it will be at each baby’s own pace.

If the weather seems gloomy or that the temperature will be cold, have an indoor plan. Share your baby’s toys in a play area so that each baby can decide what captures their attention.

Related:

Toys My 9 month old baby love

I will talk more about setting up different stations if your space permits in the next post.

At the end of the day, as long as the babies have fun and the parents are happy, it is worth planning it all.

4. Clean your house

Clean your home a day before or the weekend before. If you are the type who always have a clean house, um good for you.

For me, it is clean when I can and before guests come mentality. Sorry mom.

Of all the places you want to focus on is that play area, eating area, and also the washroom if you have the additional time.

Wipe down surfaces, vacuum the floor, and pick up any dust and dirt you might see in these places. It is not only to present a good impression, but also it is healthier for the babies’ sake.

Not to lie, I feel more accomplished after cleaning and want to clean some more. M was definitely happy about that and suggested other areas I can clean if I feel so inspired. Thanks M. Haha.

5. Try to get baby to sleep before the play date

When you can get your baby to nap before the play date stars, they will have more energy and feel happier to interact with the other babies and the toys.

We all know that a cranky baby makes the experience for both the parent and child unpleasant.

If you are unable to get your baby to sleep before the play date, you can always try again later and see what works. Other parents understands your situation too as they have their own babies.

6. Welcome people into your home

Open the curtains to let the lights in or turn on the lights in the house. Offer people drinks (I mean water, anyone?) or snacks if you have prepared some. Show them where the washroom is, where they can change diapers, and if they need access to the kitchen, show them how to get there (if you have a big place).

When the parents and their babes feel at ease and welcome, everyone will have a more relaxed and fun times talking and playing with each other.

Can you imagine going to a space where it feels uncomfortable? I’m sure the babies can feel that too and will act accordingly.

7. Let the babies have lots of fun together while the parents chat with each other

I guess this isn’t something that you can decide, but have lots of toys available for the babies to play with. If you have multiple items such as different interactive books or stacking cups, take them out because two babies might have the same interest.

Also, encourage your baby to share his or her toys with others. Baby K saw that the other babies are playing with her toys and she wants to play with that one too. I mentioned to her that she can share her toys with others and at the same time, place a different toy in front of her to see if she prefers to play with that toy instead.

I learned that babies like to reach out to each other when they are face to face. One word that I learned from other moms is to say the word ‘gentle’ whenever Baby K reaches out for other baby. Sometimes she does not know her strength and I definitely don’t want her to hurt the other baby.

While the babies play with each other, it’s a great time to chat and catch up if it has a been since you have seen each other. It’s also a great time to meet the newer parents and make new friends.

8. Clean up and take a nap

Once everyone leaves, it might seem like a mess but it really makes me feel that everyone truly had fun. The toys are everywhere because the babies had fun exploring the different play stations. Isn’t that more important?

When the other moms and babies left, Baby K was already sleeping because she was so tired. I used that time to wash the dishes and tidy up the toys.

Yes, she slept for a good 2 hours. Thank God.

Don’t forget to clean your house when you have the time because it will make you feel better. Also, it helps you reset your home back to the somewhat original state. Start with the easiest thing to clean and then move up from there.

This is because you will feel more motivated once you finish the easier task and ready to jump onto the bigger tasks. I learned this concept from Do It on a Dime.

Once you are done, take a nap. You deserve it.

Thanks for reading. If you are interested in the other baby play date blog posts, be sure to come back the next two Wednesdays and check them out. I will update these links as I publish them.