The Montclair area is a popular place for young families to settle, with new little ones regularly welcomed. It’s common to see strollers dotting the streets or taking over local parks. If you’re a new parent or expecting, you may be wondering what to do with the latest addition to your family beyond the walks and playgrounds – and we’ve got you covered. Read on for a list of local baby + me activities for parents of tots under one in Montclair and beyond.

Take a Fitness or Yoga Class

While getting back into movement can feel daunting, many programs in the area make it fun and easy to bring the littles along. FIT4MOM is a nationwide postnatal fitness program that has a chapter in Wayne. Classes meet at various indoor and outdoor locations, like Dave Waks Memorial Park and Willowbrook Mall, depending on the weather. One of its signature classes, Stroller Strides, is a 60-minute total-body workout with strength, cardio, and core training, all while engaging the little ones in a stroller.

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Move House (260 Bellevue Avenue, Montclair), the new workout studio in Upper Montclair, has a weekly postpartum class taught by the studio’s founder, Marissa Herman. The Wednesday class moves slower than other classes, great for new mamas looking to get back into fitness. Babies are welcome at the class until they are mobile, stationed on bouncers or blankets while mom gets her sweat on.

There are also several classes for yogis and mini yogis, such as Baby + Me Yoga at Montclair B.A.B.Y. (113 Walnut Street) on Tuesdays and Fridays. This class focuses on strengthening the spiritual, emotional, and physical bond between parent and child (four weeks to crawling). The class also includes infant massage and various exercises that assist in developing babies’ motor skills. The Mindfulnest Co. (9 Bloomfield Avenue, North Caldwell) runs a similar class for what they call Hatchlings on Fridays, as does Indigo Yoga (351 Bloomfield Avenue, Caldwell) on Wednesdays. Or head to Yoga Mechanics (107 Forest Street, Montclair) for its special prenatal and postpartum yoga series on Friday afternoons.

Make Music

Music is a great way to engage and bond with babies of all ages. At Baby In Tune, led by Vered Benhorin at Montclair B.A.B.Y. (113 Walnut Street), parents learn how to use music to establish a routine, soothe, and communicate with their baby. Classes incorporate elements of therapy for the parent through music and discussion. Vered leads classes for two age groups on Tuesday mornings.

Music Together is a global program with chapters in Montclair and West Essex. The Babies class, which meets at various times and locations, brings together a supportive parenting community and shares key information about baby development and musical milestones. Another program, Music with Michaela, was created by a local music teacher, performer, songwriter, and mama during the winter months of the pandemic. She now hosts weekly in-person musical sessions in Montclair (198 Bellevue Avenue) and West Caldwell (128 Smull Avenue).

Participate in Storytime

Local bookshops and libraries run story sessions for babies, which are often free events for the community. Watchung Booksellers (44 Fairfield Street, Montclair) holds these in its Kids’ Room every Monday, led by a bookseller, Montclair Speech Therapy, or a community volunteer. The Collective Bookstore (460 Bloomfield Avenue, Verona) recently started a story hour for little ones on Thursdays.

Most libraries in the area hold regular baby-friendly events, such as the Baby Storytime on Thursdays at Montclair Library’s Bellevue Avenue Branch (185 Bellevue Avenue). Here, guests sing songs, recite nursery rhymes, and read board books geared toward little ones. Verona Library (17 Gould Street, Verona) hosts various storytimes and singalongs appropriate for babies, such as its weekly Read, Romp + Rhyme event on Wednesday mornings, as does Bloomfield Library (90 Broad Street) and Cedar Grove Library (1 Municipal Plaza), among others.

 

Join a Support Group

The early days of parenting can feel isolating. Joining a support group (where babies are welcome!) can be a great way to get out of the house, build community, and start making playmates. Licensed psychotherapist Amy Edelstein leads first and second-time support groups at Montclair B.A.B.Y. (113 Walnut Street), where parents join together in a safe space to meet new parents, share stories, and discuss various topics related to the transition into parenthood. At Flor da Vida (21 Grove Avenue, 2nd floor, Verona), a women’s wellness center, moms gather bi-weekly for group support. Led by Christine Becerra, a mom of three and experienced doula, this group is about building connections and providing baby-friendly activities for the littles.

For those looking for more in-depth weekly resets, Milkwell (1285 Broad Street, 2nd Floor, Bloomfield), which is a Bloomfield-based lactation center, runs a mini-retreat series called NOURISH. These sessions allow moms to put down roots for three hours — starting with group introductions and reflections, shifting towards postpartum and infant care education, and ending with homemade nourishing vegan and gluten-free soup for lunch. There are breastfeeding and pumping support items, bounce balls, and extra arms to help with babies.

Engage in a Playspace

Gyms and spaces built for kids start to welcome babies around four to nine months of age, depending on the location. Kidville (516 Valley Road, Montclair) hosts a Rockin’ Railroad class that uses puppets and instruments, exploring a different musical genre each week through tempo, rhythm, word recognition, and sound identification. At Oh! Canary (237 Lorraine Avenue, Montclair), a children’s art studio, babies can join an art and sensory playgroup featuring an engaging selection of baby-friendly activities for open play.

Starting at four months, babies can join The Little Gym of Montclair’s (1 Greenwood Avenue) Bug class, which lays the groundwork for overall functional development and promotes early social and physical skills. At Livingston Gym (615 South Livingston Avenue, Suite 5), babies starting at nine months can join its Music + Movement class for a blend of song and dance using sound-making toys, sensory objects, and games.

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BYOB(aby) to the Arts

While most of the above outings are geared toward babies, there are also some adult activities around town where babies can come along for the ride. The Clairidge (486 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair) hosts a matinee once a month, where parents can see a newly released film in an environment friendly to caregivers of new babies. Crying babies and nursing mothers are welcome. To accommodate families, the theater dims the lights, moderates the volume, turns on closed captions, and allows guests to move around as needed. Wine + Design (1 Greenwood Avenue #101, Montclair) also has events where parents and caregivers are encouraged to bring babies to a painting class. Similarly, Bleu Blanc (127 Valley Road, Unit D, Montclair), a new pottery painting studio in the area, is available for private events where babies are welcome.