in

England

Your thoughts on my baby / toddler group idea

I’m thinking about starting a new kind of baby/toddler group locally and would genuinely love some feedback from other mums as to whether it is appealing or not.

The idea is a calm, smaller-group session designed more around parents as well as the children. I loved a lot of the baby/toddler classes I went to, but often found that between the singing, activities and constantly following little ones around, there wasn’t much opportunity to properly chat, meet other parents, or actually relax. And toddler sessions ran in church halls were just overwhelming as there would be up to 40 children there.

So, this would be something a little different, a slower, calmer space with thoughtfully set up play stations for babies and toddlers that are designed to be both calming and developmentally focused, without being overstimulating or chaotic. Think simple sensory play, exploratory play, problem-solving activities and open-ended toys that keep little ones engaged, while parents can actually enjoy a proper coffee and conversation.

Alongside the play element, I’d also be there to offer gentle baby/toddler sleep support (I’m OCN London qualified in infant sleep), helping with things like naps, bedtime struggles, routines, regressions etc. in a really relaxed, supportive and non-judgemental way.

The overall vibe would be calm, cosy, supportive and intentionally kept small so it never feels overwhelming.

One thing I’m trying to decide is whether parents would prefer:
1. sleep support naturally woven into the session itself (so you can ask questions casually throughout), OR
2. a completely calm play + coffee session first, followed by an optional sleep Q&A / drop-in workshop afterwards for anyone wanting more focused support.

I’d genuinely love to know:
• Would something like this appeal to you?
• Which option would you prefer?
• What would make a session like this feel really worth attending each week?
• Is there anything you’d love a group like this to include that you feel is missing elsewhere?