Oh, Baby! Things to do with tots under 2

When my first child was born, I had no idea how many activities the Yakima area has to offer for little guys. (OK, I didn’t know there were any.) We took walks in the park and made trips to the grocery store, but a whole new world opened up to us when I finally discovered my bouncing-off-the-walls 18-month-old could take a tumbling class.

Even with infants, “mommy and me” classes and clubs are a great way for new parents to find fresh ideas, make friends and provide some structure to your milk-and-diaper days.

Here’s a look at some of the local activities designed especially for parents and tots younger than 2. For even more, visit playdateyakima.com/resources.

— Sara Bristol

GET ON YOUR FEET | Starting at 18 months, kids can take tumbling and dance classes with the help of an adult. Ask about the Tiny Tots class at Gymnastics Plus (509-453-8126), Tiny Tuckers at Selah Gym Kids (509-698-5437) or the Mommy & Me Creative Movement class at Broadway Bound Dance Academy (509-698-3262).

GO TO A MOVIE | Especially for caregivers of babies and preschoolers, Cinema Circle offers kid-friendly matinees of first-run movies at 11 a.m. the second and fourth Thursday of each month during the school year. Presented by Yakima Theatres and Circle of Success, the special showings aren’t necessarily cartoons. Rather, they’re designed for the parents in an appropriate-for-kids atmosphere. Find details in the Playdate calendar or call Circle of Success, 509-965-7100, ext. 1019.

EXPLORE ART | Tots can paint, paste and make a mess that you won’t need to clean up at Itty Bitty Art, a drop-in workshop for kids 5 and younger that’s offered from 10 a.m. to noon Thursdays and Fridays at Yakima’s Red Art Studios (509-469-2766), which reopens April 5 at a new location in the Nob Hill Plaza Breezeway. Kids ages 2-6 can be signed up for Tiny Artist classes at Allied Arts of Yakima, 509-966-0930.

GET INTO THE GROOVE | The Yakima Family YMCA recently began hosting Munchkin Music rhythm and movement classes in English and Spanish for kids ages 18 months to 3 years. A new session begins April 28; call the YMCA at 509-972-5273 for details. For Kindermusik classes, call Laura Martin at 509-453-8835 or Patricia Oliver at 509-697-4467. Out On A Whim Children’s Bookstore and Imagination Station (509-576-3635) has been known to host similar classes as well.

MAKE A SPLASH | Yakima’s Lions Pool (509-575-6046) offers a Baby & Me Swim drop-in playtime for parents and tots, ages 6 months to 3 years, from 10-11 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. For babies 6 months and older, parent-tot swim lessons are offered year-round at Lions Pool and the Yakima Family YMCA (509-248-2012). In the summer, find similar classes at Yakima’s Franklin Pool and the J. Francis Pool in Selah.

LISTEN TO A STORY | The libraries in Selah and downtown Yakima each offer special “lap-sit” story times for babies. Check the calendar because these programs don’t run every week. And, children ages 0-5 can receive a free book in the mail each month through Circle of Success (509-965-7100, ext. 1019), which also hosts a monthly story time in English and Spanish.

START SCHOOL NOW | Two Yakima preschools offer educational programs for wee ones. Oakridge Montessori (509-966-1080) will educate — and even toilet train! — children ages 18 months and older. And Central Lutheran Preschool (509-307-6272), offers a co-op program for parents and 2-year-olds that meets Monday mornings.

MEET OTHER MOMS | Plan playdates, swap ideas and make friends with other parents and children when you join a parenting group. For moms with infants younger than 1 year, Memorial Hospital’s Mom & Baby group (509-575-8484) meets from 10 a.m. to noon Mondays. Breast-feeding moms can find support through La Leche League, 509-575-3715. Stay-at-home mothers connect through MOMS Club, 509-577-7007. Learn more about Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS), CoolMom and other local groups at playdateyakima.com/resources.