10 Activities to Do With Your Mothers Group in Newcastle

In the early years of motherhood, mothers groups can be a great support network. So get out of the house and organise to meet up with other mums. Here’s some activities you can enjoy with your mothers group in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter.

Go for a walk with your bub

With babies in a stroller, go for a walk with your mothers group. Once kids get older, go for shorter walks and combine it with a playground visit. You can choose from a flat walk or a walk with a few hills to get you sweating. Some of our recommendations are Eleebana to Speers Point, Lambton Park, Fernleigh Track or the hilly Bar Beach to Merewether stretch. For more inspiration read our article 14 Best Family Walks in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie & Hunter.

Visit the animals at Blackbutt Reserve

A great place to visit with your mothers group is Blackbutt Reserve (Carnley Avenue entrance) in New Lambton. There are plenty of tranquil picnic spots to relax and enjoy time with babies and young kids. If you feel like a wander, introduce your child to some of the resident animals such as the koalas, emus, kangaroos, wallabies and wombats. If kids are older, visit the Adventure Playground at Blackbutt (Richley Reserve entrance). There’s a play area for younger kids as well as plenty of spots to have a barbecue.

Board some transport

Coordinate the group to do a train ride, catch the Stockton ferry or the light rail. Alight the ferry on the Stockton side and you can either walk along the Stockton foreshore path or watch little ones play at the Stockton Active Hub. There’s a cafe right next door for a coffee stop. Alternatively, your group could do a loop on the Newcastle light rail. Low to the ground, the light rail is easy to roll prams and strollers on and off and you’ll end up at Newcastle Beach.

Join a playgroup

If you want a more structured environment, join a local playgroup with some of your mum friends. There’s loads to choose from. You might even find more like-minded mums to join your mothers group. Here’s a list of local playgroups in the Newcastle region.

Sign up for a children’s program at your local library

Introduce your child to the wonderful world of books with special programs for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. All of the local council libraries including Newcastle Region Library, Lake Macquarie City Library and Maitland City Library organise programs. Most have special baby packs for parents to borrow as well. Here is our list of programs available at local libraries.

Visit a new park or playground

There’s loads of parks and playgrounds in the area. Check out the Newy with Kids list of playgrounds for a description of different parks and playgrounds. If you want playgrounds specifically for younger kids, check out the Newy with Kids article Best Playgrounds for Toddlers in the Newcastle area. We have also created a list of playgrounds with nearby cafes, parks and playgrounds with shade and playgrounds with all-abilities equipment.

Get together at an indoor play centre

Indoor play centres are a great option during the week when it’s hot or rainy. Kids can play in age-appropriate areas while parents enjoy a catch-up. Check out our list of Indoor Play Centres in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie & Hunter.

Meet at a local cafe or restaurant where kids eat free

If you would rather skip the play centre you can meet up at a local cafe or restaurant. Here’s a list of local venues where kids eat free, organised by day of the week. And here’s a selection of family-friendly cafes and restaurants in Newcastle, Maitland and Lake Macquarie that offer playgrounds or a kids area. Most also offer high chairs, a kids menu and baby-changing facilities.

Go to the beach or a pool

In summer, meet down at the beach with your little ones. The Canoe Pool at Newcastle Beach, the shallow area at Merewether Beach and Grannies Pool at Blacksmiths Beach are ideal spots to take babies, toddlers and preschoolers. If you would prefer to go to a local pool, there are shallow toddler pools at Lambton Pool, Wallsend Pool, Charlestown Swim Centre, Speers Point Swim Centre, Swansea Swim Centre, Morisset Swim Centre and Maitland Pool.

Enrol your babies in a baby class

There are a lot of fun classes you can enrol your babies in. From creative arts and baby music classes to kinder gymnastics and mums and bubs yoga. Choose an activity that all the mothers in your group will enjoy and enrol for a term or longer. Here is our list of Baby & Toddler Classes in the area.

What other activities can you recommend for a mums group?