Parent, baby and toddler activities

Congratulations to all new mothers and fathers, whether it’s your first or your fifth child. If you’re on maternity or paternity leave, just arrived with young ones, or if you’re expecting your baby and want to plan ahead, there are plenty of playgroups and fun activities to help you bond with your baby, or develop those vital social and motor skills for your toddler.

We’ve put together a list of organised activities, or things you and your little one can do together as a one-off.

If we’ve missed an activity or group that you run or that you attend, please let us know and we’ll add it. 

Development and sensory activities

Little lions runs its tumblers (18-30 months), explorers (3-6 years) and chargers (6-9 years) obstacle course sessions to develop social and motor skills from 18 months old. On Saturday they have activities for 18 to 30 months and 3-4  years at the Saint George’s School in Hamm, and Sunday for ages 2-9 years on Avenue Pasteur in Limpertsberg. 

Kindyroo has sensory and motor skills classes for babies and toddlers at Cloche d’Or

Photo: Facebook KindyRoo

KindyROO organises sensory and motor skills classes from its base in Cloche d’Or. Sessions are by age and capabilities, with platypus from birth to crawling, wombat from crawling to 12 months, penguin from 2 to 18 months, all the way up to Emu (4-5 years). Classes are held three or more times a week, mornings, afternoons and at weekends, and you can check the current schedule here.

The Little Gym in Bertrange organises parent and child sessions for babies aged 4 months to toddlers up to 3 years. The classes use movement and music, plus equipment, to help nurture development skills and self-esteem.

N’Airgym in Mondercange has various activities to strengthen bonds of attachment, sense of balance and knowledge of body. The baby gym sessions are supervised by a sports educator and include a course developed with games, free and guided psychomotricity, and are open to little ones from 12 months to 3 years.

Be family at Esch-sur-Alzette, has a number of baby/parent sessions including Little Explorer which allows your 8 month to 3 year old to discover movement, make magic sand, learn songs, and even has trips to the forest. It’s also an opportunity for parents to talk and exchange ideas. It’s every Thursday at Cabinet Frank Gutenkauf, from 9.30 to 11.00. Run by Siri, a qualified social worker, and her daughters, she also runs family steps and wobbling courses, baby massage and family brunch. You can check the itinerary here. 

For a day trip, you can travel north to Park Sennësräich in Lullange where toddlers will enjoy all the games, experiments and different activities designed to make them aware of their five senses.

Activekids.lu in Helmsange have various sport and art activities for children aged 3 years and over on Tuesdays, Thursdays and weekends. In previous months they also ran development through movement classes for babies and toddlers, but this is currently not featured on their website.

A number of swimming pools organise mother and baby sessions and swimming lessons for toddlers. Poolparty.lu has lessons for babies, which take place at the Hotel Mercure swimming pool in Canach. You can find a list of leisure centres and indoor pools here.

Music and singing groups

Amusiking has half-hour music sessions for babies and toddlers run by an Italian pianist, Guisi Mazzella held at either the Altrimenti Cultural Centre in town or Kindyroo at Cloche d’Or. Sessions are interactive and teach babies rhythm, beat and exploring music and songs. Music for toddlers 101 (ages 1-4 years) is a drop-in class on select Saturday afternoons, in English at Kindyroo. Babies and crawlers (0-12months) in English is on Thursdays 9.30 at Kindyroo. Toddlers and walkers for ages 12-24 months is on Thursdays at 10.15 at Kindyroo. 

Dalcroze Eurythmics for 2-10 year olds take place at the Altimentri Centre and are coordinated by Le Nid des Talents asbl. Classes for 2-4 year olds are on Wednesday from 16.45, and Saturday at 9.00. 

Mi-ma-mach-musik runs lovely sessions for parents, grandparents, babies and children (15 months to 4 years) in Bertrange (Monday afternoons and Friday mornings), Bonnevoie (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons), Sandweiler (Tuesday mornings) and Bettembourg (Thursday mornings). These include finger and movement games, dance and old and new songs in German and Luxembourgish. 

Sing, move, listen and discover with Krabbelmusek for 6-24 months and learn to make sounds with tools, instruments and your voice, at Butzemusek for 2-3 years old. Classes take place in Echternach on Saturday morning and classes in Junglinster on Tuesday morning.  

Catherine Hengesch, a qualified educator, licensed music garden teacher and mother of three, runs Musekgaart designed to familiarise toddlers with a sense of music, through instruments and with play. You can register for lessons here. 

Il etait une fois asbl has a library with children’s books in numerous languages. You can check opening times on their Facebook page.

The Philharmonie often stages concerts and workshops specifically for younger children to introduce them to classical music under the Kids’ Phil brand, and Mierscher Kulturhaus has a programme which this year includes puppet theatre. 

Animals and farms

Feeding ducks or petting donkeys is a great experience for little ones. You can feed deer, goats, sheep, and see rabbits, racoons, ducks, geese and guinea pigs at the Escher Animal Park in Esch-sur-Alzette. About 16km from the border, you’ll find ducks, sheep and goats at the Animal Park in Aubange, Belgium. Both sites are free to visit.

Escher Animal Park is free and makes a nice trip for kids to feed animals including highland cattle.

Photo: LW Archives

You can visit the Kass Haff Farm in Rollingen and the Pedagogic Farm A-Schmatten in Schuttrange (groups organised twice a month at the latter for toddlers to feed farm animals and try out a mini-barrow).

For some big-time cuddles, LAM’s miniature donkeys in Redange welcomes parents and small children or babies to get to know these soft creatures at events run throughout the year. Likewise, you can make an appointment to walk with Alpaca Trekking in Hovelange to meet their friendly alpacas.

Playgroups

If you want to meet other mums and dads, then playgroups are ideal, often providing coffee with a biscuit and filled with new toys or baby gyms for your little one to try out. 

The British Ladies Club of Luxembourg organises a number of playgroups, under the banner name BLC Pipsqueaks. You can join them every Tuesday during term time from 10.00 to 12.00 at ZigZag (soft play centre) in Bertrange, with hot drinks for adults and snacks and a sing along for children, and every Thurday from 10.00 to 11.30 at their Toddle and Waddle session at St George’s School in Hamm, which includes a sing along session and snack. They also run playgroups at member’s homes in Mamer and Reckange on a Friday.  

You must be a member to enjoy the playgroups although you can try three events before committing to membership. Dads are welcome, as are all nationalities although the language spoken is English.

The Anglican Church of Luxembourg has a Christian-themed playgroup and get together from 9.30 to 11.00 on Wednesday mornings called Lions and Lambs. The group takes place during Luxembourgish school term time only, and welcomes people of all faiths or no faith. Babies or children aged up to 4 years can sing songs, listen to a story or take part in a craft, plus try some free play, whilst parents get a coffee. To register or find out more you should contact [email protected]

Bonzënnen Bonzuewen in Diekirch runs Bi Ba Butzen for parents and children aged 2-4 years which includes reading, listening to stories and making crafts, followed by free play. Sessions take place on Fridays from 15.30 to 16.30 and Saturdays from 9.00 to 10.00 and 10.30 t0 11.30. The cafe also runs a game group with Zeldine for parents and children aged 04 years with singing, playing and crafts on Thursday from 9.30 to 11.00. Registration is required for all sessions. 

Spillgrupp Cents has playgroups for 0-3 years at 167 rue de Treves, which meets in Luxembourgish (Tuesday 9-11.30), in English (Wednesday 9.15 to 12.00) and Finnish (Friday 9.30 to 12.00). 

The American Women’s Club Luxembourg also arranges playdates, storytelling sessions and singalongs, either at its clubhouse or at a mother’s home. 

Mawaka is a new cooking school for kids that has opened in Cessange. Parents and children aged 3-5 years can cook together in one-and-a-half hour sessions in the morning or early afternoon on Wednesdays. 

Parent and baby fitness and wellbeing

FitParents encourages parents to keep their health levels at an optimum and holds classes at Merl and Hesperange parks, with exercises designed to accommodate post-natal mothers, where parents push babies in a pram as part of the exercise routine. The instructors are trained specifically in exercises after birth. You can find a list of upcoming classes here.

Letz Get Fit runs Baby Bootcamps in Merl Park in addition to it’s other fitness training camps. 

Happy New Mama offers classes in yoga with your baby aged 3-12 months and family yoga for 2-5 years, where the exercise routine involves your baby. Claire Marie Pilates also comes highly recommended for its pre- and post-natal classes. Our article on Where to try Yoga, lists numerous studios and classes which hold mother/father and baby yoga, or family yoga. 

Liewensufank has classes for yoga after childbirth and baby massage, including baby massage classes exclusively for dads. It also runs a number of parent/baby/child courses. Serenity Cocoon Concept also offers baby massage and baby yoga classes or home tutorials. Its foundation workshop in baby massage is suitable for babies more than 8 weeks old.  

Little Dolphin Baby Spa, at Roodt-sur-Syre, has spa treatments for mums, and massage and floating sessions for babies. Mums-to-be can also have a massage and treatments using state-of-art, Korean products.

La Leche League has regular Francophone meet ups (in person meetings restart in April, until then meetings are online) at the Capellen Cultural Centre for pregnant women who plan to breastfeed, breastfeeding mothers, those who want to continue after they return to work, and help with questions on introducing solids, baby’s rhythm and baby carrying. They promise a warm and respectful atmosphere in which mothers can exchange experiences. They also hold groups for Portuguese and Japanese speakers. 

Useful websites for new parents

• Luxmamas Facebook group will give you the opportunity to talk to other new mothers, whilst the Luxembourg Daddy Group, does the same for fathers.
• A useful place for information, ideas, and to ask for advice is Luxembourg Family Matters. 
• Mom_lu on Instagram is mother-led and has great tips and ideas.
• For that all important night-off – babysitting.lu.
• Kannerschlass has courses and activities for parents and babies (German speaking).
• Working mothers can contact Kanner Krank Doheem if they cannot take time off to look after a sick infant. 

More information

For ideas and inspiration and more website links read our article What shall we do with the kids? For placese to eat, read our articles Space for a Stroller, and Child-friendly restaurants. If you are expecting, read our article Having your baby in Luxembourg.

If you are finding parenthood difficult, please read this article which includes links to services that can provide you with support in Luxembourg including the SOS distress hotline, prevention depression, Childline (for children and parents) and domestic violence anonymous.

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