Let's be honest, babies are boring. You can't take them surfing or skating. You can't take them to gymnastics or soccer classes. You can't even take them to the park to play if they are very young. Nevertheless, life with a baby does not have to be completely void of interesting activities. Here are some ideas of fun things to do with a baby as young as six weeks old on the Gold Coast.
1. Walk in the bushWalking with a baby snuggled to your chest in a carrier or sling is blissful, even more so when you are surrounded by the beauty, smells and sounds of the Australian bush. The Gold Coast boasts a variety of bushwalking trails suitable for people of all fitness levels, including mums with new babies.
Wollumbin National Park, formerly Mount Warning National Park.
These trails can be found in the city itself, for example at
Burleigh Heads National Park and at
Federation Walk Coastal Reserve in Main Beach. And further afield, for example at
Tamborine Mountain National Park,
Springbrook National Park and
Wollumbin National Park (formerly known as Mount Warning National Park).
2. Swim at the beach To cuddle, sway and relax with a baby in the water is delicious.
Palm Beach Parklands
It is said that swimming can play a role in a child's development, specifically in the promotion of bonding, confidence, self-awareness, language and brain development. Great places to swim with babies on the Gold Coast include:
Burleigh Beach,
Palm Beach Parklands and
Tallebudgera Creek. Start with short swims of less than ten minutes and slowly build up from there. Watch for cues that your baby is cold or has had enough, and make sun-protection a priority.
3. Rock out at Baby Rhyme TimeBaby Rhyme Time sessions are run weekly at various branches of the Gold Coast library.
Baby Rhyme Time at Burleigh Waters Branch Library
The objective is to promote language and social development, and to encourage a love of reading in children aged between zero and two years through the medium of song, rhyme and movement. Click
here for more information, including where to find a session near you.
4. Meet the residents of Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is a theme park with a difference, certainly the best theme park for babies on the Gold Coast. Treat yourself to a six or 12 month unlimited entry pass for around $2 to $3 a week and schedule a regular visit. Children under four visit for free. Babies seem to like riding on the train, getting up close to the kangaroos and watching the lorikeets feed.
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
The Lorikeet Feeding show usually takes place at 8am and 4pm, click
here for the current times. For a gold coin donation you get a plate of milky sugary goodness to present to the colourful and very noisy lorikeets that fly in for a feed. The feeding takes part in the foyer of the Sanctuary, so you can participate without paying the general entry fee.
