You’ve seen me mention many times on this blog and on Twitter about the playgroups we attend. We try to take advantage of the many fantastic community resources offered in North Vancouver and Vancouver. Many of these playgroups are free, or very low cost, and they are a great chance for moms to socialize while providing the tots a safe and fun environment to explore.

Here are some of the community groups we’re a part of:

• Lower Lonsdale Drop-In – at John Braithwaite Community Centre (JBCC). Starts at 9:30 on Monday and you need to be there really early before it fills up. Includes playtime / crafts, snack & circle time. Free; Age 0-6 years.
• Cruisers Drop-In - at Commercial & 1st Ave in Vancouver. 1-3pm, with a talk starting at 1:30 on Monday. Has toys out and targets babies 6mo – 14mo. Free.
• Parent / Infant Drop-In / Breastfeeding Support - these are offered 3 days per week in North Vancouver at various locations from 1-3pm. They target babies under 12 months, though focus on new parent support. They have an hour-long social time where you can weigh your baby plus a talk. We go to 2 of these each week – great socializing. Free.
• Playgroup in the Park – during the summer, these are hosted by various parent associations at parks across North Vancouver. They bring toys, have coffee & snacks. We go to this on Tuesday mornings – locations can vary.
• Baby storytime – libraries hold these in North Vancouver. We go to the Thursday one, though we may alternate also adding in the Monday one depending on nap times / the JBCC drop-in. Free. Most libraries offer a 0-24mo day plus a toddler day.
• Lynnmour Family drop-in – indoor drop-in group starting at 9am. Unsure if this is year-round or summer only. We are only just going to begin this one. $1 / family + bring a fruit.
• Learning together through play – these are hosted at the 2 I Hope Family Centres in North Vancouver. They have lots and lots of toys, snacks & circle time. Free, age 0-6 years. Not available during the summer.

From other parents, I know there are some paid drop-ins that are held in school gyms as well as at centres such as Go Bananas (12+ months). Do you have any info on those I can add to this list?

We aren’t always able to attend all of these activities, and we often end up arriving late or leaving early, all depending on our nap schedule for the day.

If you are in North Van, there is a brochure (PDF) that lists many of these groups as well as others (we’ve never, for example, had the schedule open for a Mother Goose program).