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Wiggleworms! Photo by Dan Kasberger for the Old Town School of Folk Music
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9/22/24 - By Maureen Wilkey
Merit School of Music
Merit's Early Childhood classes for babies, toddlers, and children ages 0-8 are designed to help little ones learn and grow through music. Kids have a blast learning essential musical building blocks while making friends in a diverse, welcoming community. Free trial class available! LEARN MORE

Chicago's baby and toddler classes give parents and little ones something enriching to do before preschool starts. Chicago parents can choose from dozens of mommy & me and parent & me classes for babies, from swimming lessons to yoga classes, dance classes, and outdoor activities. Many of these classes require parental involvement, but some have drop-off classes available as children get older. These classes provide great opportunities for the littlest of kids to learn lifelong skills.

Check our guide to the Best Classes for Kids in Chicago for more kids' activities and programs.

It's never too early for music classes. Photo courtesy of Merit School of Music
It's never too early for music classes. Photo courtesy of Merit School of Music

Top Baby Music Classes in Chicago

Merit School of Music

West Loop — All Ages
Merit’s offerings include group classes, private lessons, ensembles, and summer camps—with options for all ages, instruments, and experience levels. Kids can choose from a range of instruments including guitar, piano, voice, violin, trumpet, and percussion. READ MORE

Merry Music Makers

East Lakeview, West Lakeview, Andersonvillage, Edgewater, and Lincoln Square — Ages Newborn-4 years
With catchy tunes that teach music-making basics like rhythm, pitch, and dynamics, these baby-friendly music classes go beyond simple singalongs. Babies love the opportunity to play with instruments like drums, triangles, and maracas, and parents can't help but get into the groove, too. Classes are also offered in Spanish. READ MORE

Old Town School of Folk Music

Lincoln Square — All ages
Old Town School of Music offers music classes for literally all ages. Newborns and their parents can join the Lullabies class to sing, learn fingerplays, and lay foundations for future music classes. Older babies from 6-12 months can join their parents for a Wiggleworms class incorporating mirroring, fingerplays, and introductory gross motor skills. Kids can select from a wide catalog of classes to learn to sing or play piano, ukulele, drums, and more. READ MORE

Chicago Children's Theatre Classes

West Loop — Ages 12 months and up
Kids ages 1-14 can develop their theatrical skills with classes at Chicago Children's Theatre. Start with classes for 1-3-year-olds that teach basic storytelling, music, and movement and progress through classes for middle schoolers that explore advanced acting and multimedia. READ MORE

Tiny Tunes Studio

South Loop — Ages 0-5
This adorable, action-packed spot offers music and movement classes every day of the week, with singalongs aimed at various age groups from newborns to toddlers and beyond. Little ones get to explore playing with instruments while learning new tunes and building physical skills. Classes for babies include tummy time and sensory exploration. Bigger kids can enjoy dancing, games, and more! READ MORE

Mini Musicians of Brookfield and Chicago

Brookfield and Irving Park — Ages 4 months to 5 years
The Brookfield Academy for Mini Musicians introduces a satellite location in the Irving Park neighborhood of Chicago as Chicago Mini Musicians! Mini Musicians classes are packed full of fun, but the “secret” goal is education, not simply entertainment. From socialization to turn-taking to language development to motor skills, the Mini Musicians curriculum is full of playful and engaging songs and rhymes that lead to an explosion of musical and non-musical skills that extend far beyond the classroom.  READ MORE
Toddler yoga classes in Chicago. Photo courtesy of Buddha Belly Yoga
Toddler yoga classes in Chicago. Photo courtesy of Buddha Belly Yoga

Best Mommy and Me Yoga Classes in Chicago

Buddha Belly Yoga

Multiple Chicago locations — Ages 18 months and up
Kids of different ages enjoy learning different poses with (or without) their parents at classes hosted in various locations throughout Chicago. The focus is on relaxing fun with singing, yoga games, and stories. Some classes even take place at art studios or climbing gyms where kids can enjoy more than one activity. READ MORE

Sweet Pea's Studio Yoga Classes

Ravenswood/North Center — Ages 4 weeks through active crawler
Moms and babies can learn to restore health and balance in this yoga class that emphasizes asanas (poses), breathing, and relaxation techniques. Learn infant massage techniques, sing, play,  and connect with other moms in this supportive family environment. READ MORE

Prenatal Fit Mommy & Me Classes

West Lakeview — Ages 6 weeks to 12 months
Prenatal Fit also helps moms in the fourth trimester to get back into their fitness routines while making new mom friends. In addition to Prenatal Yoga and Mommy & Me Yoga, Prenatal Fit offers Mommy & Me Baby Bootcamp and classes for moms with babies in a Baby Bjorn. READ MORE
Photo courtesy of Tutu School Chicago
Photo courtesy of Tutu School Chicago

Top Baby Dance Classes

A Fairytale Ballet

Lakeview and Wicker Park — Ages 18 months and up
At these seriously adorable dance classes for toddlers and preschoolers, caregivers help little dancers take their first ballet steps with the use of fairytale props and costumes, familiar stories, nursery rhymes, and songs. The school has two locations, one in Lakeview and the other in Wicker Park. READ MORE

All About Dance

Old Town — Ages 18 months and up
Start with All About Dance's AAD and Me program, which introduces kids and their caretakers to movement and music with a playlist of reimagined classics. If your little dancer loves it, they can continue to study dance at the studio with ballet, hip hop, jazz, tap, and more. READ MORE

Aspirations Dance Company

Lombard — Ages 12 months and up
Babies can learn to dance before they can walk at these movement and music-based classes. Parents can help their babies learn dance skills through rhythm, lyrics, and colorful props while meeting new parent friends at Mommy & Me Tumble Class for little ones ages 12-17 months. Plus, kids as young as 18 months can start in independent dance classes. READ MORE

Tutu School Chicago

Roscoe Village — Ages 18 months-8 years
This dance studio's Tutu Toddlers class aims to expose children to creativity, movement, and music through ballet. Dancing can give toddlers a window into both fitness and creativity from a young age, continuing through more levels as children get older. READ MORE

Dance Images

Tinley Park — Ages 18 months and up
Parents who love to dance with their toddlers will love this dance studio's intro to dance class. Come Move With Me introduces students to fine motor coordination and gross motor skills with popular children's music to prepare them for preschool dance programs. READ MORE
Photo courtesy of Baby Blue: Big Blue Swim School
Photo courtesy of Baby Blue: Big Blue Swim School

Best Mommy & Me Swim Classes near Chicago

Baby Toddler Swim Lessons: Chicago Blue Dolphins

West Lakeview — Ages 6 months-4 years
Founded by a dad who wanted to share his love of swimming with his children, Chicago Blue Dolphins offers a unique endless pool experience where swimmers can see themselves in underwater and ceiling mirrors, and see 360-degree videos of their stroke after the lesson. Baby and toddler lessons focus on songs, games and toys to reduce pressure and anxiety. READ MORE

Backfloat Baby: Foss Swim School

6 Chicago Area Locations — Ages 6 months and up
In Norwegian, Foss means "fast water." So it feels like the Foss family was meant to found this swim school with six locations in Chicago and the Northern Suburbs. Backfloat Baby classes help infants adjust to being in the water, getting their face wet, and floating. READ MORE

Tadpole: British Swim School

Multiple Chicago Area Locations — Ages 3 months and up
British Swim School typically uses health club and hotel pools, but it has its own pool in Villa Park. Its Tadpoles program introduces assisted back floats and submersion while babies sing and splash in the water. READ MORE

Bright Blue: Big Blue Swim School

7 Chicago Area Locations — Ages 3 months and up
Big Blue Swim School emphasizes professional teachers who tailor lessons to each swimmer's needs. Kids ages 3-5 start with basic breath control and move up to mastering flutter kicks. Big Blue uses fun stories and games to introduce these basic swimming skills. READ MORE
Photo courtesy of Bubbles Academy
Photo courtesy of Bubbles Academy

Fun Early Education Baby Classes

Bubbles Academy

Lincoln Park, Bucktown, Gold Coast and Highland Park — Ages Newborn to 5 years
This early education center offers classes in everything from crawling to music, art, and math, as well as classes that encourage gross motor skills and speech development. Sign up for eight consecutive weeks of classes, or buy a pack of drop-in classes for open play or other fun activities throughout the semester. READ MORE

Morton Arboretum Little Acorns

Lisle — Ages 18-35 months
Toddlers with their caregivers explore the natural world at the Morton Arboretum in weekly classes that include a nature walk, crafts, and engaging, hands-on learning. Themed adventures have included weather, forest animals, and worms & bugs, and classes meet outdoors in rain, sunshine, or snow—so dress for the weather! READ MORE
Photo courtesy of Skip & Scoot
Photo courtesy of Skip & Scoot

Best Baby Fitness & Movement Classes

Edgewater Playhouse

Edgewater — Ages 2 and up
If climbing, tumbling, and generally getting to run a little wild with a gym full of cool, soft, toddler-appropriate mats, blocks, and toys sounds like your toddler's idea of heaven, the parent-child tumbling classes at Edgewater Playhouse are a great bet. Little ones get a mix of independent and structured playtime in each session, with adults participating in stretches and skill-building. READ MORE

The Little Gym of Chicago's A Perfect Start

Lakeview and Glenview — Ages 4 months-3 years
Parent-child classes at the Little Gym incorporate movement, music, and social skills, while teaching numbers, colors, and letters in a friendly, action-oriented format, where kids get to tumble, climb, and explore on mats and play structures. Kids ages 4 months to 3 years can participate with a grown-up. READ MORE

Skip & Scoot

Lincoln Park, Lakeview, and Bucktown — Ages 3 months-6 years
To keep kids moving and away from screens, Skip & Scoot offers both indoor and outdoor Little Fitness Adventures classes for toddlers and preschoolers. Obstacle courses, dancing, songs, and games help keep kids fit and moving no matter the season—a must for Chicagoans during the cold winter months. READ MORE

My Gym

7 Chicago area locations — Ages 3 months-6 years
Babies can move from aggressive crawling to running, while also learning skills like stacking blocks, kicking a ball, and riding a tricycle at these fitness-focused caregiver-and-child classes. Kids move at 18 months from the Waddlers program to the Gymsters class (from 18-30 months) and finally attend the Terrific Tots program, where grown-up involvement is reduced. READ MORE

Elite Sports Complex You and Me Class

Downers Grove — Ages 12 months-36 months
Toddlers and parents can experience the thrill of movement with parachutes, gymnastics apparatus, and more. This program emphasizes basic motor patterns as parents and kids work through each station as partners. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Merit School of Music – West Loop
Brookfield Academy for Mini Musicians
A Fairy Tale Ballet Wicker Park
Aspirations Dance Company
British Swim School Oakbrook Terrace/Villa Park
Big Blue Swim School Chicago
The Little Gym of Chicago