Things to do with your baby in New Braunfels, TX (Literal, actual babies! They don’t have to be toddlers!)

UPDATED JUNE 14, 2024

My mom loves to tell the story about the time that I was 6 months old and she took me out for a little mother-daughter Christmas outing at the mall. She sat and ate her lunch and I babbled away at her and, being someone who LOVES one-on-one connection and conversation, she adored it and hasn’t stopped talking about it since. Even though I was literally babbling at her (what I metaphorically feel like I do now and then as an adult) we clearly both enjoyed the chance to get out and do something fun together.

Now how about you? Are you looking for ways to find a little entertainment for both you and your baby? Maybe you’re pregnant and want to have the ideas ready? I know that in spite of all the crazy you’ve got going on keeping your tiny person alive and healthy, sometimes it can still get boring and lonely. You don’t want to stay at home all the time, but what can you actually DO with a baby in this town! Well, let me share some of my favorite options to get you going! These are all things I have done myself in one way or another, so they’re legit ideas, used by at least one real mom.

I know sometimes we’re up for something unique and special and sometimes we just need to get out of the house without spending a bunch of money. So I’ll give you ideas in both categories.

…

Free things to do with your baby in New Braunfels, TX:

1. The LIBRARY

This one gets all caps and is at the top of the list cause it’s my favorite! Did you know that the New Braunfels Public Library has storytime even for babies? Like, not just toddlers who you call your baby (though they have that too) but real, literal babies, even newborns! As of this writing, they are held on Monday mornings (but be sure to check their calendar, of course). If you live in San Marcos, Schertz, Seguin, San Antonio, or heck, any other town, you probably have a baby storytime too! Go look it up!

2. Landa Park

If you’ve lived in New Braunfels for more than 10 minutes, you probably know about Landa Park. If you haven’t gone with kids before you may not have explored the playground, but they’ve got fun options for even the littlest ones. They even have cute swings where baby sits in the baby part and then there is an adult seat connected it so you can swing together! There are also convenient walking trails in this beautiful park to take a nice stroller walk.

3. Other parks!

We’ve got Fischer Park and Morningside Park that are both worth a visit. If you want to go a little further out, you might try Park West or Starke Park in Seguin. And of course there is the fabulous Children’s Park in San Marcos! If the weather is warm, the splash pads at Fischer Park and Park West are fun even with very little ones if you sit with them at a tiny fountain or carry them through the spray together.

4. Full Circle Community in San Marcos

Yes, I know it’s not technically in New Braunfels, but Full Circle Community is such a lovely resource I can’t leave it off the list and it’s really not that far. They have meet ups at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church (but these activities are not churchy). They have clothing swaps, mommy and baby yoga, free diaper events, mommy and baby hangouts, and even days where mom can sit and get some work done while someone watches your baby!

5. Hiking

Do you love to hike? I’m not recommending anything strenuous, just a pretty trail that’s better for babywearing than stroller rides. I love Panther Canyon, which has an entrance in the back of Landa Park. I also really enjoy Dry Comal Creek near the baseball fields. Both trails have occasional benches in case you need to sit and feed baby while you’re there. They both are really beautiful and peaceful.

6. Petsmart

Okay, hear me out on this one. I know it’s a store (it’s in Creekside), but you don’t have to buy anything. And it’s full of animals! I would bring my littles there just to spend time looking at the fish, birds, hampsters, and occasional cat. And they’re all behind glass so you don’t have to worry about little grabby fingers. I also can’t help but put in a plug for a pretty awesome petshop called Polly’s Pets in Universal City.

7. Get in some water!

We live in New Braunfels with all these fun water activities, but maybe not all of them feel baby-friendly and not all of them are free. But for some free fun that you can do with your baby, you can try the wading pool at Landa Park (right across from Panther Canyon, but it does tend to feel cold!) or the river at Cypress Bend (right by the library). Sit in the shallow water with your little and let them splash around! (Also see the splash pads I mentioned in the park section above.)

8. La Leche League and Made for Motherhood support groups

LLL is specifically for breastfeeding mothers and is a great place both learn and connect with other moms. LLL in New Braunfels has some meetings in person and some over zoom. Made for Motherhood is currently all online, so it’s not really a get-out-of-the-house thing, but it is a good opportunity for connecting with other moms through real conversation! (They don’t have a website, but if you join my FB group, you can see when an event is shared there.)

…

Things to do with your baby in New Braunfels that do cost something:

1. FIT4MOM

FIT4MOM is a really fun social workout group that is designed for you to bring your baby with you! And we’ve got a really nice group here in New Braunfels.

2. Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo

Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo is a delightful yet small zoo right here in NB. It’s not going to take you all day to go through it and it’s not super crowded. You and your little can enjoy it at a leisurely pace, get a good look at the animals, and there’s even a petting area! (And babies are freeeee!)

3. Organized mom groups

You can always arrange a time to get together with friends, of course, but if you want a scheduled, regular meeting with other moms in the same stage of life (some with childcare while you’re there!) there are some groups that have a small fee to participate for covering the costs of the events. M.O.M.S. on a Hill is one that is Christian-based and meets at Christ Our King Church in New Braunfels. There is also Kinder Moms of New Braunfels. If you’re willing to go just a little further out, you can find another Christian-based group in Garden Ridge called MomCo.

4. McKenna Children’s Museum

McKenna Children’s Museum is a fantastic place to go with kids where they can use imagination and creativity and explore all over! They even have a contained area designed for the littlest visitors. (Babies under 1 are free!)

5. Gymnastics

There are 2 places in New Braunfels have gym play time for babies as little as crawlers. Both J&R Gymnastics and AAGI Gymnastics offer this. It’s a fun time for you and your baby to play together, do a little socializing, and let your tiny mover explore what their body can do in a safe, soft place!

6. Coffee shops!

Just like my mom did with me {cough cough} years ago, go out for a little treat at one of the delightful local cafes and bakeries we have around town! If your baby can sit, then get them a highchair so they can babble at you. If not, maybe they’ll enjoy a little milk snack of their own in your lap while you enjoy your snack. Then take stroll around downtown and see what there is to see! Some of my favorite spots (all right near the downtown roundabout) are Le Citron, 2 Tarts, New Braunfels Coffee, and Naeglins!

…

I hope these ideas are helpful for you! Be sure to save this page so you can find it easily when you need it!

If you want more lists of good places to know about in the area (particularly for pregnancy and birth!), head on over to my Local Resources page.