Happy Monday and happy June! Our desperate trade from last issue — cold rain for sheep — seemed to have resulted in endless warmth and sun these past 2 weeks. Parents can do anything, eh? 😎
💌 Introducing Postpartum Post
For the past year and a half, APP has been running group events and programs — from the €2 Sale with 120+ families, to museum tours, to intimate program cohorts working through parental burnout and newborn life together. There's a lot of opportunity for new parents to meet in groups in Amsterdam. Online and offline, postpartum support has become synonymous with the giant group chat, the (expensive 😅) prep course, or the family event.
But no one is helping expecting and new parents find 1:1 connection here in Amsterdam. For when you're too tired to be "on" for the 10 strangers you’re meeting for lunch. When you don’t know which other toddler dads in the dad chat have the same papadag as you. When you want to talk about the emotional transition to daycare, but not in front of the parents who seem to have it all figured out. Or honestly — when you just want to chill with someone who gets it without everything being so serious 🫠
The people in your village are the people you can trust to show up for you, unequivocally. And real trust is slower and harder to build in a group chat.
Our answer is Postpartum Post: a casual, joyful monthly introduction for parents in Amsterdam. Every month, you get one curated match as a little letter in your inbox. Just you, one other parent, an adorable piece of art, and an open invitation with places to go to meet for coffee or a playdate. We're calling it a "friendship starter pack" for families with babies and toddlers 0-4 years old 🤗 To celebrate, we're offering 20 founding spots at €5/month (forever!) before general signups open in July. First matches go out in July.
P.S. I am super passionate and excited about this, and excited to build this alongside y’all 🥹 If you have any feedback or questions about the Post — or have ideas for future perks for our subscribers — please do reach out ❤️
This month toddlers can run free — er, join the family tour — of the Stedelijk 😎
🗓️ What’s happening around town
Looking for something fun to do with your little one? Here's a selection of upcoming activities and events for babies, toddlers, and their parents. Want more? See all events on our Community Calendar.
APP & Friends
Tue 2 Jun @ 10:30-11:30 (Weekly) — Online
Therapist (and MamaSocial organizer!) Rachael Forster offers a supportive, judgement-free space for parents who find it difficult to attend in-person gatherings. Through weekly video calls and a private WhatsApp group, parents can reduce feelings of isolation and connect with others in similar situations.
Sun 7 Jun @ 10:00-11:30 — De Baarsjes
Are you having a baby this upcoming Autumn/Winter in Amsterdam? Come meet other expecting local parents to swap excitement, fear, tips — all the emotions and to dos that come with welcoming a newborn. Moms, dads, partners, other kids all welcome!
Wed 10 Jun @ 11:00-12:00 — De Baarsjes
The Exchange is an intimate networking circle for professionals passionate about postpartum support in Amsterdam. This month's theme is tech & AI — I'll be sharing about the tech behind APP that has saved me at least 5 hours per week. First person to arrive gets a coffee on me ❤️
Tue 16 Jun @ 10:00-11:00 — Museumplein
We finally scheduled it due to popular demand — join expert guide Paola Bucciol and APP for a tour of the Stedelijk Museum with your toddler! We'll learn all about the colorful modern art of the Stedelijk with some special toddler activities sprinkled in. You can step out at any time to feed, change, or care for your toddler and rejoin later. We'll follow up the tour with a hangout at the cafe to meet other parents.
West
Fri 5 Jun @ 17:00-20:00 — De Baarsjes
Join Papote and Growing Happy Bellies for a neighborhood family dinner featuring good wine, nutritious food for all ages (babies starting solids included!), and play for kids. Nice weather, long nights, entertainment for the kids, and community — what else could you want on an almost-Summer evening?
6-27 Jun — Overtoomse Veld & online
Community expert Krish is hosting a 4-week hybrid hypnobirthing and antenatal course this June! It teaches evidence-based breathing, relaxation, and birth preparation methods alongside yoga to help expectant parents feel calm, confident, and in control during labor: whether you’re planning a home birth, hospital birth, or cesarean birth. You can join in person at Tante Toorop or online.
East
Wed 3 Jun @ 11:00-12:00 (Monthly) — Zeeburg
Join De Buurtkringloop for a monthly story time where neighborhood volunteers read engaging tales. This is a free, drop-in event that includes coffee, tea, and treats for the kids!
Sun 7 Jun @ 11:00-12:00 — Plantage
Kamermuziek in de Koningszaal (KaMuKoZa), part of ARTIS, invites families to their traditional season-ending Grand Animal Carnival, featuring Saint-Saëns' 'Carnival of the Animals'. The event also includes enchanting new music by composer Henry Kelder, bringing to life animals not in the original score.
South
Mon 1 Jun @ 16:30-17:30 (Every 2 weeks) — Schinkelbuurt
Yoga Den is inviting Raisa from Nava Yoga in-house for a new bi-weekly Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga series focused on functional movement, core stability, and relaxation. The class is adaptable for all stages of pregnancy and postpartum, and pre-crawling babies are welcome to join!
Wed 3 Jun @ 16:00-17:50 — Olympische Kwartier
It's the last day to catch the Magic Circus before they head out of Amsterdam! They're currently showing 'BOLA', featuring acrobatics, comedy, and more over at their location near the Olympic Stadium.
Sat 6 Jun @ 10:00-13:00 — De Pijp
Join the Kindertaalcafé for a World Environment Day celebration featuring a multilingual book reading, seed-planting, crafts, and a lunch buffet. The event is free, but you need to register so they can prepare enough lunch for everyone!
Community mom Vidya recently started a new business: ready-to-use sensory play kits and sensory mixes for children aged 2–6 years. They’re designed to make sensory play easy, engaging, and fun at home. You can order the kits via Instagram, or check the page for upcoming free, local sensory playdates she hosts in Amstelveen.
Center
Sat 13 Jun @ 10:00-18:00 — Grachtengordel-West
Join De Kinderboekwinkel for the opening celebration of their new, larger store 💗 The festivities feature a meet & greet with children’s book author Pieter Koolwijk, coloring activities, and ice cream from Roberto's IJsbike. The first 50 families to make a purchase above €50 get a free goodie bag!
Everywhere
AJTC is on a mission to make theater accessible to all children in Amsterdam. Their free performances every Sunday in community centers across the city are often interactive and instructive — with themes like colors, counting, cooking, and animals. Performances are usually for ages 2 and up and involve puppeteers, magicians, and more. I've heard especially good things about the performances in the Havelaar, which is right next to a great playground, petting zoo, and De Hallen 😍
Online
Ever wanted to control your baby tracking app with your voice? Community mom & machine learning engineer Claire developed Baby Tracker, a new mobile-first app that uses voice recognition to help parents log feeds, sleep, and diaper changes. She's looking for test users to try out the prototype and share their thoughts — you can reach her at +447413407689!
Did you find an event today? Consider donating to support our work and keep this newsletter free for the community.
Until next time,
Alex from the Amsterdam Parent Project (APP)
