Whenever the question comes up of ‘where to find dad & baby groups in the North East,’ the common feedback is that typical playgroups, classes and play cafes are all inclusive and very welcoming of dads, grandparents and all caregivers.
In addition there are a few groups below specifically designed to bring dads together, along with some great resources for men in need of support. If you have any recommendations to add, please get in touch here🙂
Details are subject to change, please check directly with organisers using the links below for the latest updates.
Acorn & Oak Play Cafe
📌 Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, NE26 2HU
🧑🍼 Dad Social are held at the Acorn & Oak Play Cafe on the last Saturday of each month. The informal play sessions are designed to encourage dads of young children to share their experiences, tips, and stories and form friendships while children play.
👉 Regular admission fee applies, booking recommended here.
Gateshead Family Hub
📌 Deckham Family Hub, Gateshead, NE9 5PA
🧑🍼 Becoming a Dad – find out more about becoming a new Dad from other Gateshead Dads, with free information and advice and a chance to discuss your worries in a safe, father-friendly space. The group meets every other month.
🧑🍼 Men Behaving Dadly – weekly afterschool playgroup, sensory room and soft play session for Dads or other male carers and children under 8 years (term time only, older siblings welcome).
🧑🍼 Staying Connected for Fathers – an informal, two-hour session for Dads who don’t live with their children to help stay connected and improve communication with the child’s other parent. Held on selected dates.
North East Young Dads & Lads
📌 BALTIC, Gateshead, NE8 3BA
🧑🍼 A local charity providing direct support to dads, fathers-to-be and vulnerable young men (aged under 25) across the North East, including 1-2-1 Parenting Support, meet-ups, stay & play sessions, cycling club and various events. Plus an online E-Learning platform DigiDAD, full of father friendly resources and accredited courses.
👉 More info here
Who Let The Dads Out Playgroup
📌 The Church of the Ascension, Kenton, Newcastle
🧑🍼 A free Saturday playgroup for dads and their children, inviting all Dads (and father figures) with their children for play, a bacon butty and a healthy snack for children. Meeting on the third Saturday in selected months, for an opportunity to discover what other dads are talking about and to find fellowship and friendship.
Woodland Play Patch
📌 Fence Houses, Houghton le Spring, DH4 6AD
🧑🍼 Dad Socials are held at the Woodland Play Patch play café for dads and little ones, for dads to chat with other dads in an informal setting and create their own community. Also hosting Park Meet Ups around the North East for dads and kids to have a walk and a play in the park, plus continue talking in between sessions by joining the dads WhatsApp group.
👉 Book upcoming events here
Having a baby is a huge life change for both parents, not just mams. You can read a very honest account of birth trauma and being a parent from a Dad’s perspective here.
For information and guidance on men’s health issues, there are local support groups and some useful links below.
Dadsnet
🧑🍼 The biggest network of dads in the UK, sharing in the laughter and the tears of being a father, with an extensive library of helpful online articles and videos on parenting and health, plus Dadsnet Original podcasts.
👉 More info here
Andys Man Club
🧑🍼 A UK charity providing talking groups for men to end the stigma surrounding men’s mental health and help men through the power of conversation. Free peer-to-peer weekly support groups for men aged over 18 are held on Mondays across the North East, plus events and activities such as woodland Walk & Talk sessions.
👉 More info here
📌 Gateshead | Hartlepool | Horden | Middlesbrough | Newcastle | Souter Lighthouse | Sunderland | Washington
Men’s Health Forum
🧑🍼 A UK charity working towards improving men’s health, including leading a national Men’s Health Week which takes place annually in June prior to Father’s Day, and providing a host of useful online resources, with the DIY Man MOT, Man MOT for the Mind, men’s health and the internet, and advice on addictions.
👉 More info here
For more support, the NHS provide guidance on men’s health here, and The National Childbirth Trust offer advice on postnatal depression in dads and co-parents here.
There’s plenty on Gateshead Mumbler to help keep little ones (and big ones!) busy, check here for more ideas and info for playgroups, classes and fun days out from tots to teens!
If you’d like to keep up to date when new resources are added, please click here and like the Gateshead Mumbler Facebook page.
