Everything you want to know

Our program is ongoing, so you can join at any time and participate immediately.

From approximately 6 weeks. Earlier is possible if you and your baby are ready for it.

The regular Baby Sensory program is suitable up to approximately 15 months. In the special toddler groups, you can participate until approximately 18 to 21 months. Of course, the end age also depends on your child.

Are you unsure which group is best for you? Let me know, and we can discuss the possibilities together and determine the best option for you.

A trial session costs 10.25 euros.

You can register via the booking system on this website. If this doesn't work, you can always send me a WhatsApp or email message, or call me (06-55141272).

You can always attend a trial session first for 10.25 euros. After that, you can register via the same website for more Baby Sensory or Friede Dreumesen adventures. The booking system automatically calculates the correct price for you.

General guidelines are:
Baby Sensory is a year-long program, divided into 4 terms of 9 sessions.
You can join at any time and participate in the rest of the term. You pay the number of sessions x 15.25 euros for this, in advance.
After the term ends, you can register again for the next term, etc.
You can also become a VIP & VIB member (see the VIP & VIB section on info.friede.nl).
If you would like to join the term but cannot attend all sessions, send me a message and I will let you know what the possibilities and costs are.
Participating per term (or as a VIP & VIB member) is recommended, but if this is really not feasible, there is the option to participate in single sessions or via a Strippenkaart. You can always send me a message about this and the costs involved.

Catching up sessions is possible. However, there are a few things to keep in mind.

With 9 – 7 booked sessions, you may make up 2 sessions; with 6 - 4 booked sessions, you may make up 1 session; and with 3 – 1 booked sessions, you unfortunately may not make up any sessions.

Also keep the following in mind:
Cancel your session as soon as possible, no later than 09:00 in the morning, via friede.nl, where you also made the booking (otherwise you may not make up the session). Catch up on sessions before your baby is too old for Baby Sensory. We will discuss together whether it is still suitable for your child and for the rest of the group (you are not entitled to make up the sessions). If your child has outgrown the sessions, your make-up sessions will expire.

You can only make up sessions if there is a free spot in the groups.

You will not receive a refund for missed sessions.

Missed sessions will not be credited towards sessions in a new term.

Do you want to catch up a session? Then arrange this last minute (after 10:00 PM the evening before the session) via the friede.nl website where you also made the booking.

Bring a (muslin) cloth or blanket for your child to lie or sit on. As a parent, always wear socks (no shoes or bare feet). Your child may go barefoot (socks are of course also fine). Adjust clothing to the weather (layers). The temperature at the location is often pleasant, but it can sometimes be a bit cold (blankets are available) or, conversely, warm.

The materials and location are cleaned very intensively. Is your child vulnerable, or are you a bit nervous about it? Feel free to bring disinfectant wipes or similar items to give your equipment an extra clean beforehand.

Babies and young children explore with their whole bodies, including their mouths! Although many of our materials are suitable for this, this does not apply to everything in the session and the play area. Therefore, keep a close eye on your child throughout the entire session so that exploration always remains safe and fun.

Please switch off mobile phones during the entire session.

Taking photos or short videos with your mobile phone is perfectly fine. Sharing on social media is also nice (tagging Friede would be appreciated) (please let me know if you have a private account, otherwise I won't see it).

Please only put your own child in the photo/video. Or always ask the other parent(s) first. Remember everyone's privacy. I am okay with you sharing a photo or video where I am also in it.

The sessions are in English and Dutch. And even if you do not speak both languages ​​(well), the sessions are certainly still easy to follow.

Each session lasts approximately 60 minutes. You are of course welcome a little earlier then the start time. You are also still welcome if you are a little late.

A maximum of 2 parents/carers can join on the mat.

This varies per group, but the number is usually between 2 and 10 little ones.

Vlierboomstraat 413, The Hague.

The location is easily accessible by bicycle, public transport (Tram 3 or 34, Zonnebloemstraat stop + 6-minute walk, or Bus 21, Perenstraat stop + 3-minute walk), and car.

You can find Friede Baby Sensory, Vlierboomstraat 413, The Hague on Google Maps.

Parking is free. However, to be safe, take your time to find a parking spot.

There is no café at the location itself, but the bakery across the street sells coffee/tea to go. And in the neighbourhood (Vlierboomstraat, Appelstraat, Pomonaplein) there are various catering establishments. There is also a small supermarket across the street from the location.

Needs of the baby / toddler (sleeping, feeding, crying, clean diaper) The baby's needs always come first, and you will gain inspiration for home regardless. Moreover, research into the brainwaves of sleeping babies has shown that regions associated with sound, motor, visual, and auditory processing are still buzzing with activity during sleep. Babies also learn language while they sleep. So whether your baby is awake or asleep during a session (or half and half), they will still benefit from it.

Feel completely free to do whatever feels right for you. Feeding, changing diapers (on the changing table for a dirty diaper), comforting, or rocking your little one to sleep; it is all possible. Do you want to play together in the play area for the entire session or just participate in a few activities? That is perfectly fine. Do you want to chat with other parents in the play area beforehand? Great! (Just do so quietly for the parents and children doing an activity at that moment). Make the session exactly as suits you and your little one.

You will be added / receive an invitation to the Friede WhatsApp Community with three channels:
1. Announcements: General news.
2. Info Class: Updates specific to your group.
3. Chat/Questions: A group for mutual contact and tips. This group is optional.

You can also follow Friede on Instagram or Facebook and/or subscribe to the newsletter (see the friede.nl website for all details).

Discounts are available for twins (50% discount on the second baby with code TWEELING), holders of an Ooievaarspas for whom the costs are truly too high, or via specific discount codes.

If you have twins, you can simply arrange the registration online. In other cases, do not register online, but let me know in advance via WhatsApp (06-55141272) that you have a discount code and which one it is. Also tell me what you want to register for. I will then ensure that you receive a payment link with the correct price.

For those who wish to follow the entire year program, there is the Year VIP & VIB membership (€540 for 4 terms or €405 for 3 terms, depending on the baby's age). Benefits include unlimited catch-up sessions, priority in group selection, and a Baby Sensory gift per tem. I look forward to hearing from you after your trial session, and I will arrange your membership.

We certainly clean the materials and the location thoroughly. Cleaning and polishing takes up a VERY large part of our time to keep the materials and the location as clean as possible. Is your baby vulnerable, or are you feeling a bit nervous? Feel free to bring disinfectant wipes or similar items to give your equipment an extra clean beforehand.

Sometimes it is difficult to determine whether a child can participate in a session. Because I cannot assess from a distance exactly how sick a child is, I would like to provide a few guidelines:

When is it better to stay home?
In case of a temperature hour of 38°C or higher.
In case of diarrhea or vomiting.
In case of contagious diseases: such as chickenpox, fifth disease, or hand, foot, and mouth disease. Keep your baby at home until the symptoms have disappeared.
Some babies in the group do not (yet) attend daycare and have a more vulnerable immune system.

In case of a cold and mild symptoms:
With a cold, it is difficult to determine what is or isn't possible. I rely on your judgment: does your baby really feel well enough to participate, and would you feel comfortable if another baby with the same symptoms were present in the session? Then you are probably welcome.

Are you in doubt? Feel free to send me a WhatsApp or email message. I am happy to think along with you.

Then you can watch these videos:

1) tour of the location

2) practical information about the sessions

3) information about the Baby Sensory program

All groups are good for your child's brain, body, bonding, and social development. And for you? Time for relaxation, recharging, and social contact! Each session is tailored to create beautiful memories during those special first 18 months.

There are also a few differences. Here is an explanation of the different groups.

0 - 8, 7 - 15, 0 - 15 months (Regular groups)
30 min. Activities
15 min. exploration & break in the play area
15 min. Activities

0 - 18 months (Regular), 0 - 18 months (Coffee), 12 - 18 months (Toddlers)

30 min. Activities
25-30 min. free exploration & learning in the sensory area, the play area, and the special corners outside the Baby Sensory area.
5 min. sometimes a joint closing activity. At the weekday Coffee & Tea group, a free cup of coffee or tea is waiting for you!

Naturally, we start and end every group with our familiar Baby Sensory welcome and farewell song.

To get the most out of the program, we recommend attending one or more fixed groups per week. You can sign up as a Year VIP & VIB, or per term. If this is really not practical for you, you can also consider single sessions or 'Strippenkaart' sessions. Send me a WhatsApp message for more information (06-55141272).

It is wonderful that you want to give a Baby Sensory trial session or sessions as a gift. That is truly a valuable gift. You can send me a message and we will arrange everything together. You can specify the amount you wish to give, and I will create a beautiful gift voucher that you can pick up in person at Vlierboomstraat or that I will send by post.

Approximately twice a year, there is a pop-up store at the location or near the location. Additionally, you can order materials via the official Baby Sensory Shop of Baby Sensory UK.

First, check the more extensive FAQ on the info.friede.nl website. If the answer to your question is not listed there either, please send a WhatsApp or Email message to Sietske (06-55141272). Or give me a call.

Everyone knows that massage is beneficial to your body as well as mind. This doesn’t just got for adults – it goes especially for babies! For babies, loving touch is a necessity of life. Use touch as the first language that both you and your little one speak. This way of communicating offers confidence, a feeling of safety and self-worth, and creating connection between the two of you.

Regularly massaging your baby has been shown to lower cortisol levels (also known as the ‘stress hormone’) and increase levels of serotonin (a.k.a the ‘happy hormone’) and oxytocin (a.k.a the 'cuddle’ or ‘love hormone’).  The effects of this beneficial cascade of hormones are too numerous to count but can be summarized as improved cognitive and emotional development.

Babies that receive massages also become more aware of their bodies, discovering all the parts of their body through touch. Through the skin, all other body systems are also activated. Massaging your little one can promote blood and lymphatic circulation, improve digestion, support the respiratory system and many more bodily functions.

In some cases, massaging a baby can indeed be a risk to their health. When your baby is experiencing an acute infection, high fever, swollen lymph nodes or internal bleeding please do not attend Baby Sensory & Baby Massage class but also do not massage your baby at home! While a massage is very beneficial it also requires lots of energy (which is why babies often fall asleep after or during the massage) and while your baby is sick it needs all its energy to get healthy again.

Shantala baby massage was brought to the West from India by the French doctor Frédérick Leboyer. Leboyer witnessed a woman named Shantala lovingly and attentively massaging her baby in the busy and dirty streets of Calcutta and was deeply fascinated. He decided to let her teach him the massage techniques that had been established through tradition through hundreds of years.

Shantala baby massage has its roots in traditional Indian medicine also known as ayurveda. A key feature of ayurveda is looking at the human as a whole – body, spirit and environment are all considered together and need to exist in balance with each other for ideal health.

What we would like to ask you to bring to the session is: 2 towels, 1 (preferably thick) blanket to put your baby on during the massage. Shantala baby massage is usually done with an entirely naked baby. Should you wish to do this during the sessions (which is of course not mandatory) please bring a water resistant underlayer, for example a mattress protector from your kraampakket. If you have jojoba oil at home you can bring your own, otherwise it will be provided for you.

Short nails for the comfort of your child and comfortable clothing for yourself are ideal for the best baby massage experience! As we will, in some sessions, be massaging your babies tummy it is advisable not to feed your baby immediately before a session. Not to worry if it cannot be avoided, there are always ways of modifying techniques.

Fabienne Maré has been attending Baby Sensory with her, at the time of writing, 1 year old daughter Kaylie since she was only about 3 months old. After the birth of her daughter, Fabienne realized she had a passion for all things, pregnancy, birth and babies. Subsequently she became a Relaxed Bevallen Vanuit Regie® birth coach and Shantala Baby massage instructor living and operating in the Hague.