5 Tips for Starting a Moms Group

This is a sponsored post by Meetup, all opinions expressed are my own. 

Looking for fun ideas for moms groups? Here are 5 helpful tips for how to organize your own moms group online. 

Let’s get started by exploring these moms group meeting ideas.

When my daughter was born, I remember looking forward to taking some time off from work and staying home with my daughter. It honestly was one of the most memorable times with my daughter as a mom. However month by month passed and the walls were getting a little closer and closer, I realized we needed to get out of the house and explore the world a bit more. 

We took many walks in the stroller, outings to stores and even to a few local parks but you can only do that so many times all by yourself. I missed being around people. I wanted to be able to chat with other moms going through the same stages as our family and honestly I wanted my daughter to have some playmates. 

As a mom, do you ever share that same feeling? 

With my daughter growing up, my time became a little more open and we were looking for things to keep us busy. I thought it might be time to find a moms group near me to get involved with. However, there wasn’t one that fit my needs. 

Truthfully during this time, I realized that I missed teaching but wasn’t quite ready to head back into the classroom of 20 kindergarten kids. I wanted to be my child’s first teacher in these early years and connect with other parents who felt this way as well. 

So instead of returning, I decided to start organizing a new local moms group through Meetup that focused on moms with kids that were around my daughter’s age group. Eventually, this group became such an easy and memorable way to make real connections with others for our family.

Here are some tips to get started organizing your own group.   

Make 2024 the year of re-connection. Start a group & Save 50%.

How to Organize a Local Moms Group Online

Meetup is a great way to organize a group to stay connected in person and virtually with others who share the same interests as you. 

Did you know that Meetup is leading the way in confronting the loneliness epidemic we’re currently dealing with? 

Let’s be honest with a child at home, life can be a little lonely and unpredictable and I love that there’s a way to connect online with other moms going through the same things as me.    

The best part is that when new users join Meetup, they are filtered into the local area through preselected categories so you’ll be able to connect with other moms who are looking for a group to connect with.    

To organize this moms group, I set it up so members could let me know about playdates they’d like to host and we’d set them up on the weekly calendar within Meetup. Members could RSVP and see the even description right there. Meetup even sends email reminders, as a busy parent we know we sometimes need that little extra push to remind us and get us out the door on time. Once I got started there were so many fun ideas for moms groups to plan for our group. 

The Meetup Organizer tools make it easy to schedule and manage your events. You decide when, where, and how often your group meets.

* During these unique times, Meetup asks all organizers and members to follow directives from local government and health officials.

Moms Group Meeting Ideas  

At the beginning, as an moms group organizer, I’d suggest that you choose local parks around your town to be able to connect in public places and keep members safe. It’s a fun way to explore your town and get you outside. With Meetup, you already know who’s RSVP’d so you know who to look for when you get to a playground.  

Need an event space, I’d suggest looking into your local library, we have several around our town and we were able to host at least one library event a month. Bonus, it got us into the library and checking out books with our little ones too.  

As part of my moms group, we also created events through local businesses and attractions for our kids to do little field trips together. As a Kindergarten teacher, the ideas I came up with were pretty numerous and allowed me to explore our little community more than I ever had after living there for 5 years. They were trips I wish I could have taken my classes on to truly understand how the world around them works. 

Ideas for Field Trips with Kids with your Moms Group

Some of the most memorable field trips with little ones were at places like our

• Fire Station Tour
• Pizza Restaurant Tour 
• Executive Airport Tour
• Supermarket Tour
• Waste Management Tour 
• Local Florist 
• Pet Store 
• Pumpkin Patch 
• Tree Farm 
• Local Farm for Strawberry Picking
• Pumpkin Patch 
• Construction Truck company 
• Local Ice Cream Store 
• Elephant Farm
• Police Station & K9 Unit

Want a Virtual Adventure for your Mom’s Group? Try hosting an event around these Virtual Field Trips for Kids. Zoom or a Facebook Room can be a great place to host online to connect with others.  

There’s also a forum for Meetup organizers where I would see ideas that they are using in their communities that would inspire me to create events for my moms group.

Here are a few more fun ideas for playdates as you organized your moms group.  

• Water Day 
• Box Playdate 
• Bike Day 
• Splash Park
• Balls, Balls, Balls 
• 26 Weekly Letter Themed Playdates
• Holiday Themed Playdates  
• Book Themed Playdates

As a Meetup organizer, you decide how often your group meets. You can even recruit others to help you host events and share responsibilities as the organizer.

The more events your group hosts, the faster it’s likely to grow. Sharing your upcoming events on your other social networks will also help attract people who aren’t already Meetup members.

Book Club Ideas for Meetup Moms Group

I created a little “Preschool Book Club” that we hosted weekly throughout various places in our community. It was part of the inspiration for what now is our Virtual Book Club for Kids on our website actually. 

We’d pick a common theme and popular book and then each attendee would pick an activity for the kids to do that involved the theme. That way hosting an event wasn’t too much for anyone to host. We met at a local park. 

So frankly no one had to get their house all cleaned up for guests and have to clean after hosting the group. Plus it helped to not make signing up to host an event too costly. 

Organize Classes for Moms Group

Classes for Kids… did you know our Little Hands that Cook with Book Series on our site started as a kids cooking class I taught through people I had met through Meetup? This can be an option to consider to monetize your group. 

One of my friends has been enjoying picking up pre-bought kits from a local moms group organizer and then they all login online and do them together to help stay connected.

Meetup would be a great spot to organize any kids classes that you’ve been wanting to teach. 

Start a Meetup group to help kids learn…

• Cooking class
• STEM club
• Art club with kids 
• Learn a new language
• Music with kids
• Kids book club and more! 

Charity Ideas for your Moms Group

Eventually, we also branched out and started doing charity focused events with our group of moms. 

• Hope Lodge Meal and Handmade Cards
• New Teacher Supply Boxes for Back to School  
• Holiday Canned Food Drive 
• Holiday Bags for Children’s Hospital

Here are some suggestions for charities to get involved with. 

Once you’re a strong-knit group you’ll also discover that you can be helpful educated advocates for topics you’re passionate about in your community.

Tips for Starting a Moms Group

• Create a set of guidelines and goals 
• Get the group organized online
• Pick a consistent meeting schedule
• Encourage members to invite others
• Get members involved in planning and hosting playdates for the kids
• Set up time just for moms night out, even if they are virtual
• Have fun!

We created a very special little bond with our group members, many of which I’m still connected with as our kids head off to high school, scary but true, they grow so fast.

Organizing a Moms Group with Meetup

Meetup provides the tools and resources you need to build a great community. They announce your group to people in your area who share your interests, and continuously help new Meetup members find your group and your events. 

Once you schedule events, Meetup manages your attendee lists and reminders. You’ll have access to support 7 days a week, and access to articles and tips on how to grow a successful community.

For $16.49 a month you can subscribe to Meetup as an organizer to find people who share your interests

With your subscription, you can:

• Start up to 3 local groups with unlimited members
• Assign co-organizers to help you host events
• Get support from our community experts 7 days a week
• Schedule events and manage your attendee lists

There are several ways that you can share costs, or even make a profit as an organizer. You can choose to charge your members dues, or you can ticket each event.

The more events your group hosts, the faster it’s likely to grow. Sharing your upcoming events on your other social networks will also help attract people who aren’t already Meetup members.

Organizing your own group gives you the chance to meet friendly local moms to talk about your kids and have fun! One of the biggest benefits of organizing a moms group is to share experiences, find advice, give support and make new friends.

Start your own moms group on Meetup today!

Make 2024 the year of re-connection. Start a group & Save.