Gymboree Play & Music

I never thought that I would want to take my kid somewhere and pay for her to play with other kids. Nevertheless, it has happened and I love it so much I want to tell everyone about it. The place that I take my daughter is called, Gymboree Play and Music. It is just as much fun for me as it is for her.

Gymboree Play and Music offers classes to all ages up to five years old. You can take your child in for the Play Class, Art Class, Music Class or Global Kids. Every two weeks, they pick a theme and do activities to incorporate what is being learned for those two weeks. For example, for two weeks, the focus was "up and down" so the gym equipment was arranged so that the children could learn what going up and down felt like. They also do songs to help with language and dancing to encourage balance, following direction and exercise.

The Art Class also has themes but these change each week and art projects relate to the theme. For example, one week the lesson was the letter 'A' so the teacher cut out A's out of construction paper that the children glued onto paper and then decorated with glitter, paint, and markers.

Music Class helps children understand the differences in sound as well as cause and effect. Music Class includes playing musical instruments, singing songs and dancing to rhythms.

Global Kids helps kids' imagination. Each week, the teacher will set the room up as if they have gone to a different country. For example, one week they visited France. They used an air log as an airplane to get there and then used the gym equipment as a train to travel the countryside. The teacher discusses food, culture and plays songs from the country.

Not only does Gymboree provide a place for children to play and learn songs and dances but it also helps with their social interactions. Children can interact with other children and adults at the play center. This will help them tremendously once they get to school and especially if they do not have any playing friends at home. The development of social interaction starts as soon as a baby is born and it is important to foster that development as much as possible.

Each class is split up into different levels and each level is catered to specific age groups. That way they can focus on the developmental abilities of children at different ages. If your child is not ready for the next level, you do not have to advance or if you think your child can benefit from a higher level, you could talk to one of the teachers about advancing.

As I said, I never thought that I would pay money to take my child somewhere like Gymboree. It is such a great experience for my daughter and she loves it. I love it too because it gives me a chance to meet new people and play with my daughter in new creative ways.