GYMBO BUZZ – Explore our world and share yours.

Debbie Dunn was a young career woman when she got married and started a family. After her second child was born, she decided she wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, and attended an open house at a Gymboree location with her sister. Her sister enrolled, she did not. But she went. home and told her husband “I could do that”.

A month later she saw an ad in Parent’s Magazine for franchise opportunities with the brand. She flew out to California with her sister and, within 23 hours, was back in New Jersey as the owner of Gymboree franchise number 88. Over close to four decades, Debbie has owned and operated four different locations, and has introduced and taught just about every class that Gymboree has offered. She is the proud mother of four children (who all got involved in the business in some capacity from time to time) and eight grandchildren.

After all of these years, with all of the challenges that come along with being a small business owner, she still feels that Gymboree Play & Music is the greatest program out there for young children and their adults, and still gets great joy from the families in her program.

As Debbie says “it’s hard not to be happy when you walk into Gymboree”!

I’m just one of the many pieces of equipment that your child will use during their class, from our youngest members in the Babies class all the way up to our “big kids” in our preschool classes!

I look really big to your little one but – SURPRISE – I’m full of air, so I’m not heavy at all! And whether they are sitting on top, rocking, bouncing, rolling or pushing me, there’s a whole lotta learning going on:

• Being up high when they sit or lie on top helps build confidence
• Rocking helps build core strength, and bouncing helps promote coordination
• Rolling or pushing me across the floor promotes motor planning, problem solving and coordination; plus teamwork, cooperation and turn-taking are all supported
• Talk about imagination: I can be a boulder they push up a hill, or a tree to pick apples from!

All of my equipment friends and I are specially designed to challenge and support the development of children from newborns to preschoolers. Best of all, we make learning fun! Find a Gymboree Play & Music location near you.

Let’s face it: raising a young child can be overwhelming and exhausting at times. Maybe even a bit lonely. But, as the saying goes “the days are long, but the years are short”.

That’s why it’s so important to carve out time each week to share special times together, and create memories that you can look back on with a smile when they are older.

We can help!

We offer a bright, colorful space where you can unplug, laugh and sing with your little one, with a variety of fun classes that support their physical, cognitive and social-emotional development. You’ll both be having so much fun together, you’ll be amazed at how much they are learning.

Join our community and build sweet memories together!

There’s something magical about experiencing the wonder of the holiday season through the eyes of a small child.

Festive decorations, twinkling lights, cheery music and celebrations with friends and family all add to the joy and fun. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or another seasonal holiday, there can be added stress, as you travel from location to location and try not to mess with your little one’s schedule too much.

Our Gymboree Play & Music locations are also celebrating the season, and embracing the community of families that visit our centers week-after-week for fun, learning and building lasting friendships. It’s a few minutes out of the busy week that you can focus just on your little one, enjoying time with other families (besides your own!).

Get your merry on at a location near you!

There’s something about watching your little one recognize and connect with another one that just makes you feel all warm and gooey inside.

Those first “friends” are so important. While babies don’t “play” with each other, they may stare, babble, or scream excitedly back and forth. They may also ignore each other at times, which is ok too!

At Gymboree Play & Music, we give you and your little one ample opportunities to connect with other children, adults and families in a warm, inviting space.

It’s never too early, or too late, for your family to join our family.

You want to find a program to attend with your little one this fall. But how do you choose? Here are a few things to look for:

• A program that has a great reputation and longevity
• A variety of classes to choose from, to expose your child to new experiences and keep both of you engaged and having fun
• The right amount of challenge for your child to inspire, but not discourage them
• Equipment and structures specifically designed to be developmentally appropriate for young children

Gymboree Play & Music has been the global leader in early childhood education for over 45 years, with research-based programs that grow with your child from birth to kindergarten.

Kind of makes it an easy decision, doesn’t it? Find a location near you today.

As with many of our franchisees, Liz Edwards discovered the program as a young mom. Her family had recently moved to Walnut Creek, CA, and she joined with her 10 month old son.

The family relocated to Southern California, and Liz was sad to discover that there was no Gymboree Play & Music location near her new home. One day, while watching Good Morning America, she was surprised to realize that it was a franchise, as she had assumed it was a local program. She immediately reached out to investigate available areas in So Cal, and purchased two territories.

Liz and her mom worked together for 20 years. She now has a wonderful business partner, Heather, and her daughter Morgan is the Manager. She has watched the brand grow and evolve for almost 40 years, but her passion for the business remains just as strong as when she first started.

Liz says “I love how it’s been in the family and am appreciative of my partner and our staff. Our business survived Covid due to the love and loyalty of our customers. Thank you to all our Gymboree families, you truly bring us joy every day! What a great job we have!!”

Gymboree Play & Music has been supporting the physical, cognitive and social-emotional development of young children for over 45 years. Find a location near you today!

Back in 2016, we were looking for a way to celebrate our 40th anniversary. We created an event, held at all of our North American locations on the same day, and called it “National Day of Play”. Thousands of families across the United States and Canada visited, and experienced the magic of Gymboree Play & Music first-hand.

We had to suspend our festivities for a few years due to the pandemic, but were able to bring it back last year. And now, for the sixth time, we are excited to host families of little ones as we open our doors to the community and celebrate childhood on Saturday, August 19th!

You and your little ones (ages birth to five) can:

• Embark on.a playscape adventure
• Hop a parachute flight
• Swim in a sea of bubbles
• Invite your friends, or make new ones!

Contact a Gymboree Play & Music location near you to get more information on the event of the summer!

* Schedules and event details vary by location.

Summer can be filled with fun outings and family adventures. But a relaxing day at the beach, a lake or on a camping trip isn’t quite as “chill” when you have a baby in tow.

Suddenly, in addition to the regular “stuff” you’d need, there are pack-n-plays, a gazillion diapers, extra blankets and baby-safe toys to consider. Not to mention the stress of keeping your baby from putting foreign objects they find on the ground in their mouths, or crawling off into the hot sand or dirt.

Gymboree Play & Music provides a cool place for you and your baby to hang out in the summer, making new friends and supporting their development in a fun, welcoming space.

Parenting a young child can be full of amazing and magical moments.

But, unless you are lucky enough to have a group of friends or close family who are in the same point in their parenting journey and lives, it can also feel isolating and lonely.

For over 45 years, we’ve been creating a fun, welcoming space where parents can gather not only to support their child’s physical, cognitive and social-emotional development, but where they can connect and build friendships that can last a lifetime.

If you’re lucky enough to already have friends at the same place in their life, bring them along! We can all use more members in our “tribe”.