Franchisee Spotlight: Evergreen, CA

Like many of our franchisees, Jigna Vyas was introduced to Gymboree Play & Music through her first child. They attended classes together, and both made lasting friendships. When Jigna had her second child, she realized that she wanted to step back from her demanding Engineering career, and find a business that would afford her a work-life balance. Her love of our programs made Gymboree Play & Music the perfect choice. 

Jigna enjoys both sides of the business: running the day-to-day operation and managing her staff, plus building relationships with the families who attend her location. 

“I have met some wonderful parents, grandparents, family members, and of course the little ones at Gymboree. It is such a joy to be part of special moments; from rolling over as a baby to taking the first few steps, or even jumping off a step box for the first time. My staff has been with me through thick and thin, and they are an asset to my business. Many of my teachers have become my close friends and I have had the pleasure of attending weddings, baby showers, and birthday parties of their kids.” 

Parents at her location thank Jigna for providing a safe, clean, stress and pressure free place for their children to play, socialize and learn, and for families to connect and build a community. 

Come build your own community at a Gymboree Play & Music location near you!

Find Your People

Unless you are one of the lucky few who have close friends who live nearby and had their kids around the same time as you, being a new parent can be very isolating. 

Making new friends as an adult is hard, especially over the past few years. It’s complicated negotiating the social landscape: trying to balance your own comfort level around the need to get out of the house and DO THINGS!

And we all know how important it is to support your child’s social and emotional development.

We’re here to help! At Gymboree Play & Music, we’ve been building family connections for over 45 years: child-to-child, adult-to-adult, family-to-family. 

From birth to kindergarten, we can help you build a tribe of families all living a shared experience, supporting each other through their children’s milestones.

Find a Gymboree Play & Music location near you today.

Help Your Toddler Adjust to the End of Daylight Savings Time

It’s almost time to “fall back”.  It’s amazing how that one-hour difference can be such a difficult adjustment for everyone. But it’s especially difficult for young children!

At Gymboree Play & Music, we’d like to share a few tips to help your little one adjust before we turn the clocks back:

Start the transition early: 

Put your child to bed 15 minutes earlier (or later, in the spring) each night during the week leading up to the time change.  It will allow their internal body clock to make the adjustment ahead of time. While they may not actually fall asleep earlier than usual, their bodies will be relaxing a bit earlier each day which will eventually lead to falling asleep earlier.

Develop a healthy sleep routine:

It’s important to keep your child’s routine as consistent as possible, to establish healthy sleep patterns that will support them through life:

  • Establish regular times to go to bed and get up in the morning, including on weekends.
  • Develop a before-sleep routine of quiet activities: bath, teeth brushing, story.
  • Avoid high-energy activities in the hours before bedtime.
  • Make sure your child’s room is a comfortable temp (not too hot!), quiet and dark. Use a nightlight if they are afraid of the dark.

A quiet house will help your little one relax:

Ask friends and family not to call after a certain time and keep ambient noise to a minimum, If possible. This is especially important during the transition to Daylight Savings Time since it will be lighter out when your child goes to bed.

Back to bed, little one:

If your child wakes up too early, let them know that it is not time yet. Encourage them to play quietly in their room or relax in their bed until the correct time to start the day.

Maintain their regular nap schedule:

Don’t adjust their naps after the time change. While they may not seem tired at their usual nap time, their bodies will adapt.