How about letting your little one be exactly what they are: LITTLE!
At Gymboree Play & Music, our programs grow with your child from birth to kindergarten – transitioning from adult/child classes for the younger ones to independent learning for the “big kids”- supporting physical, cognitive and social/emotional learning, including early literacy and math skills.
With plenty of opportunity to burn off some kid energy, sing, giggle and swim in a sea of bubbles, our classes are so fun they won’t even know they are learning.
At Gymboree Play & Music, we not only give you the opportunity to put your responsibilities on “mute” and enter your child’s world of play, we encourage it! Dare we even suggest that you turn your phone off? 😘
Young children learn best while challenged and engaged in creative play, supported by the grown-ups who love them.
That’s one of the many reasons generations of families have considered our programs an integral part of their child’s early learning adventure for over 45 years.
Connect with friends – new and old – and embrace the joy and wonder of playing, laughing, and learning with your little one.
Like many of our franchisees, Wendy Shultz came to Gymboree Play & Music through her child. She and her husband, Mike, had transferred to the Indianapolis area for Mike’s job. Their two older sons were in school all day, and Wendy was home with a one-year old, desperate to meet other moms.
She discovered a Gymboree Play & Music class in the basement of a church, and was hooked. The owner approached Wendy to train as a teacher and she fell in love with the creativity that our programs allowed her to bring to her classes, the joy she saw on faces – adult and child – and the relationships that grew, week-over-week.
Twenty-eight years later, the Carmel location and “Miss Wendy” are still going strong. Ever humble, Wendy states “we are blessed to have a great team to make all the magic happen”. She goes on to say “I really love it when past clients visit with their (now older) child to see us and let us know what positive memories they have about the experience we provided. Many past Gymboree kids now bring their little ones to class”.
Wendy and Mike are very active in their community, running food drives and supporting the Indiana Diaper Bank at their location. Their special events are epic, and Wendy is always willing to share ideas and the insights she’s gained over more than two decades with other Gymboree Play & Music franchisees.
The days can be long, but the early childhood years are short. Gymboree Play & Music can help fill those days, while you make memories to last a lifetime!
Holiday parties, festive lights, celebrations with friends and family all add to the joy and fun.
Having a little one (or two or three!) in the family, and experiencing the wonder of the season through their eyes, makes it even more special.
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 and learning.
The holiday season has officially begun! And, as much as we’d all love to focus on celebrating with friends and family, and the joy of the season, we are inundated with ads for STUFF.
Families with little ones only need so many big plastic toys. They are exciting at first, but are quickly cast aside and in the way.
A Gymboree Play & Music membership keeps families (both children and adults) happy and engaged for much longer than any shiny new toy. For over 45 years, we have been supporting the physical, cognitive and social development of young children – birth to five – and building connections and community: child-to-child, adult-to-adult, family-to-family.
Give the gift of play and learning to a special little one in your life. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to enjoy the gift too!
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.
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!
We’re here to help! 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.
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!
Here are 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.
“I got so excited when Mommy parked the car a little while ago, because I knew we were going to my favorite place!
I get to see my best friend each week, and Mommy always has a big smile on her face too when she sees her friends here.
There’s a really nice lady who shows me and my friends so many fun things to do. Right now she has me practicing my crawling. It can be hard work, but she sings songs and blows so many bubbles that It’s all worth it! And I’ve overheard Mommy tell Grandma and Daddy that I always take a really good nap after we go to our class together.
Sometimes Daddy or Grandma ask if they can go to class with me instead of Mommy. I guess they love it too!
Tell your Mommy or Daddy to sign you up!!”
From birth to kindergarten, our classes grow with your child. Find one near you at gymboreeclasses.com
Halloween is a fun excuse to dress up your little one and show them off. But scary decorations, spooky music and big kids in creepy costumes may be overwhelming for toddlers and preschoolers.
Here are some fun, toddler-friendly ways to celebrate:
Look for organized community trick-or-treating events at your local mall or downtown shopping center. They usually take place when it’s still light out, and attract families rather than older kids and teens.
Go out early and limit the number of houses you visit. While it’s tempting to walk the entire neighborhood (because who doesn’t want everyone to “oooh” and “aaah” over their cutie?), it’s best to stick to close friends and family when your child is young.
Even if you don’t go out “trick or treating”, you can still dress your little one up and take lots of pictures! Post them using #gymboween2022.
