Child Development

Achievement Can Be Measured In So Many Ways

Achievement can be measured in so many ways in a young child’s life:

  • for young babies, it could be turning their head in the direction of an auditory stimulus
  • for older babies, it could be progressing from rocking back and forth on all fours to crawling forward
  • for young toddlers, it could be taking first steps without holding a grownup’s hand
  • for older toddlers, it could be joining a group activity or engaging in “parallel play” with another child
  • for preschoolers, it could be going into a classroom without their adult for the first time

At Gymboree Play & Music, we have had the great honor of being there to support the development of young children for over four decades, witnessing these achievements and many others.

We recognize that children do not all develop at the same pace, or even hit all the same “goals”, which is why we take a child-centered approach and follow their lead.

With programs that grow with your child from birth to kindergarten, we are the perfect partner to foster your child’s growth and independence.

Find a Gymboree Play & Music location near you, and start celebrating your child’s achievements with us!

Child Development

Unlock Your Child’s Potential Through Play

Why is play-based learning so important? It has been linked to 21st century learning skills, fostering:

🌟 Collaboration: working in collaboration with other children can build confidence and build an understanding of others’ diverse perspectives.

🌟 Communication: skills essential for learning, helping children express their thoughts, feelings and ideas

🌟 Critical thinking: helping children make good decisions, understand the consequence of their actions and solve problems

🌟 Creative innovation: using their natural inquisitiveness and imagination, exploring new ideas

🌟 Confidence: play empowers children to make their own choices, cultivate skills through trial and error, and discover what fulfills them

🌟 Social-emotional development: through play, children are able to freely express their emotions, helping them to understand and manage their feelings

🌟 Language development: through play, children learn to use language to express their thoughts and ideas, and they also learn to listen and respond to others

Kind of makes it obvious why Gymboree Play & Music‘s programs have been based on play-based learning for over four decades!

Find a Gymboree Play & Music location near you today, to enter your child’s world of play and support their physical, cognitive and social-emotional development.

Community

Building Community Through Play & Learning

We’ve all been there…you walk into a new situation where you don’t know anyone. You don’t know what you’re supposed to do, where you’re supposed to go. It can be downright stressful!

At Gymboree Play & Music, our teachers are trained to remove that “new kid” stress. They not only facilitate the activities in your child’s class, but they talk you through the “in’s and out’s” of our locations. They help ease any nervousness you or your little one may be feeling, and connect you with other adults who can help guide you through the class experience.

Our programs are all about supporting your child’s development, but the adults are equally important to us! Your involvement in, and enjoyment of, our programs is a vital component in your child’s growth and success.

Not only do children in our programs make “first friends”, but thousands of families have made friends for life with people they met in our classes. Find a Gymboree Play & Music location near you, and join our community today!

Birthday Parties

Party ‘Til You (Don’t) Drop at Gymboree Play & Music!

“Party ’til you drop” takes on a very different meaning when it comes to having your little one’s birthday celebration at your home.

Planning and leading activities that will keep the children (and adults) happy and engaged, reconfiguring your house so that there’s safe room to play, and cleaning up after it’s all over is – frankly – exhausting! At Gymboree Play & Music:

  • We have the space, with a bright colorful room full of play structures for the children to explore
  • We have enthusiastic teachers to lead everyone in fun activities
  • We take care of setting up and CLEANING UP after you and your guests leave!

Leave the celebration to us, and enjoy your child’s special day. Find a location to get your party started today!

Play & Learn Classes

Resolutions: Done!

There’s something about the start of a new year that makes us all reassess our goals and priorities.

Things like: 

  • I want to spend more quality time with my little one
  • I want to be less distracted, more present
  • I want to meet new people who are facing the same challenges (and joys) of raising a young child
  • I want to do everything I can to support my child’s development

Surprise! We can help with all of that!!

Our classes grow with your child from birth to kindergarten, and give you time each week to: 

  • Enter your child’s world of play without distractions
  • Make new friends whose children are at the same place developmentally as your little one, and 
  • Have fun while supporting your child’s physical, cognitive and social-emotional development

Find a Gymboree Play & Music location near you, and mark your resolutions as DONE!

Franchisee Spotlight

Franchisee Spotlight: Rochester Hills, MI

Nine years ago, Shannon Lazaris was a stay-at-home mom who needed to find a place for her and her little one to interact with other families in the same stage of their lives. Gymboree Play & Music was the obvious answer! As if by design, the location she was attending was put up for sale a few weeks after she joined. 

Shannon immediately recognized the business potential, but also how vital the programs and community were for young families in her area, saying “I always try to remember how hard it was after becoming a mom to find yourself again and I love helping new moms find their tribe, somewhere they belong, and to feel comfortable.”

She goes on to say “There is no way anyone can be unhappy in the presence of giggling, playing toddlers. Learning through play is vital in early childhood and it is so important for parents to be present and disconnect from the outside world for their child.”

In addition to running her Gymboree Play & Music location, Shannon is an advocate for children with special needs. She founded the Buddy Soccer League in her home city, and enlists volunteers to help special needs children play soccer in a non-competitive environment.

“Gymboree Play & Music is something you don’t know you need until you have little ones of your own. Then you realize the importance of it. I try to reiterate that every day in my site.” 

Find a location near you.

Find a location near you!

Play & Learn Classes

The Importance of Bonding

It’s no secret that a baby’s brain develops at an astonishing rate during the first few years of life. The most pivotal time for brain development is between birth and three, and 90% of brain development happens by age five!

Brain development (and cognitive and social-emotional development) is supported by building strong attachments, or bonding, with a primary caregiver. A good initial bond is a big contributor to a child growing up to become happy, resilient and independent as an adult.

That’s why having a loving, trusted adult participate in our classes – whether a parent, grandparent, auntie or uncle, or beloved caregiver who is like a member of the family – has been a cornerstone of our programs for over 45 years.

We understand how important it is to have that extra confidence boost that is provided by having the support and encouragement of someone the little one has bonded with.

Join our extended family now, and see how much fun you and your little one can have while playing and learning together.

Tips For Moms

It’s Fall!

Gone are the lazy days of summer. Schedules are a bit more structured. Big kids are back in school. And your little one is home, needing attention and activities of their own.

There are a number of ways to keep your child busy and engaged, but it can be overwhelming researching community events and scheduling playdates.

We’re here to make your child’s fall FANTASTIC, with a variety of programs to choose from to keep them laughing and learning right through the year:

  • Play & Learn: our original, play-based learning program that grows with your child from birth to kindergarten
  • Music: a fun, interactive introduction to rhythm and melody, exposing your child to music from around the world
  • Art: giving your child an opportunity to flex their creative muscles, and keeping the mess at OUR place rather than yours!
  • Preschool prep: a gentle introduction to independent learning
  • School Skills: our fully-independent preschool program

All of programs at Gymboree Play & Music support your child’s physical, cognitive and social-emotional development, with connections made every day: child-to-child, adult-to-adult and family-to-family. You and your child may just make your new best friends in our classes!

Child Development

Support Your Toddler’s Development

Toddlers are magical!

Everything in their world is new and exciting. Their physical and language skills are expanding daily. They are fascinated by every new object and experience they encounter. And they are BUSY!

It can be hard to keep up with all that toddler energy, day in and day out. They need a release, and you need a fun outlet for them.

That’s why Gymboree Play & Music is here! We give toddlers a safe place to run, climb, slide and explore. We foster their development where they are, giving them just enough challenge to inspire, but not frustrate. We introduce them to language concepts, supported by physical activities that reinforce them. All this in a colorful, engaging landscape that beckons them to try something new and spread their wings.

Franchisee Spotlight

Franchisee Spotlight: Las Vegas, NV

In 2007, Rachelle Burciaga embarked on a new adventure, leaving Southern California to become a Gymboree Play & Music franchise owner in Las Vegas. Combining her passion for early childhood education with her entrepreneurial drive, she dedicated herself to providing a space where children thrive and families connect.

“For 17 years, I’ve had the privilege of bringing the joy of learning through play to Las Vegas families. It’s been an amazing journey filled with laughter, growth, and countless special moments. I’m so grateful to be part of this incredible community and to witness the wonder of early childhood unfold each day.”

Outside of Gymboree, Rachelle embraces family adventures with her husband and two children, discovering new treasures and experiences in their vibrant city. 

With a heart full of passion and a commitment to fostering a love of learning, Rachelle continues to create lasting memories and meaningful experiences for families in her community.

Start your own family’s meaningful experiences today at Gymboree Play & Music.