Building community – GYMBO BUZZ – Explore our world and share yours.

Franchisee Spotlight: Southlake, TX

Jessica Fagin has always loved kids. She was a nanny in college, taught Early Childhood – Elementary Education and held managerial positions at children’s retail stores before she even knew about Gymboree Play & Music.

She learned about the programs while working at a Gymboree retail store across the street. It was only natural that, when she had her daughter, she would enroll her in classes, hold birthday parties and attend events at Gymboree Play & Music!

“I loved participating in Gymboree Play & Music with my children. We made many friends while in classes, spent quality time bonding with each other, the classes of course helped them develop, and they gave me inspiration for parenting and activities to do at home with the help of their toys. We all have such fond memories of our Gymboree days, and I wanted to pass that on to new families.”

Jessica especially loves meeting families from around the world who attend classes at her location, and many of her team members are from other countries too.

“It warms my heart when I see our families making friends – the children playing together and giving each other hugs, and the adults exchanging contact information and making playdates at our center.”

Find a Gymboree Play & Music location near you to enter your child’s world of play and create new friendships today!

Franchisee Spotlight

Franchisee Spotlight: Norman, OK

Congratulations to Tana Domingos in bringing Gymboree Play & Music back to Norman, OK.

Tana raised her own children at the Norman, OK location where they built a community of lasting friendships and shared milestones. Her experiences at Gymboree Play & Music also informed her role as a parent and her perspective on early childhood education.

“My biggest inspiration has always been my own children. Their experiences at Gymboree Play & Music showed me how powerful play can be, not just for kids, but for families building relationships and support systems. That experience continues to guide me today.”

Tana is a certified early childhood teacher and has spent years working closely with families and young learners and says she has always believed in the power of play-based learning.

“Reopening the Norman location is a way to bring that belief full-circle and give families a space that feels joyful, supported and rooted in connection.”

Build your own community and create lasting friendships at a Gymboree Play & Music near you!

Franchisee Spotlight

Franchise Spotlight: Palmetto Bay, FL

We are excited to announce that Gymboree Play & Music has returned to Palmetto Bay, FL, and would like to welcome our newest franchisee, Helen Wright.

Helen started her Gymboree Play & Music journey as many of our franchisees do: as a mom in our classes. She started attending when her twin girls were just three months old, and – as Helen says – they spent “2 1/2 more happy years at classes and open gyms singing, swinging, jumping and playing”.

Helen found herself re-evaluating her priorities and what mattered to her most a few years later when one of her girls suffered a life-threatening illness, thankfully surviving after a transplant. “I realized I wanted to offer other parents and grandparents those magical moments of fun and play in a safe setting that I had so valued with my own children”.

She left her corporate job and spent six months teaching at our Coral Gables, FL location as her next step towards eventually opening her own location.

Her new Gymboree Play & Music location is open NOW and Helen is looking forward to welcoming families to come play and learn in Palmetto Bay!

You can find magical moments with your little one at a Gymboree Play & Music location near you.

Community

Summer Fun With Your Baby

You’ve had a baby…how exciting! But whether you have a newborn or they are about to celebrate their first birthday, they are a first child or a “repeat performance”, chances are that you’ve been a bit housebound for the past several months.

It’s time for both of you to get out, make new friends, and find a community of families who are at the same point in their child’s developmental journey.

And, while babies don’t “play” with each other, there’s something about watching your little one recognize and connect with another one that just makes you feel all warm and gooey inside!

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

We don’t just offer classes. We build communities. Find a Gymboree Play & Music location near you and join our community today!

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!

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.

Franchisee Spotlight

Franchisee Spotlight: Westfield, NJ

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 Play & Music 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 Play & Music 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”!

Child Development, Community

Build Sweet Memories

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.

At Gymboree Play & Music, 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!

Community, Holiday Fun!, Uncategorized

Be a Part of Our Community as We Celebrate the Season

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 Gymboree Play & Music location near you!