Song & Dance Make Gymboree Play & Music Classes Fun!

Today we have a guest blog post from GymboFams Ambassador Allison!

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Allison started attending Gymboree Play & Music when son, Christopher, now 4 years old, was 16 months old. She also has a daughter Annie, now 2 years old.

Walking out of a Family Gym class, I often find myself humming Dance Gymbo Dance – its catchy. My kids sing it too. When we are stuck in traffic, mini-Gymbo goes “up and down” “side to side” and “peek-a-boo” in the backseat.

My favorite though, is my kids cleaning up their toys every night, singing/yelling, “Toys away, toys away, let’s put all our toys away.”

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(Annie is always ready to help clean up in class)

Gymboree Play & Music fosters learning in a play environment. Christopher’s first word was “bubble” – I certainly wasn’t blowing bubbles at home every week. Some credit lies with hisGymboree Play & Music teachers singing “bubbles for Christopher” and all the other student in class, every week. The first complete song Annie sang to me was “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” We would sing it every week under the parachute in level 4.

Annie makes requests in class. She asks her teachers for her favorite songs: “Put Your Finger On” and “Apple Tree.” Her first year of Gymboree Play & Music was attending Christopher’s classes in a baby carrier. Before she started participating in her own classes, she would have Christopher sing her the songs.

Their new favorite is “Slippery Fish” from Family Music. It has been added to our bedtime routine. Christopher and Annie know all the words, and all the moves. They have started adding sea creatures to make the song longer (and bedtime a few minutes later). “Slippery Fish” has also been added to our “Gymbo Music” playlist (a playlist I created on my phone with our favorite songs fromGymboree Play & Music classes).

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(Christopher singing about Hammerhead Shark in Family Music)

*Mom tip* Inevitably, there will be weeks when the kids get sick, or weather keeps you from getting to class, the Gymbo Music playlist is a lifesaver. Even when we cannot see our favorite teachers, or dance with Gymbo, we have his music to calm our bodies.

Follow Allison on Instagram right here: https://www.instagram.com/typeawithtoddler/

Gymbo Live Tour at Gymboree Play & Music, Lafayette

The first ever Gymbo Live Tour event at Gymboree Play & Music, Lafayette was a smashing success!

The 3 one hour sessions with Gymbo were completely sold out!  In addition to lots of play time on our playscape, our young guests enjoyed painting a mural in our Art Room.

These young artists also entered a Live Gymbo Crayon Raffle, where they colored a Gymbo page for a chance to win a Private Play Date here at Gymboree with 10 of their favorite friends!

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Square Baby Food, a new organic baby food company based in Orinda, was on site passing out free samples and tote bags for all our guests.  Our families were thrilled to see Gymbo dancing, blowing bubbles, and waving our famous parachute in the air!  It was a morning to remember — thank you for visiting Lafayette, Gymbo!!

Follow Gymboree Play & Music, Lafayette on Facebook.

Book a FREE preview class right here.

See where the Gymbo Live Tour is going next: 

https://www.facebook.com/pg/gymboreeclasses/events/

Gymboree Play & Music Launches Gymbo Live Tour on September 12th!

Gymbo is on a mission to build confident learners everywhere!

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Meet Gymbo Live!

Get ready for the ultimate play adventure! Meet Gymbo live on tour at Gymboree Play & Music locations around the country!

Hop on a whimsical parachute ride and experience fun-filled playscape activities. And pose for a photo with Gymbo!

See if Gymbo is coming to your city right here: http://www.gymbotour.com/

Gymbo Takes on San Francisco for the Gymbo Live Tour Pre-Launch celebration.

GymboFams Ambassador @leo110 had a great day with Gymbo in New York City! Gymbo was at the Gymboree Play & Music, Park Slope on September 12th.

12 Non-Toy Gift Ideas For The Holidays (for babies to preschoolers)

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Toys are magical, especially during the holiday season — they’re educational, fun and downright cute but when you have multiple friends and family members buying for your young children the sheer volume of toys received can be a bit overwhelming.

So what’s a parent to do when the toy pile keeps growing? Gymboree Play & Music has come up with a list of 12 toy alternatives that will delight and encourage play for children ages 0 to 5 years old.

Sometimes it’s nice to give (and receive) a non-toy present that sparks imagination, creativity and kindness.

Let’s Play!

  1. Dress-Up Clothes – Raid grandma’s closet for old hats, shoes, purses, ties and scarves. Your little one will love playing dress-up and you can add a modern twist by taking selfies of each outfit.
  2. Museum Events – Choose a specific event at a local museum, this way kids can visualize their upcoming adventure.  For example if you live near Rochester, NY you might choose The Berenstain Bears: Down a Sunny Dirt Road at The Strong National Museum of Play. What’s going on in YOUR town?
  3. Tummy Time Blanket – Babies will love practicing “Tummy Time” on a brightly colored soft blanket. Try Etsy for beautiful handmade blankets.
  4. Sleeping Bag – Toddlers and Preschoolers will love having their own sleeping bag for movie night on the couch or to make a tent with a chair.
  5. Flashlight – Light play is so much fun! A moving light on the wall becomes a shooting star or a faraway planet. It also makes for a great game of on/off for babies.
  6. Charity Bank – Give your child a small bank for their favorite cause. Does your child love pets or recycling? Help them pick a charity and then let them save their pennies in the charity bank. Once the bank is full help them roll the coins and make a donation.
  7. Art Book – Self-publish a book of your child’s artwork from the entire year. They will be thrilled to see that they have their very own published “book”.
  8. Ice Cream Parlor Voucher – Create a “Treat Ticket” redeemable at a brand new ice cream parlor. Children of all ages will love building a triple scoop with their favorite flavors. The whole family can play a guessing game too — have each child choose their own flavors then have the family guess which ones they picked by color and texture.
  9. Huge Cardboard Box – A cardboard box can be a pirate ship, Landspeeder, clubhouse, birds nest or just a fun place to play.
  10. Bath Sponges – Kids of all ages love bath time! Water play not only gets little hands clean but it also makes for creative play. Kids can squeeze water, make bubbles and float their sponge like a boat.
  11. Mystery Box – Create a personalized mystery box of hand-me-down items. Ask grandpa, Aunt Jane and cousin Joe to contribute something fun — items can include things like old stamps, a harmonica or some seeds to plant in the Spring. Decorate the box in bright colors for an added touch.
  12. Baby Lab & Play Lab Classes at Gymboree Play & Music! Baby Lab is a multi-sensory play and learning lab that’s all about building brain power, stimulating reflexes and sharing giggles. Play Lab is an innovative new program that brings S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math) learning to life with projects and activities that were specifically designed for their age group.

Share YOUR ideas for a non-toy holiday gift.