Tag: preschool

Child Development

Supporting Your Little One’s Creativity

“The urge to draw must be quite deep within us, because children love to do it.” ~ David Hockney

Art is incredibly important for young children, as it nurtures their creativity and imagination right from the very beginning.

Through simple art activities like painting, drawing with crayons, and playing with clay, little ones can explore their world and express themselves in fun and colorful ways.

Engaging in art also helps with the development of fine motor skills, and encourages critical thinking and creative problem solving.

Process art experiences allow your child the freedom to explore and create in their own way. Their artwork is truly original. There are no examples or models shared, and the adult does not need to “fix” their art work to make it literally representative. The child can create a purple cat with three eyes, and no one will tell them it’s “wrong”.

It’s important to give your child the time and freedom to express themselves and foster their creativity.

At Gymboree Play & Music, we focus on process art and freedom of expression in our Art and Preschool classes. Best of all, they can explore to their heart’s content and you can walk away from the mess!

Find a Gymboree Play & Music location near you today and foster your own child’s creativity!

Child Development

Learning Through Play

There’s no such thing as “just playing” in early childhood. Play allows children to:

✔️ Test ideas and learn how things work
✔️ Learn new skills and solve problems
✔️ Learn to communicate, building language skills
✔️ Take on different roles through pretend play, learning how others think, feel and experience the world
✔️ Learn about symbolism, supporting literacy and math skills
(zerotothree.org)

By having a trusted, loving adult participate in their play, young children can feel comfortable and confident exploring and testing out new skills – cognitive, physical and social-emotional – building their self-esteem and love of learning.

We’ve based the Gymboree Play & Music programs on play-based learning with adult participation for over four decades, supporting the healthy development of young children from birth to kindergarten. Find a Gymboree Play & Music location near you today.

Child Development, Summer

Your Solution for Keeping Your Child Busy in The Summer

Hooray….it’s summer! Sunshiny days to kick back and relax. But then you are faced with the proverbial question: what should we do today?

Lazy days spent at the beach, lake or park are no longer as simple when you have to pack a bunch of extra supplies and be ever vigilant to be sure your baby isn’t eating sand or dirt, your toddler hasn’t wandered off, and your preschooler isn’t getting too close to the water or other hazard.

Gymboree Play & Music is here, ready to be your summer solution!

  • All our classes take the “whole child” approach, supporting your child’s physical, cognitive and social-emotional development.
  • Our proprietary equipment is specifically designed for the “under 5” set, with just the right amount of challenge, unlike playground equipment that is designed for much older (and bigger) children.
  • We are clean, cool and temperature controlled. No sunscreen required on sunny days, no raindrops to avoid on cloudy ones.
  • Have more than one child? We offer Family classes that you can all enjoy together.

With a variety of programs that grow with your child from birth to kindergarten, why go anywhere else? Find a Gymboree Play & Music location near you and join today!

Summer

Keep Your Young Child Busy in The Summer

Your memories of summer camp probably include making lanyards and archery. But, let’s be honest, no one wants to see a two-year old with a bow and arrow!

At Gymboree Play & Music, you can build your child’s own “summer camp” experience – “hiking” across a variety of playscapes, exploring our Gymcushion tent, doing craft projects, or singing songs with friends – with a variety of programs that are sure to delight you and your child:

  • Play & Learn: our original, and signature, program that grows with your child from birth to kindergarten
  • Music: get your little Swiftie moving and grooving to a variety of musical styles from around the world
  • Art: every child has creativity just waiting to be unleashed. But how much better is it when the accompanying mess is somewhere other than your house!
  • Preschool prep: we offer a fun, no stress way to gently introduce your child to independent learning, with parent/child play time followed by a gentle separation time
  • Preschool: our School Skills program is an easy transition to fully independent learning, preparing them for kindergarten

As always, all our play-based programs support your child’s physical, cognitive and social-emotional development.

Pick your favorite, or combine a few, for a fun summer at your local Gymboree Play & Music location that will keep your child busy, happy and learning.

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.

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, Play & Learn Classes

Top 5 Reasons to Attend in the Summer!

Summer, summer, summer, summertime!

It’s tempting to just cancel everything and enjoy unstructured days. But that may not be the best decision for you and your little one.

Here are the Top 5 Reasons to attend our programs in the summer:

  • We’re safer than a playground: our proprietary equipment is specially designed for children up to 5 years old, and there are no “bigger kids” running them over or slamming into them as they come down a slide.
  • We are temperature controlled: you don’t have to worry about rain or excessive sun and heat. You don’t have apply sunscreen to a squirmy toddler, or douse your child with bug spray.
  • We are a safe environment for them to explore: no chasing a toddler around an unconfined area, having your new walker fall on the pavement, or having your baby eat sand.
  • It keeps your the routine your child is used to: as tempting as unstructured days may sound, little ones find a reliable routine to be comforting.
  • Siblings can attend together: we offer classes specially designed to engage multiple age groups, so you can enjoy class as a family!

No matter the reason or season, Gymboree Play & Music is here for you!

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!

Music Classes, Play & Learn Classes

Finding the Best Program for Your Little One

You want to find a program to attend with your little one. But how do you choose? Here are a few things to look for:

Gymboree Play & Music has been the global leader in early childhood education for over 45 years, with research-based programs that grow with your child from birth to kindergarten.

Kind of makes it an easy decision, doesn’t it? Find a Gymboree Play & Music location near you today.