Gymboree Play & Music, Upper West Side

What to expect in class: We’ll explore new physical challenges every week through teacher-led activities, with a focus on different ways to use each piece of our equipment. Crawl through tunnels, explore different textures, slide down slides (or climb up slides!), toddle over bridges, or take a ride in a swing!! We’ll also practice social skills and memory building through sing-alongs and group-play. Benefits: Physical: Challenging walkers to explore physical movements like climbing, crawling, and balancing supports healthy muscle and bone development. Cognitive: Repetition, songs, and interacting with their familiar adult supports language development, vocabulary, and memory. Social: Our classroom environment supports little ones with building confidence and feeling more comfortable in unknown places. Adults: Get quality time with your little one and give them the space they need to practice their new-found skills!

What to expect in class: We boogie down with our babies, get up and dance, give them baby massages, sing them songs, and explore new physical challenges every week through teacher-led activities on the equipment. Explore tummy time from a new perspective or on a new texture, slide down slides on soft lambskins, or take a ride in a gentle swing! Play as a group and socialize with others! Sing songs, learn a routine, and PLAY! Benefits: Physical: Tummy time, crawling, and physical activity stimulate gross motor development, problem solving skills, and spatial awareness. Cognitive: Songs, rhymes, chants, and routines support language development, memory, and communication skills Social: Our classroom environment promotes social and emotional learning Adults: Learn ways to play with your busy crawler! Enjoy games and activities, you can repeat at home, chat with other caregivers, and get some uninterrupted time with your little one.

What to expect in class: Experience music from all around the world-- music from both past and present, near and far! From The Beatles to Bach! In Music 1, children will delight in the sound of instruments, and “singing” through musical baby talk. They'll enjoy being sung to, experiencing new sounds and the anticipation of surprise! Benefits: Physical: Sensory exploration time is supported while children practice their motor skills, which is crucial for your baby’s overall development. Cognitive: Music-play helps activate parts of the brain responsible for music and speech processing. It creates an early appreciation of music and supports language development. Social: Through music, you can hear and feel emotions. Tunes can be happy, sad, or angry! This supports social development in understanding emotions in a new way. Adults: You get to engage with your little one making emotional connections and strong bonds. Being involved in your child’s play helps both of you feel more connected.

What to expect in class: Our play floor comes to life with trips to the grocery store, eating pizza, finding animals, and even bugs! We’ll use creativity and imagination in all activities. Throw a pretend party, imagine a wild trip to outer space, or pretend to be an ant in a bug’s world...we’ll transform our playscape into a whole new world! Benefits: Physical: Jumping, climbing, crawling, and dancing all support improved balance and coordination skills along with building strong muscles and bones. Cognitive: Playing in this class supports pretending and imagining, which benefits problem solving skills, communication, and creativity. Social: The classroom environment helps children prepare for school, learn how to be around other children and socialize. Adults: School is just a few years away, and in this class, you get to witness your child’s mind come to life and be part of their learning journey. They are only this little for so long, let’s enjoy the moments and play!

Children are given free range to explore the set-ups, with their adults within a hug’s reach. Let your child take the lead and run out some wiggles!

(Newborns) Just getting comfortable being out of the house and beginning to explore! What to expect in class: You’ll learn a variety of ways to play with your newest little bundle of joy. Non-mobile babies are exposed to sensory play, songs, and the beginnings of social play. Meet like-minded parents while our expert teachers lead you through nurturing exercises and activities that stimulate your baby’s brain development. The first stepping stone to sparking a love of learning!

It’s all about opposites: loud and quiet, fast and slow, up and down! Contrasting ‘themes’ help your child learn better ways to communicate. We move across the bridge sllowwwly and then fast! They'll learn how to control body movements and use their body to navigate and problem solve across monkey bars, giant cushions, and through little tunnels. We’ll also practice repetition and routine with regular parachute and bubble activities. Soon your little one will be leading the Gymbo Dance!

What to expect in class: It’s all about opposites: loud and quiet, fast and slow, up and down! Contrasting ‘themes’ help your child learn better ways to communicate. We move across the bridge sllowwwly and then fast! They'll learn how to control body movements and use their body to navigate and problem solve across monkey bars, giant cushions, and through little tunnels. We’ll also practice repetition and routine with regular parachute and bubble activities. Soon your little one will be leading the Gymbo Dance! Benefits: Physical: Exploration of the different equipment supports problem solving, navigating skills, and confidence. Cognitive: Repetition, songs, and interacting with their familiar adult supports language development, vocabulary, and memory. Social: Our classroom environment supports social and emotional development. Adults: Need your little one to take a good nap? This class is high energy and full of fun. In fact- you might want to take a nap too!

Where they are: These children are in the prime of PLAY! They are imagining, creating, and becoming independent learners. They are taking on new challenges, separating from their familiar adult and building the social skills needed for their preschool journey and beyond. What to expect in class: Engaging themes like outer space, animals, and bugs continue to foster imagination and allow adults and children to play together, building confidence and trust. Parent/child play time is followed by a gentle separation time where children are engaged by expert teachers in social activities and brain games like puzzles, playdough, and storytime. Class ends with celebration and the return of the adults, reminding children that adults always come back!