Gymboree Class!

We visited Gymboree Play & Music today.  I admit - after teaching at The Little Gym for several years, I was a bit skeptical to schedule the visit.  But, I know how music benefits babies.  So that combined in a social setting was the perfect opportunity for Cam and Levi.  Studies have shown how music enhances listening,verbal and counting skills.  Plus I have always been curious on what Gymboree's curriculum is like.  And I'm so glad we checked it out!

We arrived a few minutes early and were greeted with name tags.  The Director Mary Ellen helped us inside to get settled.  The name of our class was "Music I" for ages 6-16 months.    There were 4 other babies in class:  8, 9, 11, and 12 months.  Our teacher was Ms. McCord, and Cam loved her.  She had a great singing voice and incredible interaction with the babies.  

The class was filled with songs, both live and in the background.  We experimented and played with different instruments (drums and xylophone) and other small items:  parachute, scarves, balls and bubbles.  The first few minutes was a welcome song where the kids were encouraged to "rub the drums" singing loud, soft, making ssshhh sounds, etc.

These are the faces of Levi and Cam for at least half of the class!  They were just so absorbed with their new environment, and with Ms. McCord.  I was so proud of Cam for sitting up for the entire class!  She completely forgot that I was there.  To them it was like a rock concert!  They loved it.

I was able to sneak beside them for this part to get a glimpse of their sweet faces.  It was sweet to watch them glance at each other and reach out; as if to check on each other.  

As Levi got more comfortable, he crawled around and mingled with the other adults and babies.  Cameron could NOT stop studying Ms McCord.  She grinned at her was in AWE!  The class was the perfect size - not too big to overwhelm them, and not too small.  The parachute part was cool since it involved the entire group.  I was a little worried about bringing two by myself, but it was perfect!  The room was big enough for Levi to crawl around if he wanted to; yet small and cushy enough to stay safe.  The staff keeps the place clean and bright.

Scarves were thrown on top of the parachute for more music and games.  Ms. McCord is playing peek-a-boo with Levi as Cam looks on.

These bubbles are amazing!  They are made of a gel which causes them to move slower.  So, the kids can track them better.  And when they land, some stay on the surface!  Look closely and you'll see a tiny bubble stuck to Cam and Levi's heads!  We have some at home that we plan to use during our play times.

After bubbles, each child was handed a ball to work on grip strength and hand/eye coordination.  Ms. McCord made her way around the circle, interacting with each child.

Levi found a spot in the middle of the circle to take it all in.  Now, he's forgetting that I'm even there.

The class introduces different songs, games, and instruments each week.  They also have open-gym time throughout the week.  When Cam and Levi are separated, they can still attend a missed class in Allen (for Levi) and this one (for Cam).  Or go to open-gym anytime!  Such a great way to meet other babies and moms.  Plus they give you discounts in the Gymboree retail stores.


We hope to be back again sometime!