I've been taking my son to Gymboree Play & Learn since early February. I thought I'd write an update to my previous Gymboree post to tell you how it's working out.
First, my son is getting used to it. For the longest time he was very hesitant to participate in any of the activities. Now, he's pretty enthusiastic about it. I still have to coax him along. Overall though, I think he gets the idea.
His favorite activity is the parachute. At first, all the kids sit in the middle and we drag them in a circle. Then, the kids go under the parachute while the parents stand on the edges and bring the parachute up and down. He loves it! I can always count on him playing with the parachute without any coaxing from me.
Second, there is a social component to Gymboree. While the kids don't actually play together, they still interact. My son is learning to share and wait his turn. He also watches other kids and sees what they're doing. Since my wife and I will not have any more children, it's important he gets a lot of social interaction.
Third, from a parent's point of view, it can be exhausting. It's not one of those things where you take your kid there, drop them off, then fall asleep and drool all over yourself. No, the parents also participate. Further, parents are responsible for keeping their kids safe.
Don't get me wrong, Gymboree is set up to be a very toddler-friendly environment. But I still need to be by my little DS in case he loses his balance on some of the activities, falls down, etc. Don't expect the employees there to be babysitters.
One of the best parts about Gymboree is that it gets us out of the house. And it wears my son out enough that he takes a really good nap on Gymboree day.
The only downside is that Gymboree is a bit pricey. I think we pay something like $70 +/- a month.
Yes, I'd recommend Gymboree to anyone looking for something to do with their toddler besides sit at home and watch TV. If there's one close to you and you can afford the price, go for it!
Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with Gymboree in any way (other than being paying customer), nor am I being compensated for writing this post. This is my personal, unbiased opinion.
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