It’s wintertime and it’s cold outside, which means that little boys and their mommas are left cooped up inside. Couple that with the recent 13 hour drive home from Georgia which included lots of movie watching, and I have one little boy who is in serious need of DVD detox. The problem is, it’s too cold to go outside and most local things (story time at the library, church play groups, etc.) are on hiatus until the middle of the month.
Enter the local Gymboree.*
If you’re like me, you hear the word Gymboree and you think clothes. And rightfully you should. They have some seriously cute clothes. Remember this picture? It’s all from Gymboree (except for the jeans – Old Navy.)
But I recently learned that Gymboree isn’t just about clothes, they also offer classes and play groups. I was skeptical until I visited one this summer with my sister and her son. The kids LOVED it.
They had singing and playing and jumping and everything a little kid could want. But (there’s always a but) it was expensive. As in really expensive.
Fast forward a few months and here we are, bored, cooped up inside, and expensive or not, Gymboree is looking pretty good right about now. So we went yesterday and checked it out on our own (you can sign up for a free class if you’re interested). And you know what? Henry LOVED it. And I loved it too. I got to be with other moms for an hour and I most importantly I was able to see my child having fun and learning at the same time. I was impressed with how they included each of the kids during the class and they tried to teach things too. Yesterday’s visit was about fire trucks and firemen and they had different exercises that promoted cognitive learning and role-playing. They even gave us a packet of suggested activities to do at home to continue working on what was being taught in class.
So we joined. It ends up costing $9.00 a visit (we get two visits a week) starting this week. We’re going back this afternoon for the “open gym” which will allow Henry a chance to play on his own. I’m excited about it and looking forward to giving Henry something to do. I’m not excited about the cost, but hope it will be worth it in the long run. Plus I’m glad he’s getting some additional socialization with kids his own age.
But since the class is only twice a week, we’re still looking for things to fill our time during the other days. Any suggestions for toddler-appropriate activities? I’m all ears.
* I am no way affiliated with Gymboree and am not getting paid for this post. :)
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