I was up early with not much to do and got a bit of cabin fever when I looked outside to see it’s still winter out there. So, I looked around at what kind of professional indoor ‘fitness’/play facilities are in my area.
One that I found is Gymboree Play & Music. It’s on the small side but it has plenty of foam play objects like climbers, rollers, and tunnels. I couldn’t help but make a mental note of some of the equipment, like a wood climbing board (finished plank of wood angled like a ramp with shapes that babies can grab and rest their feet on).
They also had lots of stairs that lead up to bridges to cross over. Hanging off/under the bridge were noisy toys that the kids could whack and shake.
My son was a little excited and overwhelmed, so I didn’t get to see him play too much on the different equipment. He spent most of the time just walking around and taking in the scenery. Certainly the best benefit would be for repeat visits for toddlers to get acquainted, and thus get more comfortable and creative with the facilities.
Not only didn’t I get to see if my son even liked the soft climbers enough to warrant buying for home, but I found Gymboree to be a bit too cutesy. While it’s true they have open time to allow the children and parents to freely enjoy the facilities, their main attractions are age appropriate classes complete with singing, dancing, bubbles, and parachutes.
While Gymboree has its appeal, it’s time to move on to the next place.