One of the early pioneers in children’s exercise and enrichment, Gymboree Play & Music currently has seven thriving venues in Manhattan alone. Joanne Hirkaler, the director of operations overseeing these locations, gave us the lowdown on the franchise’s enduring appeal, along with some insights into what city families really want.
Does Gymboree have a core philosophy? What distinguishes it from other children’s programs offering exercise and enrichment?
Our overall philosophy has always been that we deal with the whole child. We don’t just focus on the physical development; we do cognitive, physical, and social. Naturally, parents are always enchanted by the physical part; they always come in with their cameras when their children first start walking or accomplishing other physical milestones. But parents really appreciate the other important aspects of our classes, whether it’s cognitive development like working on opposite concepts (such as up/down, left/right, or hard/soft) or the socialization of learning how to be around other kids. For many years we had a tagline that, I think, perfectly captured the spirit of our classes. It was: Play With A Purpose. That still says it all.
My kids are 13 and 9 now, but I was once a Gymboree parent when they were very little. I remember a lot of emphasis on bonding, really getting in there and helping them, enjoying the time with them. Is that still how it is?
For us, it’s not just about the baby or toddler; it’s about the family, especially in early classes, which are designed for the parent, grandparent, nanny, or sitter to play with the child and support them in every activity. For instance, you cannot instruct a 12-month-old to climb the bridge ladder using their bilateral coordination. But you can say, “Grown-ups, please help your little ones onto the bridge climber and support their backs as they climb each notch. Your touch helps them feel safe.” It’s constant encouragement. The parent/caregiver is, in most cases, a child’s first and best role model. Later, as the child develops and becomes more independent, the parent steps back a bit and gives verbal support. In all situations, bonding is happening!
What are your core age groups and offerings?
We are a great place for 0-5 years. Many families start really early with us because there’s a lot of nurturing and learning going on even in our infant and baby classes, which are 0-6 months and 6-10 months. For example, in the infant class, we do discussion time and every lesson plan has a topic. New parents are very happy to share their experiences—the good, the bad, everything.
Other offerings?
The main class, the one we’re famous for, is Gymboree Play & Learn (with age-appropriate levels for 0-5 years). Those are all in the gym. The other core classes are Music (6 months to 5 years) and Art (18 months to 5 years). But the most popular program to come along in recent years is our preschool alternative class—which we call School Skills—for 3-5 years. It’s a drop-off. As you could imagine, it’s a fraction of the price of a preschool in the city, and most families do it for at least two days a week. One of the things that makes us a little different is that many preschools don’t have a gym—but, naturally, we dedicate a part of the day to time in our gym.
When you’re so geared to focusing on 0-3 years, is it hard to do a great job with the 3-5 group?
Not really. Adolescents would be another story. But 3- to 5-year-olds are very much a part of our mission. In fact, in recent years, we’ve also instituted a dedicated sports program for those ages, which covers the basics in a lot of sports: t-ball, track and field, hockey, soccer, tennis, and more. What’s great about that is it gives the child and the parent a clear direction to move in when they’re ready to go deeper into particular sports. That’s better than spending money on ten tennis lessons—and all that equipment—only to find out your child isn’t really into the sport.
Do you also do camp programming for 3-5?
Yes, we call it Bubble Camp. It incorporates all of our core activities—sports, music, and art—but also introduces lessons from our Global Kids lessons plans. Every week they get to visit a new culture.
In addition to classes, does Gymboree offer any special events?
In the course of the year, we have a number of fun events for members and non-member families, including our Shamrock & Roll Party and our Autumn Pumpkin Party.
I noticed that Gymboree has begun to offer lifetime memberships. Does that work? When my kids were little, I wanted to try out lots of different venues.
For parents who love our program and think about it practically, it’s a great deal—basically allowing you to take two classes every semester from birth through age 5.
After everything we talked about, you haven’t mentioned Gymbo, the franchise’s iconic clown sock puppet. Should I be concerned? Is he still around?
No worries. Of course, he is!
Eric Messinger is the Editor of New York Family.
