A while ago, I was invited to sample a Gymboree music class together with Julek. I have to confess, we do not attend many classes. I think it is absolutely wonderful there are so many different options out there and I do think they can benefit both children and parents, especially in such a culturally rich place. With so many expats around, some of whom have had their children before having a chance to establish strong, meaningful connections with other adults, they are certainly a great opportunity to meet other parents for support and advice, and children of similar age to yours for future playdates. Why don’t we go to those classes then? Several reasons, I suppose, but first and foremost, we are simply not the type. My son proves to me every single day how similar we are. He is just as hyper, just as strong-willed and just as stubborn as I am. He enjoys some parts of organised classes, but not all of them. He starts off with being a bit too shy to follow instructions in front of strangers, then joins in nicely, just to end up disrupting the class slightly by not being able to focus for long enough. This is how it has always been, it is just his charm. My confession on the subject is that I never persevered or pushed any class. I think we just work better doing things on our own terms, following our instincts. Of course being a designer and organising art workshops myself, it is very easy for me to make sure he is learning about art and music early on. We do a lot of creative activities at home I know other parents cannot provide. I also fully recognise that I am not able to teach him everything and at some point, when he is a little more patient, I will gladly send him to any class he will desire, but so far he still is not consistent enough to do so without adding stress to our routine. Now, having said that, I know plenty of parents, who love such classes and many babies and toddlers, who adore attending them and benefit from them greatly.
I was really curious about the class, especially after hearing the story of her Gymboree adventure from Pa0la, who runs the Luxembourg branch. It was quite fascinating to hear about the full depth of the Gymboree philosophy and their many different endeavours.
On our first Saturday, we arrived to the class slightly earlier to have a little nosy around. The first room is a playground for babies and toddlers, which is (quite geniously) regularly rearranged. Julek was very pleasantly surprised the first time we arrived there and ever so delighted, when he noticed the room was completely different the next time we came! He is at the top spectrum of the size suitability of the playground (my bog boy!), so I can only imagine how much fun it is for the little ones. It is pure joy to watch them run around, climb and discover the play area.
On my side, I loved it. Everyone was extremely nice and helpful, the space was freshly decorated and spotless, and everything in it nicely designed, with consistent colour scheme and top-quality finish. Oops, I cannot switch off my inner designer, so I pay constant attention to visual details.
The class we attended took place in a separate room, to Julek’s momentary despair, since it meant moving away from the climbing planks and slides. He is such a playground type! In spite of his initial reservations, however, he actually got very much into it after a while, which was wonderful to watch. The class itself was made of few sections, but everything felt natural and fluid. The teacher was an absolute sweetheart and had a great contact with the children. No one was pushed to participate, so at different times, different participants were enjoying a short time out. The whole class seemed quite familiar to me, actually. When I was growing up, every kindergarten had a class of rhythmics, preparing us to proper music classes later on at school. This class, to me, was a perfect rhythmics class. The participants were gently encouraged to tap, bang and walk in the rhythm of music, sing simple songs and easier parts of longer lyrics. Some parts were repeated from one class to another, some were new. Julek, of course, enjoyed more physical parts of the programme the most, so dancing, clapping, moving around to the music, but he actually kept singing the opening and closing tune for quite a while! It was also a nice introduction to numerous simple instruments, the concept of choreography and really great to develop a general sense of rhythm.
To me, the class was surprisingly non-invasive. I am simply not wired to do cartoonish voices and jump around uncontrollably, unapologetically in touch with my inner child. I love spending time with children, but I prefer to talk to them and play as a usual me, so you can imagine my relief when I found out that there were no silly faces involved. An incredibly important part to me, was the fact that the class was taught to real music. By real music, I mean REAL MUSIC! Again, I have surprisingly (or perhaps not so surprising, after all) tolerance to squeaky voices and infantile lyrics, and I know for a fact many other parents do, too. I know things will change in coming years and Julek will choose his own favourite tracks soon enough, but I do believe exposing children to good music, visual arts and generally mindful way of living, pays off. Even children’s song were arranged in the 50’s-60’s style, we also danced to the Beatles’ “Mr Postman”. How refreshingly delightful!
I honestly think it is a wonderful space to join. I am fully aware that not everyone is as creative as I am, and they cannot be expected to provide all aspects of musical and visual development their babies and toddlers need. This is why I enjoy running my workshops for other children and this is exactly why I am so happy to see high-quality classes, such as Gymboree, available in Luxembourg. I was really taken with how detailed their operation is. The staff work as a true team, the visuals and design are top-notch and everything has its reason, time and place. Pure bliss!
The Gymboree site is suitable for children from 0 to 5 years old.
It is paid on a monthly basis, you just need to sign up for a minimum of 2 months, so 8 classes. If the length of the enrolment is longer, different packages and promotions will be offered to you. Also, if you are not ready to commit on a weekly basis, there is a 10-pass card, which is valid for 6 months.
Open Gym is offered to all active members. It means that you can use the site as an indoor play area during two three-hour sessions a week!
Main language used in classes is English but teachers are also able to communicate in French while running the class.
There are special classes and camps during school, to keep the little ones busy during their time off.
You will find any information you may possibly need on Gymboree’s website and with their lovely staff.
GYMBOREE TIME! A while ago, I was invited to sample a Gymboree music class together with Julek. I have to confess, we do not attend many classes.
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