Gymboree Play Center

I am writing because I recently went into Gymboree to cancel my membership. The associate recommended that I put my account on hold so I could use some of my make up classes (I had 12, which was why I wanted to cancel in the first place. I just was not able to fit the classes into my busy schedule at this time). The woman told me she would cancel my account after the month hold, and that I wouldn’t be able to use any make up classes after the cancellation (so use as many as we could during the holding period). I agreed to do this, and was assured by her that my membership would be cancelled the following month. We still only ended up using a couple of them unfortunately. I remember it was very busy as a class was about to begin that day, but the associate told me she would put everything in the computer. She was actually very nice, and was offering this to me because we had so many unused classes. I thought, ‘how nice of her to give us an opportunity to use missed classes!‘
When I got charged for the following month, I called the office right away. Bianca (the manager?) informed me that I would need to come in person to cancel (I already did that!), and that she had no record of my attempt to cancel (not my problem). She also said she wanted to ‘investigate the matter more’ and continued to call and email me with a bunch of ridiculous questions. Bianca never once apologized for this huge inconvenience. Regardless, I am a very busy full time working mom, and don’t have time to «investigate» how her team did not properly take care of a customer. If they misplaced forms, did not enter things correctly, and/​or told the customer they would do something that they did not, then it is their responsibility to fix it in a timely manner. This has been a time consuming issue, and shows that this location is actually more interested in trying to ‘trap’ customers into membership fees THAT THEY WILL NOT USE, instead of just making them happy, encouraging positive word of mouth, and opening the door to joining more classes when their schedule is more open.
Additionally, it goes without saying that it is beyond disappointing when a customer comes in (in person I might add) to cancel their account, and actually ends up getting finangled into being charged for yet another month they will not use! Anyone who has any sense of making customer service a priority, knows what the right thing to do in this situation is.
I will be posting this review on ALL Gymboree sites in the bay area so that everyone knows how Gymboree handles cancellations. I definitely feel obligated to inform others.
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My little one and I love coming on Saturdays to see Rose! She’s a great teacher and always into helping the babies crawl, climb, and loves making them smile as well. The facility is spacious and clean, which is very important. The set up changes so babies will not get bored and the themes are relevant to the babies’ development. I highly recommend this San Mateo location and especially Rose!

I think this is a great option to help kids interact and learn in a different environment from your home
the nice thing about the level 1 – 2 classes is that you can go to any of them. when they’re this young, it’s sometimes hard to predict when they’ll be napping and when they’ll be in the mood for playtime, so it’s nice to have the option to go at different times or different days of the week. it also helps you explore when a good time is without a commitment. when you get to level 3 and above, you have to commit to make the weekly trips at the designated times.
For adults — wear socks! socks are required
We worked with Kjira who was nice, and it’s fun to hear her sing and teach us how to use the play furniture and explore different ways of play that you wouldn’t think of on your own.
I’m going to go out and buy some bubbles now!

We have been members of Gymboree for over 1 ½ years. We started at the San Dimas location and transferred to the San Mateo location last year. Our son loves going and loves the teachers (ie Shoda). Although there is a routine, he seems to pick up something different everytime. We will keep his enrolled until he is too old!

I have been taking my son to Gymboree at Laurelwood Shopping Center since he was 3 months old (he is now 21 months) and we have had a GREAT experience overall. The routine is formulaic, as someone else mentioned, but I think it has been beneficial to my son and other young children. They thrive with repetition and routine, which help them feel comfortable, confident and learn. Plus, I don’t take him there for the «enrichment». I bring him there to socialize with other children, have some fun, climb and explore. He just loves it there! And so do I. I’ve met some other nice moms through our classes there. We have LOVED teachers Mykie and Helene!

We’ve been going to this Gymboree for more than a year now. Most of the time my 2-​year-​old does his own thing instead of participating in the teacher-​led activities. He’s never been into parachute time — anywhere. For the longest time I didn’t think he was into Gymboree, but when he became old enough to express likes and dislikes, it was clear that he LOVES Gymboree. His face beams when he learns we are going there!
We had his 2^nd birthday party there, and it was awesome! Many of the kids had not been there before, but afterwards, some were saying that it was the best party ever! The parents were impressed with the facilities and activities. My son, who was lethargic and fussy earlier that day, instantly turned into a cheery, energetic boy when the party started.
Without a doubt, Teacher Rose is a lot of what’s great about this Gymboree location. Her energy and enthusiasm is out of this world! (I gotta figure out what she eats!) She’s great at getting the kids involved, singing songs, and keeping the pace interesting for everyone. I’m always amazed at how she does it — and keeps doing it!

My young toddler has been attending Gymboree Music & Play Center for the last couple of months. It’s a large, soft-​padded area where the kids can roam free, but there is limited variety in the gym equipment. It seems like the classes are more for parents to FEEL like they are getting the kids involved rather than having the kids actually involved. Ironically, the parents participate in the songs and dances much more than the kids do. Most of the young toddlers just stare and watch, which is still cute, but we can do that at a playground. Bubbles Time and Morocco Time are fun, but again, we can do that at a playground. Gymboree Music & Play works better for older toddlers and pre-​schoolers, who can follow instructions better and participate in more physical activities.
I agree with another reviewer that girls tend to get more involved in the activities than the boys. It may be a personality thing. All I know is that my son will follow the girls around and do anything they are doing. *sigh* They start so young and I am so embarrassed.
1 star off: limited gym equipment
1 star off: limited number of girls!

My son LOVES this place. It is always clean. I really like the structure program. I also enjoy meeting all the moms here and they are all loving and caring.

My son has been going here for 3 months and he almost 2 now. Somehow most of the boys toddler including my son seemed to be running and playing on their own even though the teacher is trying to show them some activities. (Not sure if boys are like this) The girls seemed to participate more from what i can tell.
Anyways… he only join in when it’s bubble time, parachute time, and morroco time. Sometimes if the teacher calls him to do something he will engaged but being in a class of 10 kids it’s not going to happen often.
Anyways I normally go on Weekend and Teacher Rose is Excellent!
However out of the 45 mins, I think my son only spent 15 mins max with the activites and the rest he is running around doing his own thing like most of the boys

Love the liberal make-​up policy and friendly teachers! Lots of singing and fun structured activities. Wish there were better open play gym hours though. I have found facility for be clean and my child rarely gets sick.

Gymboree has expanded to all corners of the world, so they must be doing something right, right? With that in mind, we recently took two classes here with our 6 month old.
Well, he appeared to love it. The music, the gym, the other babies, the bubbles, the tent… Everything seemed to be amusing and mesmerizing to him.
The instructors were cheerful and enthusiastic, and the activities — exploring, singing and dancing — were fun even for us parents. The room was seemingly hygienic, safely padded, spacious and entertaining for kids. There’s a basket for toys that have been chewed or licked, so as long as each parent keeps close eye on his/​her baby, the toys should be germ-​free…
The facility also offers a perfect environment for parents and caretakers to converse and make friends among themselves. Sometimes, that’s as important as letting our little ones play.
We ultimately decided not to enroll given that our boy wasn’t quite ready to enjoy the «open gym» hours. He’s only crawling at this age and is too small to mingle with toddlers up to 5 years.
SUM: Gymboree, My Gym, Little Gym, Junior Gym… who knows what’s best until we try them all at least once!

We started at Gymboree when my daughter was only four months old. She is now almost two and a half and she still loves it. We have moved up through five levels which are each geared toward a different age group. The equipment is great and it has challenged her throughout the different levels and my daughter loves all the different songs we sing in class. She also likes bubble time, parachute time, and just getting to explore all the equipment. The best part about Gymboree though is Teacher Mykie. She is just fantastic and the main reason we have stayed with Gymboree for so long!

We went on a free pass and did not sign up. Honestly the Belle Haven Library does about the same thing, that girl rocks. But anyway…
the kicker was that Gymboree was pretty grimy. The whole place needed a thorough wash down, the slides, the toys, all of it scrubbed a rub dubbed.

We’ve had nothing but good experiences here. We are drop in participants and have been coming since our son was just a few months old. He’s now 2 and just had his 2^nd bday party there. It was fabulous and we’d do it again, definately.
Teacher Judy is often our teacher and she is excellent. Great voice and engagement with the kids. Our son talks about her outside of class (along with Gymbo the clown). It hasn’t been the great social atmosphere that we had hoped it would, but for a rainy day place to run around — it beats staying indoors at home!

My daughter is 15 months old and we’ve been taking her to Gymboree Play & Music since she was 2 months old. She has always seemed to enjoy going to Gymboree but now she is very vocal about it. When it is time for class, I ask her if she wants to go play at Gymboree and she runs for the door. Once we pull into the parking lot, she is clapping and jabbering away. We just moved up to the level 4 class today and she loves it even more than previous levels. Gymboree is a great place for kids to run and explore and interact with other youngsters. The teachers are great and seem to actually enjoy their jobs.
Since I’m a teacher and home for the summer, we’ve been taking advantage of the unlimited PlayGyms that are included with your weekly class. It’s basically a free time for you and you and your little one to explore the equipment in an unstructured way. Added bonus — you get coupons and Gymbucks throughout the year for discounts at the Gymboree clothing store just for being a Play & Music member!

My niece has been going here for about 3 months now. She’s never been in preschool and there aren’t a lot of other young kids in our family. It’s great to have a place where she can run around and interact with other children, while not breaking the bank. There are a lot of different play structures for her to play on, all of which seem completely safe. There is a set teaching plan for each session, but the kids are allowed to play on their own if they wish. Parents are encouraged to participate as well. The classes are divided by age, with each level representing approximately a 4 – 5 month age range. I think the setup is great, and my niece seems to love it. I would definitely recommend Gymboree to parents!
Update: My niece fell, or something — we’re not quite sure, and ended up with several cuts in strange places. She had to go to the ER. This would have maybe been acceptable if Gymboree had told us about it when we came to pick her up. However, there was no mention of this. Apparently there is no monitoring of the children while they’re alone there in the 3 – 5 year olds class.

My son has been going here for about 6 months and absolutely loves it. The teachers are great and make every effort to get to know your child. I love the structure in the program and the repetition of the songs. My son used to be very shy and a very clingy, but I have noticed a difference– he is so much more confident and just loves his level 3 class.
Teacher Mykie ROCKS!

I like the concept, but I decided not to join after visiting two free classes (once without and once with my husband) and discussing it with some other moms who joined. The program seemed a bit thin and and the facilitators didn’t seem all that strong to me. Perhaps it was the off-​key singing of Itsy Bitsy Spider that got to me or the repetition of the curriculum (what I witnessed and what other moms described to me — I forget the formula, but it started to feel formulaic after 2 classes).
I like Junior Gym better (where we ended up joining). There is some repetition there (and if memory serves, some similarities between the two: circle time singing, playing with a parachute, bubbles), but Junior Gym has more variety, doesn’t feel as corporate, and I like the physical space better (bigger, more open space, better equipment and mats for climbing/​playing).
One thing that is superior about Gymboree is free and easy parking.
Overall Gymboree isn’t terrible, I just thought the program could’ve been more solid and it wasn’t a good value for what they charge.

A fun place to bring an infant or a toddler, as they have various group classes all week for fun, games, social interaction. If you’re a parent who lives in a small home or does not have a lot of space for a kid to crawl and prance around and you live in the area, this place is great.
They offer free trial classes too. Even going once will do wonders for the little one. Plus you get to meet other parents too.