Gymboree Play and Music

We started going to this place 3 months ago. My daughter loves this place she get so happy when we get there. The instructors are friendly and know how to work with babies.
The only thing is that a few equipments need to be updated and the walls needs to be painted.

I was so excited and thrilled to bring my then 9 month old to his first of what I thought many Gymboree classes. My intention to bring my son was to keep him interactive with other children while he was home (away from Daddy day care) for the summer.
What first attracted me to the class was the option to go to a class for free. It was an easy set up of choose your child’s age range, your given options of days and time for the class, select one, enter an email, your sent a confirmation and done. This was how we started our 1 of 4 classes we attended.
The first class was great, it was fun, interactive and I had no idea my son could climb up stairs until it was brought upon him. Since he had so much fun I went ahead a purchased a different class not offered for free for the following week, this is where things changed.
We live about 20 mins away with no traffic, during rush hour 40 – 45 mins. The one class we did purchase was on a Saturday early morning (9ish) when we arrived we noticed no cars in the lot, just assuming we are early we proceeded into the class room, not greeted but told class would be cancelled due to an emergency (a receptionist emergency), so no class can be taught? she replied I’m waiting to see if I can get someone to cover for me, if you’d like to wait.. which we did. Another girl did show up, only to tell us since our son was the only one there to take the class, we would have to return another time. Something we where not aware of, there has to be at least 3 kids in the class for their to even be a class.
Which made me think okay so if I do purchase a month worth of classes (your credit card is charged automatically monthly) drive those 20 – 45 mins in traffic, show up and be told 15 mins past the class start. Okay we’ll you’re the only ones who showed up, no class! so it got me thinking why don’t they inform the parents, but there was response was they have no way of knowing if children will show up or not.
The final decision after 2 free classes and 2 paid classes I decided not too join was I could not join online as they promote on their website I could, I was told I would have to come in to the location and sign up there, by then I was just annoyed with everything and never went in. I have read reviews of other Gymboree locations and it bothers me that I’m more willing to drive 30 — 60 mins out of my area just to join a Gymboree that is better in everything all around reviewed.

I called in left message the day after Thanksgiving wanting to know if they would be open for black Friday Never got a call back and that’s okay I understand they probably got busy, but when I called at 430pm later that day I mentioned I left a message that morning and I was told that they had just opened 30 minutes ago and that was a lie. I knew it was a lie because I called there other location and they told their hour for black Friday (9am to 6pm) so I asked the gentleman «you are only opening for two hours today) and he said YES only two hours for today! So disappointed because it’s not a big deal if you forget to call someone back all you need to do is apologize for nobody calling back and that’s all but please don’t lie!!! This is why I’m giving it a one star and I’ll be going to the Encino location!

The instructors are friendly and peppy. Gym equipment could be updated a bit as some pieces show some wear and tear. Room itself could use some deep cleaning every now and then as the carpets look dirty and have seen cobwebs and dust in various parts of the room. They also say they clean everything that gets put in their «icky bucket», but i’ve seen parents just toss chewed up toys into the regular buckets that get put back. I know that’s the parents fault, but i feel the staff should clean everything once put out, used or not.

took my 9 month old here today for The «music I» class. my friend was taking her son and invited us. the first class is a free trial class so we had to give it a try.
the class was cute and fun. the trip over was all streets from eagle rock so my daughter came in to class with a pre-​existing attitude. the class was rounds and rounds of toys being given to play with and then taken away which she didn’t care for plus the toys didn’t look or feel clean. later on, another baby came over, stole my daughter’s personal ball and then hit her in the face with a hard wooden toy. more bad news.
likes: interactive class, exercise for the parents, bubbles and music for the babies!
dislikes: explanation of membership benefits which I still don’t know what the membership entails because get this, the employees didn’t know! i decided not to join and I told the gentleman that I lived in eagle rock and this was quite a trek and he suggested Monrovia. ummm Monrovia is even further. I don’t think their staff should try to sell/​up sell or refer people if they are not sure themselves what they are talking about (he also didn’t know the cross street when I called). on top of that, the fee is 78 $ for is 4 which comes out to be 19.50 $ per class. idk, kinda steep for me.

Gymboree is so much fun, I’ve been taking my 3 year old sister to classes. She always has so much fun and gets so excited when I tell her where we are going.
The people that work there are amazing and are so nice. Krystal is always so sweet to my sister when we walk in and she gives her a name tag sticker, and always so helpful with all questions and information. Julie is the teacher of the class and is so amazing with all the kids and getting them involved, she is so perfect with all the children. She is always so happy and eager to be with all the kids and get them to learn and play.
I highly recommend taking your children to classes, especially if it’s with these two. It’s great fun with a group of people and a fun bonding experience with your child.

My son has been going to this location since he was 3 months old. He is now 11 months and we continue to go once a week.
The instructor Mary is amazing. She always welcomes my son with a smile and he squeaks with delight.
Thank you Gymbo!

This place is wonderful. I don’t understand why it’s 3 stars. The teachers are high energy and great with the kids. The place is clean, despite what other reviewers say. I’ve seen them disinfect the floors and all of the toys w my own eyes. The classes are well organized and they have a different program each week. The parents are all friendly. IMO the price is well worth the classes. I have never had any issues w the manager or the owner. They are great people. Overall this place is awesome. My daughter loves it!

My son has been coming here for the level 1 and 2 music class since he was 4 months old and now he’s 6 ½ months old now. The instructor Mary is awesome, my son loves her. All the instructors and staffs are all really nice and somehow they can remember all the kids’ names (I thought that was impressive). The parents that are here are all really sweet and it feels like a good family environment.
The price is pretty high, but my son can go to any level 1 and 2 classes which isn’t bad per class. I’ve tried other places that are similar to this one, and it just isn’t the same. The instructors here seemed very genuine and they actually sing and very enjoyable to be around.
My son loves it here and I would highly recommend it for any babies and kids.

I was so disappointed with this Gymboree. I bought the Groupon for one class a week per month and was really excited to take my 10 month old. We went to the Saturday class because both my husband and I work full time. Everything was wonderful and my son seemed to really enjoy it. However, after the second class, my child came down with a cold so we missed the following two weeks. I called Gymboree to explain the situation to see if they would possibly bend their rules and allow make-​up classes (even though our one month Groupon membership was up). They called me back and offered to allow us to take the make-​up classes ONLY IF we signed up for another month of membership at full price!!! First of all, if I only have time on the weekends, and the only weekend class they offer is on Saturdays, when would I have time to take him for the make-​up classes? If they had let us make up the 2 weeks, I would have seriously considered renewing the membership but oh well…

I would advise all parents to stay away from this GYMBOREE location. The place is filled with FILTH, VIRUSES, and is not sanitized properly. I have taken my daughter twice for classes (ONCE FOR PLAY AND LEARN THE OTHER FOR MUSIC) Both times I witnessed with my own eyes toys and instruments being used and not being sanitized before, during or after her class. I contacted the location complaining that my daughter caught a virus both times after attending the classes and that I believed things are not properly sanitized and apparently the owner (TIFFANY CHAN) did not care. I told her about my concern and that I was not going to be bringing my daughter there anymore and would like credit for what I paid (minus the cost of the classes she attended) for a toy that they sold and she REFUSED. How is that good customer service…
Her response was that she believed they had a proper sanitary procedure in tact. Cleaning toys and instruments once in the morning is not considered sanitary. Kids would touch their runny noses then they would play with instruments and then that instrument without being cleaned was put in a storage box to be touched by the next kid. So I will warn parents out there to be careful. I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANY OF THE EMPLOYEES OR CLASS INSTRUCTORS CLEAN ANYTHING IN THAT FACILITY. CLEANING TOYS AND INSTRUMENTS ONCE A DAY IN THE MORNING BEFORE CLASSES IS NOT CONSIDERED SANITARY FOR OUR CHILDREN.

I’ve been a member of Gymboree in South Pasadena for about 6 months and today I am outrage of how stupid, greedy and insensible the «OWNER» of this place is.
We signed up under a special deal that allows you to come to a class 3 times a week for a level 2 class. We came today to a level 3 class to check it out and because we couldn’t make it to the 1PM level 2 class. The owner of this place told us that we wouldn’t be allow to come back to level 2 classes once you start coming to a level 3. I explained we were sorry but didn’t know that policy. She then told us that if we wanted to continue to come to level 2, we would loose our special deal of coming 3 times a week if we stayed in today’s class. It was preposterous! My husband and I were with our baby talking to her and she wanted us to leave because it was «policy» that if you come to level 3 class you will loose your «special deal» of coming 3 times a week and she told us to pay $ 15.00 instead for today’s class. For the owner it was more important to make a point than to keep a customer. What is wrong with people today! YOU are not doing us a favor, WE are bringing business to you. Unbelievable!!! I was so outrage of how she treated us that, I cancelled our membership right then and there.
Moreover, I think the place needs a really good cleaning! Last week when I took my baby there, my child had white cotton shoes and they were black after we got out of there. I told the front desk person and she told since they are right by a freeway they get tons of car exhaust inside the place. I guess everything happens for a reason and is good this happened because I wouldn’t want my child exposed to dirty car fumes!
The only reason why we kept coming to Gymboree was because of AMANDA (instructor) she is really sweet and is a great instructor. I will miss her!

As a working mom who just wants a fun place to bring her 6 month old during the late afternoons or evenings, I found Gymboree Play & Music a fun alternative to the park or library. However, the South Pasadena Gymboree is insistent that you pay for membership, whereas other franchise operations, like the Gymboree in Burbank, had no such requirement. Now, as a working mom, I can’t bring my baby every week, so it wouldn’t be worth it for me to pay for membership. I’m very willing to pay $ 20 per class or $ 10 per free play session, but the South Pasadena Gymboree only let me pay for individual «trial» classes twice. The first class is free, but you are allowed another trial/​audition class or two if you pay for an individual session. Beyond that, you are encouraged to get a membership.
I attended a Music I class, a Play & Learn 2 class, and a Play & Learn 3 class, well as took my baby to one of the Open Gym sessions. Every class was fun, with enthusiastic teachers, and a lot of cool toys. My baby was definitely engaged during bubble time and during the songs. However, all the classes were pretty popular, and there were about 15 – 25 kids in attendance at each class I went to.
For the price you pay, you can get similar fun songs and games at a local library, but minus the cool gym equipment. Check our Baby Story Time at the San Gabriel Library on Tuesday mornings at 10:30 am. I only wish the stories and games were longer than 15 – 20 min at the library. At Gymboree, the total group led fun time closer to 30 – 40 min. It was harder for me to interact with the parents at Gymboree than at the library too. In the Play & Learn 1 (which I attended at the Burbank Gymboree), and I think the Play & Learn 2, there is «circle time» for the moms to share advice with each other.
All in all, Gymboree is fun, but there are other mommy & me activities in our community that are more economical. I’d be willing to go to Gymboree a lot more if the owner of this franchise charges a per visit price instead of making me sign up for a membership.

My son (16 months old) and I absolutely love this place. I cant imaging why the rating is so low. Keep in mind some people need an audience to vent. My suggestion, take the bad reviews with a grain of salt. Go and check out this wonderful facility for yourself… why not?, its free! Where else can you get and hour of free play, hassle free with an instructor? No where that I know of…
I strongly recommend to try gymboree. Besides the cleanliness and high energy atmosphere, this place is great for your child to interact with other children that are of similar age. I hope you disregard the poor reviews and go see how great this place really is. Remember, opinions are like noses, everybody has one!
Hopefully, you go, check it out… then come back and share what you think! IT’S FREE! YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE!

I have been taking my 20 months old baby here for a few months now, and I think this is a nice place for toddlers to socialize with other kids while enjoying different learning activities.
They have plenty of activities for the relatively short class (45 min). They basically teach a different theme each time like in and out, and up and down. etc and they apply it with the kids in the playground.
They do a lot of singing and moving with the music, they blow bubbles which is my son’s favorite part, and they have parachute time where kids get a fun parachute ride.
I attended classes with three different teachers and I can say that some are more energetic than others, but the program itself is interesting enough that my son likes coming no matter who the teacher is.
I agree that it is kind of expensive ($ 78/​month) for 4 classes, but for me it was either this or a preschool which is pretty expensive in this area.
As for the cleanliness I honestly did not see anything that worried me. The place always looks clean.
We never had a sick teacher coming to class before but generally speaking I think any place with young kids is always a place where you are more likely to catch germs no matter how clean it is. So you better not forget to sanitize both yours and your baby’s hands, and they have a couple of bottles of sanitizer at the front desk for that purpose.

When I found out that there was a Gymboree Play & Music in South Pasadena near our home, I began to consider enrolling our infant son in classes. When a Groupon promotion became available for one month of classes, I purchased it and enrolled my son. After the first two weekend classes, I was impressed with the classes, the location etc, but I thought my son might be better suited to the older Play & Learn 3 classes instead of the Play & Learn 2 class. So on the third weekend, I enrolled my son in the P&L 3 class, which meant that i missed the P&L 2 class. About 2 minutes after we started the class, it became immediately obvious that the class was too advanced for my son. When I spoke with the person at the desk, she said that was no problem and that we could have a make up class the following week and that if we ever missed a class for any reason it was easy to have a make up class with their liberal make up policy. The following week we were unable to attend the class. When we went this week, we were informed that make-​up classes effectively weren’t available with the Groupon promotion since the promotion was for one month, not a number of classes, and so once it was over, there was no way to have a make up class. Of course that was not explained when we were told not to worry, we can make up the class. The person was very critical of the Groupon promotion and when I explained what I’d been told, was completely unsympathetic. I feel the misunderstanding was at least in part due to the information I was given by the Gymboree employee. Turns out the person I was speaking to, who was quite clear that she did NOT care about the situation and had absolutely no interest in rectifying the situation and our disatisfaction, turned out to be the owner of that particular franchise.

I was a bit worried when I saw the rating for this place but then realized the one review was from 2008 and the other person didn’t even go there. Sorry, but you really should GO to the place before you give them a one star rating.
Anyways…
I had a Groupon for a month of classes and decided to give it a try. I thought if the South Pas one isn’t good I can always go to the one in Monrovia. I went to FOUR classes before this review to make sure that I was giving a quality review.
I can say that this place is great! First, the cleanliness issue. The place was spotless when there and there was hand sanitizer «stations» on the wall. There was also a set of cubbies for shoes (you go in socks) and coats. The kids do play with toys and if they chew on them (I have an infant 10 months old) then you put those in the «icky» bucket so no one else gets your germs. Granted, you do have to TRUST that other parents will pay attention but they do. It is in the basement of the war memorial building so there is a slight «basement» type smell but it was clean. Upstairs is a dance studio so from time to time you have some noise from that… but the kids are so busy singing and playing that they don’t notice.
Next, the teachers. We had classes with James and Jennifer who were both great. James was very high energy and my daughter just smiled and smiled at him. They both have fantastic singing voices and clearly love what they do. The format is pretty much the same — welcome songs, a few activities, free play, and then closing songs with bubbles and parachute time.
My daughter loved the songs and some of the activities — some she just didn’t but there’s no pressure. Both teachers always made us feel welcomed and always called my daughter by name and encouraged her to try the toys and equipment. Plus there is some free time with activities so parents can go to certain things or not.
I only really had two issues. The first issue is NOT the fault of Gymboree but I do want to give a heads up to future visitors. Right now Fair Oaks is having some construction right in FRONT of the place. Be prepared to leave with plenty of time so you don’t miss any part of class.
Second, I don’t think I’d do Gymboree without the Groupon. Normally it runs $ 78 for a month and there’s a registration fee. There’s usually a promo for some money off the registration fee but you still pay part of it. I’m on a tight budget so this was a bit much for me. When she’s older and I’m back to work I might consider it because the classes are fun.

I took my three month old baby boy to Gymboree today, curious as to what he and I could learn to help him develop. We had a free class coupon, and I figured, why not? My little guy could totally use the outing, and maybe we’d find something new to do together.
I walked in, and was greeted by the instructor, Margaret, who had a very raspy voice. I heard her coughing, and one of the mom’s asked about allergies. «No,» Margaret replied. «I’m still trying to get rid of this cold.» WTF! This woman is interacting with children under six months old while SICK? I know I can’t keep my kid in a bubble, but I don’t want to expose a little guy to an actual cold yet. Why was this woman even allowed to be there, and why hadn’t she stayed home out of common sense? I doubt my baby will get sick, but why would she risk it?
I didn’t want to be a princess and throw a hissy fit and storm out, so I stayed for the Stage One class — and just tried to keep some space between my baby and the instructor. There were three other moms and babies. And my little guy, to be fair, enjoyed it. We sang songs and moved the babies limbs to make them more body aware. We had some «tummy time», over a mirror, while the instructor rolled spinning balls in front of the kids to get them to lift their heads. We did some exercises up some low-​incline wedges to help work the little guys’ legs. But finally, there was bubble time — and Margaret blew clouds of soap bubbles ALL OVER THE BABIES. Jesus, lady, why not just spit on them??? She’s suggesting the moms let the bubbles land on the babies faces and hands so they can feel it. I’m like, NO. My baby was totally fascinated by the bubbles, I figure that’s enough.
I also really doubted the cleanliness of the place overall. The daycare my little guy will start in January sterilizes all the toys after a baby handles it, because babies like to lick things. The toys that were used as incentives for the babies to climb up the wedges were literally grimy. I wanted to wipe everything down with disinfecting wipes, and I’m almost never that kind of clean freak! Nowhere did Gymboree state that they regularly clean and disinfect all toys, equipment, etc. And the container of hand sanitizer they provided on the wall was EMPTY, so I couldn’t even clean my hands after touching all this stuff.
Finally, the instructor pushed me a bit to sign up for a paid membership. I deferred, saying I would check with my husband, because he’s going to be the stay-​at-​home caregiver for a couple months this fall. But I didn’t think it was a good value at ALL. It’s basically four 45 minute classes a month, for $ 78, plus «open time» on the equipment during short windows of time on weekdays. I’m totally willing to pay for classes or lessons if there’s value, but I though that was overpriced for the caliber of instruction, and for the time spent in class. Good for Gymboree for running a franchise and sucking people in, but I think I’ll keep checking out baby/​toddler recreation/​play operations to find someplace where I’m not worried about my little guy getting sick.