Hyderabad|India|June'2009: Gymboree Play & Music, the Global Leader in Early Childhood Development Programs, launched its Franchising Operations in India from Hyderabad on 26th June. Gymboree opened its first Indian Play & Music Centre earlier this year at Jubilee Hills Hyderabad. Gymboree successfully tested their service with over 300 families for 6 months and have received positive feedback from the customers. Gymboree focuses on developmental enrichment programs with parents attending classes together with their children.

Gymboree pioneered early childhood development programs for children ages newborn to five in 1976. Based at San Francisco USA, for over 30 years Gymboree has been conducting specialized parent-child fun & interactive classes, encouraging a child’s development and helping parents understand it better. Created by child development experts, the Gymboree Learning Program is designed to support the growth and development of the ‘whole child’ – Physical, Social/Emotional & Cognitive. Today the Gymboree Program is enriching lives of children and families in over 30 countries across Africa, Americas, Asia, Australia and Europe.

Speaking on the occasion Ms Rachna Mehta, Director of Gymboree India said “Parents today need more options where they can spend time together with their 1 and 2 year olds enjoying age-appropriate play activities, especially meaningful productive play. We felt the need to differentiate between rote-learning and fundamental development, not confusing content based knowledge with fundamental Intellectual ability Gymboree was set up with a vision to pioneer the concept of Child development in India.”

Speaking on the occasion Ms Jill Johnston, Vice President, Gymboree Play & Music, said “The first three years of a child’s life are an invaluable window of opportunity as the brain is developing at its fastest pace and grows to 80% of its adult size by the time the child turns three. Our program uses play to encourage the specific developmental milestone each child is working on at different ages during these first years of life.” She went on to explain that “Opportunities to play are really opportunities of Development. We are committed to help Indian parents channelize their child’s play experiences in a way that is challenging and developmentally appropriate”.

“We have seen great success of the Gymboree program in other academically oriented Asian cultures like China and South Korea. I see tremendous potential in the Indian market as well and am confident that my friends Rachna & Prateek Mehta will successfully spread the Gymboree cheer across this wonderful country”, she concluded.

Mr. Prateek Mehta Director of Gymboree India said , “Building fundamental skills like problem solving and symbolic thinking should be given focus, as is given to learning the Alphabet or learning three letter words. Lastly, but most importantly, we need to realize the immense developmental possibilities in the first three years of life, and the difference that can be made to the lives of little children and their families”.

“We’re now confident about our Indian business model and ready to start work on expanding our operations across the country” he concluded.

Customers have realised that Gymboree is nothing like a school, and that the developmental enrichment delivered by the Gymboree program is unlike any traditional school experience. They now believe in the importance of parents attending classes together with their children, and participate enthusiastically in the classes. And most importantly, they’ve experienced the developmental results first hand and today acknowledge how Gymboree benefits their child.

Reachout's News Bureau
 June' 2009