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Come check out this innovative program for playing and learning with your child

Restless and cranky?  Been on the road too long? Comic, physical relief is available. Gymboree Play & Music, America's favorite mommy & me program for ages newborn to 5 years, has gone global, with nearly 550 franchises in 30 countries. Imagine dozens of local chapters in Australia, Canada, France, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan, run by trained staff waiting to interact with your kids!

Next time you hit the road with little ones and face a meltdown, check with your hotel concierge about a local program. After all, these classes transcend language and allowing kids to run and play is usally the best stress-reliever. If you haven't tried a Gymboree Play & Music class, they are devoted to "developmental" play, as practiced through music, movement and the arts shared by parents or caregivers and young children. Based on a blend of early childhood development theories complemented by more than 30 years of hands-on experience, Gymboree Play & Music classes are available through hundreds of franchised and company-operated centers in the United States Canada as well.

If these sing-along, frolicking, giggling and hand waving programs are new to you, sign up for a free trial class and try one while at home, where you can practice many of the fun routines their instructors will teach you. And of course, you can dive in to all things Gymboree with the kids while you're on the road. While you may not be interested in a one-hour class, most Gymborees also provide a great party space to enjoy your little one's birthday. For a complete list of their out of town locations, call 877/449-6932 or visit the Gymboree Classes website.

There's more to this company than these fun classes. Today, the Gymboree Corporation's brands include Gymboree retail clothing stores for newborn to 12-years, more than a hundred discounted Gymboree Outlet stores, Crazy 8 stores that feature more hip, casual clothes for kids in sizes ranging from 0-14, and Janie and Jack shops for infant and toddler wear.

But we moms and grandmoms remember that it all began with the founding of Gymboree Play & Music in 1976, making it one of the oldest companies in its field.