Toddlers: Turning Play Time into Learning Time

By Michele Blandino

Typically a child’s first exposure to structured activity, the toddler play program not only provides youngsters with the opportunity to work on their emerging gross motor skills, for many children these programs also provide their first chance to be among a group of people their own size.

Toddler Play Programs

Toddler play programs all generally run the same way: they begin with circle time (think warm-up), move into structured activities, have a little free play thrown in and conclude with more circle time. The typical programs run about 45 minutes and are held once a week; many are set to music and virtually all of them require parental involvement.

Ask a parent about toddler play programs and chances are the first names that will be brought up are Gymboree, The Little Gym® and Wee Play. With participants ranging from newborn babies to 12 year-old children, the largest concentration of participants seems to be in the 2-4 year age group – the years before formal schooling begins.

As would be expected, these programs tend to be fairly expensive; depending on where you live, you can expect to pay anywhere from $125-$175 for a program that lasts between 10 and 14 weeks.

Despite this, these programs have succeeded in becoming well recognized names in toddler activity programs. The good news for parents needing to watch their budgets is that they aren’t the only games in town.

With a little research, you can find a toddler play program that offers many of the same benefits - the opportunity to work on gross motor skills, interact with other children (although at this age, interaction is generally limited to tolerating each other’s existence in the same room!) and have some fun tome with mom or dad – as the more well known programs, often at a significantly lower price.

So, how do you find a program for your child?

A good place to start is with the churches or synagogues in your area – particularly those that have plentiful classroom or meeting space. Some pre-schools also have activity programs that are not based in academics. You can also try your town’s (or a neighboring town’s) recreation department or your local YMCA.

Once you’ve compiled a list of potential programs, plan visits to a few. Most places (including the more recognized names) allow a no (or low) cost trial visit so that you can see if the program is right for your child. Visit a few locations before making a decision. Take note of things like: the instructor’s overall enthusiasm and attentiveness to the children, the children’s reaction to the instructor, the sturdiness (and safeness) of the equipment and the overall cleanliness of the facility.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions: ask about the program’s policy regarding sick children, how often the equipment is cleaned and disinfected and if there is the opportunity to make up missed classes.

In the end, keep in mind that toddler play programs are meant to be fun. For most kids, it won’t matter if there is fancy climbing equipment or colorful balls to play with – they’ll just be happy for the opportunity to have some fun time with mom or dad.