Physical: Exploration of the different equipment supports problem solving, navigating skills, and confidence.
Cognitive: Repetition, songs, and interacting with their familiar adult supports language development, vocabulary, and memory.
Social: Our classroom environment supports social and emotional development.
Adults: Need your little one to take a good nap? This class is high energy and full of fun. In fact- you might want to take a nap too!
Gymboree Play & Music Runners classes are designed for active toddlers who are confidently walking and running, typically around 16 – 24 months. These classes provide structured activities that channel toddlers’ energy while supporting physical, cognitive, and social development.
Runners classes include obstacle courses, climbing, jumping, music, movement games, and imaginative play. Activities are more energetic and structured, helping toddlers practise coordination, balance, listening skills, and early group participation in a fun, supportive environment.
Gymboree Play & Music Runners classes support gross motor skills, coordination, confidence, self-regulation, and early social skills. Through guided play, toddlers learn to follow simple instructions, take turns, express creativity, and build independence.
Yes — Runners classes are ideal for high-energy toddlers. Sessions are designed to give children plenty of opportunities to move, explore, and burn energy in a safe, structured way while learning how to participate in group activities.
Runners classes introduce more complex physical challenges, faster-paced activities, and greater independence than Walkers classes. While Walkers classes focus on building confidence and balance, Runners classes help toddlers refine coordination, control their movement, and engage in imaginative and group play.
Yes, parents or carers stay with their child throughout the class. Teachers guide adults on how to support independence, encourage positive behaviour, and help toddlers navigate structured activities and transitions.
Children develop strength, coordination, balance, listening skills, social awareness, and confidence. Runners classes also support early problem-solving, creativity, and emotional regulation through music, movement, and play-based learning.
That’s very common at this age. Gymboree Play & Music Runners classes are developmentally appropriate and flexible, allowing toddlers to engage at their own pace. Teachers gently encourage participation and model positive behaviour without pressure.
Toddlers should wear comfortable clothes that allow running and climbing, such as leggings, joggers, or soft trousers. Children should have bare feet so they can move safely on padded equipment. Adults should wear socks.
Gymboree Play & Music Runners classes are available at locations across the UK. You can find your nearest Gymboree Play & Music centre here: https://gymbo.co.uk/locations/
We love our classes at Gymbo! Polly is so warm and amazing with my little one. Each class is different and teaches them confidence and skills.
Love it! My boys have grown in confidence each week, the staff are so friendly, the spare fab. Perfect safe space for managing energetic twins and not feeling worried about where they are and what they’re doing, plus staff are always willing to help if needed. The membership works well and I like the option of adding open gym sessions too.
I've been taking my baby to Gymboree in Bristol since she was a few weeks old, and I'm now about to go back to work after maternity leave. It's been the best baby activity I've been to, and we've tried a few! It's more than a baby group - early on it was an activity to get out of the house for me, and later the multiple sessions during the week and open gyms really helped entertain my daughter when I was running out of ideas. Polly and team are amazing and it feels really inclusive of everyone, I can't praise them highly enough. I can have been having a tough day and l would leave gymboree lighter. I honestly feel very lucky to have been in walking distance of such a lovely and well-run gym/group.
We couldn't have chosen a better place for our little son to enjoy!
Customer services are absolutely fantastic, warm welcome, and always happy to help everyone!!
100% recommended!
Lovely staff and great classes but unfortunately no drop off classes at the a Bristol franchise for 3+ year olds.
Unfortunately the main website does not make it clear that the drop off classes for older children are not available everywhere, and promotes this as a core offer. We joined online and hoped that I could be with a napping baby whilst big sister had some fun, but these classes weren’t on offer and it was just 0-5s all together.
We gave it a go with one of these classes but it was just too much work with a tiny baby and a toddler to keep in check. We may return when the little one is walking.
Staff are very passionate and it is a great, but just not a good fit for us right now.
Such a warm and caring environment—the staff are amazing and my grandchild loves coming here!
Both my grandchildren and myself love the classes. Teachers are great and topics so inventive. My only slightly negative point is in the last few weeks the class has been very busy
We’ve loved the classes from baby sensory through to runners and explorers! Such a lovely safe space to play and learn!
We've absolutely loved coming here over the last two years. We started attending the regular classes when our nursery hours accommodated it, but now we do the parties and weekend open sessions when we can. Polly and the team are fantastic and make you feel so welcome! It's really boosted my toddler's confidence both physically and socially.
My daughter has been going to Gymboree for over a year now, and it's easily her favorite activity. I'm sure that her physical abilities have improved so much because of it. And I love the flexibility - the monthly membership is such good value, as we always end up going to a extra class or two each week on top of her regular one. Plus they run through school holidays! And I can't forget to mention the energy and enthusiasm Polly and Susie run their classes with. The kids all love them. Thank you Gymbo and team!
𝐖𝐄’𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝟓𝟎… 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔’𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄! ✨🎉 To mark 50 years of Gymboree Play & Music fun we’ve teamed up with our friends at Piccolo to…
Spring forward, fall back! Thank you to our friends at Little Dreams Consulting for their top tips to help us…
It’s World Down Syndrome Day today so we’re celebrating by sharing a couple of stories from Gymboree Play & Music…
Both of my children (3.5 years and 11 months) go to Gymboree Play & Music and love it. My toddler goes to their drop-off Lego class which she raves about. It's very creative, working not only on Lego skills but also painting, drawing etc. My infant son loves his Gymboree Play & Music Crawlers class - particularly loves crawling all over their props, through the tunnels, etc. Great way to get the infant crawling over obstacles! Gymboree Play & Music is part of our weekly schedule for both kids and we look forward to participating every week. Invaluable!
Gymboree Play & Music was a lovely and positive experience for my son Leo. We started when he was 9 months and he is now 3 years old, I wish we had started sooner.
He loves the songs (which is part of our daily singing at home), the freedom to explore and he was happy there. He looks forward to class every week and once class is over he will tell everyone about Gymbo and what he did.
For me, I liked that it taught him how to get down safely from a height, how to learn to use his body, and touching on different topics every 2 weeks. It gave me confidence in other environments to trust that he has the ability that he learned from Gymboree Play & Music and to trust him.
I’ve been taking both my newborn and toddler to Gymboree Play & Music for a couple of months now and both boys are really loving the classes and open gym sessions. It’s a great way to meet other mums, entertain toddlers at witching hour(!) and get ideas for sensory play with babies. Sophie and Cat are fantastic and have so much energy and loads of different ideas for the classes, plus make sure the activities it’s help children meet their development milestones as well. Highly recommend this if you’re thinking about joining!! Thanks so much Sophie, Cat and the wider team :-)
