Tito Edu, Tita Cutie tell kids stories for charity

CEBU, Philippines -  Let me do a recap for those of you who missed the Gymboree activity last Saturday at the Banilad Town Centre.

 Cebu City Councilor Edu Rama, on behalf of our Mayor Michael Rama, and Cebu City North District Rep. Rachel Marguerite “Cutie” del Mar offered a child-friendly angle to public service by telling stories to children for charity featuring books favorite to many kids and new titles for young readers.

 Gymboree Play & Music invited the two officials of Cebu City for separate storytelling sessions whose participants did donate books for charity that the two leaders have chosen.

 The session with your Tito Edu was scheduled at 10 a.m. in a special nook prepared for the activity at the second floor of the BTC in front of Gymboree, while that of your Tita Cutie was set at 3 p.m.

 The activity concluded the “Read and Give” Book Fair for Charity that Gymboree conducted with Scholastic Books from July 13 to 17.

 It is Gymboree’s participation in the BTC’s “Learn better to be better” school fair from July 12 to 18 wherein five other educationally oriented tenants at the BTC had also joined in.

 Kids, aged seven years old and below, participated in an hour-long party program that included activities like Bubbles and a live appearance of Gymbo the Clown with some snack food, then capped by the book-reading.

 Good news is that each ticket bought at P250 means that the participating child donates a book for charity that Gymboree gave your Tito Edu and Tita Cutie the prerogative to which particular public school the books would go.

 “Read and Give” is Gymboree’s share in promoting the culture of reading and giving, too, said Tita Trixie Suarez who is the managing director of Gymboree.

So ask your mom and dad to check on the upcoming activities of Gymboree with which you might be able to join in.

Gymboree Play & Music has been fostering the development of children ages 0-5 for over 33 years. Today there are over 600 locations in 36 countries, making Gymboree the global leader in early childhood development programs. Here in the Philippines, it has been around since 2002 and currently has nine centers, including the branch located at the Banilad Town Centre, Cebu City – which opened in June 2005.

 Children learn and develop through play and Gymboree’s programs give parents new and proven ways to encourage their children to think creatively, problem-solve, gain self-esteem and grow to be independent learners. Classes are customized to seven different learning levels, providing age-appropriate challenges and skill-building activities. Gymboree-trained teachers lead classes that meet the developmental needs of each age. Programs are designed by leading experts in child development and help provide children with age-appropriate cognitive, social/emotional and physical skills they need for growing.

 Locations are safe places to play and learn where children are free to move and explore safely. Proprietary equipment is from the US and was designed by Jay Beckwith, a respected playground designer worldwide. Every two weeks, Gymboree’s playscape changes to enable children to enjoy another indoor playground set-up.

 Gymboree began in 1976 when Joan Barnes, a mother from Marin Country, California, started her own program with a safe, fun place featuring age-appropriate activities for parents and young children to play together. Gymboree is proudly inspiring parents and children ever since.

Learning programs include Gymboree Play & Learn (for children aged 0-three years old); Music (for six months to five years old); Art (18 mos.-5 y.o.); Science Fun (3-5 y.o.); Learning Lab (28 mos.-5 y.o.); Sports (3-5 y.o.); Global Kids-Summer Program (28 mos.-5 y.o.); and the Gymboree Preschool for two-to-four years old with Nursery, Pre-K and Kinder levels.