LMNOPlay!

One basic tenet of parenting is that the minute you finally feel in the groove, everything changes. Super cool!

Currently, I’m in the throes of this with toddler classes. The infant movement and music programs that once enthralled her as a baby are now of little interest. And many that are age-appropriate just don’t seem to be her jam: beginner ballet or sport classes, which are all about class participation, are not really her … strong suit. And while I have had better luck with art and cooking classes, her favorite activity, by far and away, is reading.

So I was super, super delighted to find new class LMNOPlay, which meets in the West Village location of Doodle Doo’s (just a hop, skip, and a jump away from our place, bonus!). Their pilot program is called Books Before Screens and is geared towards kids ages 3-6. Think of it as a book club for (very) little kids: there’s an interactive read-aloud portion, a “movement break” where concepts within the book are explored, and even time set aside for an art or science project. This is not some cram school where the kids are being forced to learn phonics for an hour; it’s a joyful way to introduce them to the magic of reading. Which, even now, is still my favorite activity, too.

Oh, and did I mention it’s drop-off? IT’S DROP OFF.

I won’t lie: Avvie is a really, really tough critic when it comes to classes. She spent basically all of ballet staring at herself in the mirror, which, girl, I get it, but come on. But she has legitimately been asking to go back to LMNOPlay every day since we went a week ago. The combination of books, projects, and super attentive teachers is really quite perfect for her, and I’m just stoked to find a class she loves. I highly recommend it for other book lovers (which should be ALL OF YOU), or parents of kids who prefer quieter programs as opposed to rowdy music or gym classes.

The spring session is already underway, but you can sign up for the summer 4-week mini session here. Maybe we’ll see you there!