My favorite movement class for babies
Hi and thanks for reading!
Get your daily dose of A Child Grows sent to your inbox free! Subscribe to our newsletter (email: achildgrows@aweber.com).
A favorite: working on balance on the bumpy ball. Check out that second baby on his tummy even!
Whenever I do one of my “Expectant Parents Guide to Brooklyn” talks, the expectant parents inevitably want to know: “How do I meet other parents?” It’s a great question.
My answer goes something like this:
- Find a mom or dad’s group for your neighborhood by joining your neighborhood Yahoo Group
- Take a class- a good class.
And then I say, “my absolute favorite class for movement is GoGo Babies.” And then there’s some mad scribbling.
“GoGo Babies?”
” Yes.”
You know, it’s kindof hard for some of us at the beginning. You wonder: why is my baby making those noises? And crying, snorting, bucking?! Never mind that your life has been turned upside down and somehow you can never find the time to take a shower or eat properly. But, that all seems manageable and accepted in the GoGo Babies classroom. You feel supported and understood in whatever stage or phase you and your baby are.
GoGo Babies is the loveliest class where you connect to your child in a really heartfelt and meaningful way. It’s a class that has this special aura about it. You walk in and the room feels protected and peaceful. Reflection and observation are encouraged while you gently interact with your baby through cool activities. After GoGo Babies, I became more aware of how to understand and touch my baby…and relate to this new thing in my life.
That’s in no small part to the inventor and instructor of GoGo Babies: Ellynne Skove. She guides the class with a gentle structure that also accomadates parents’ and babies’ individual needs. Ellynne, who has more letters behind her name that should be legally allowed, (MA, LCAT, DTR-BC, NCC, RPP), is a licensed Movement therapist, yoga teacher, counselor and Polarity therapist. She’s a pretty amazing resource to have in your pocket when it comes to anything from discussing your child’s development to your own needs. (Disclosure: After my GoGo Babies Class, I decided to see her for Polarity therapy- and still do- which is why I say, she’s a good one to know for everything!)
Ellynne Skove working with one baby on tummy time
So, what exactly do you do in the class? You blow bubbles, roll multiple balls back and forth, do baby yoga, experiment with fun props and just breathe with your baby. In short, you gain knowledge and confidence while bonding with your baby.
A little massage and helping the baby find his fingers and toes
Though I only took the Babies Class (GoGo1), Ellynne offers “GoGo1, GoGo2 and GoGo3″ that accamodates children up to age 3.5 years old.
Ellynne’s classes in Greenpoint are so popular that it’s nearly impossible to get a spot there but her classes in Park Slope still have some space available.
Don’t miss out- she’s gone for a good part of the summer so this is your chance to hop on the GoGo Babies train.
Yoga/Developmental Movement & Tummy Time Classes in Park Slope
GoGo1: Tuesdays 1 p.m : 6 weeks – pre-rolling babies
GoGo2: Tuesdays at 2 p.m: rolling/creeping/crawling babies with caregivers
BirthDay Presence Studio
182 8th Ave. (Garfield & 1st St.)
Register for a series at a discounted price or come as a drop in. (cash and checks only please)
For more information go to www.gogobabies.net or call Ellynne at 718-643-6064
I started going to Go Go babies when my daughter was 6 weeks old. It is a wonderful class that gives parents the opportunity to bond with their baby in a supportive nurturing environment. Being with other parents and babies around the same age gives a great outlet for all the questions and answers we all share. Through music, touch, dance, yoga, bubbles… you learn tools to help encourage your baby’s natural milestone progression while having fun!
I started going to Go Go Babies class when my son was about 2 months old. Ellynne is a treasure. She helped me connect more deeply to my son, meet other Moms and find a way to take a deep breath myself. I’m still in touch with two of the Moms I met there now that my son is 9 months. I strongly suggest you take this class!
My daughter, Eva, started GoGo Babies when she was five weeks old. Two and a half years later some of her very best friends–and mine too!–are from our class. Ellyne is a deeply gifted teacher, bringing an energy to the room that is simultaneously relaxed and electric. GoGo Babies was exactly the class I needed to take me out of my postpartum fog and the class Eva needed to more firmly deliver her into the slippery world. Even now, we hunt Ellyne down! Since outgrowing GoGo Babies, Eva’s followed Ellyne to a toddler yoga class in the neighborhood.
I can’t recommend Ellyne enough. In fact, when I think about having another baby I think about how MUCH fun we’d have at GoGo Babies!
What a beautiful story! I”m so glad that everyone feels like I do- the class is an exceptional experience.
I took my daughter Helen to Ellynne’s “GoGo 1″ class a few times, and loved it so much that I rearranged my entire work schedule (as well as our babysitter’s schedule) so that I could continue taking Helen to this class consistently. Ellynne’s class became the highlight of both mine and Helen’s week! Ellynne is an exceptional person who has an extraordinary gift for connecting with babies and toddlers, and she also has a soothing effect on parents. The class activities are creative and inspired and always seem to be just what the little ones need and respond to, both physically and emotionally. A few times during this class, Helen, who does not immediately trust “strangers,” crawled away from me to sit on Ellynne’s lap, which I had never seen her do before with anyone. The class was also a nice opportunity to connect with other parents, and Helen and I still see one of the other mothers and her son we met there. It’s now been a year since our class with Ellynne ended, and I still think about it with great fondness. Thank you, Ellynne, for this wonderful experience! You have a special place in my heart.
Go Go Babies is our favorite class!!! My daughter, Gabriela, progressed a lot during every and each meeting and we both felt supported and happy in this class. It was a great learning experience for me- as a foreign mother, not familiar at all with the american songs for kids, I could learn some of the “american hits”and also nice and fun activities and exercises to do with my daughter at home. Besides that, we made friends that we keep seeing until now.
I highly recommend this class and I must say that Ellyne is awesome!
The first time I went to Go GO Babies my son was about 6 weeks or so (REALLY young) and I was a nervous wreck. I loved going to the class with my son because I felt supported and respected as a mother. Ellyne fostered authentic communication among us and pointed out my son’s developmental progress and how I could support him on his own pace. I still remember the first time he rolled over (it was in her class) and we were all so excited. In subsequent classes my son, as he developed his own personality, was really happy to be there. He is almost 2 and still loves the parachute… I recommend Ellyne and Go go Babies without hesitation.
Ellyne is one of these teachers that sets the bar super, super high for all other teachers. The personal attention she pays to each baby and mommy is truly remarkable. I took a class with Ellyne when my son was 8 weeks old and I was a nervous wreck just leaving the house with him. Ellyne made me feel right at home immediately, she created an environment for all of us in the class where we felt comfortable and loved and made playing with my baby become one of the most joyous things I could ever do. I wish every new mommy could experience a class with her.
I highly recommend Go Go Babies. Ellyne was a great supportive teacher for both myself and my twins. She was always energetic, enthusiastic, and in tune with what the kids were vibing on that particular day.
GoGoBabies was one of our favorite baby classes. My son participated from 4.5 to 17 months, and Ellynne kept it interesting and relevant all the way from tummy time through walking.
What a wonderful class! My wife signed up when my son was just 3 months and we kept going til he was about a year old. It was a great way to meet new parents and Ellynne is such a wonderful caring teacher for both the children and the adults.
So glad you liked it too. That’s amazing that you still keep up with some of the classmates 2 years later!
I can attest that Go Go Babies is a fabulous class for both adults and babies. I met a group of lovely moms that I still talk to almost 2 years later. The class was a great way to interact with your very small baby while having lots of fun with other moms. Some of the class highlights were working with the Nubby Balls (featured in the first photo), and the infant massage class. If you are a first time mom and you need a reason to change out of your pajamas for the first time in 3 days, sign up for this class! You will like it enough to get out of the house for it every time.