Dubai: Little hands splattering paint all over the walls, little backsides bouncing on balls, little bodies jumping and dancing to their teachers' tunes… a morning at Kidville, an early development centre for toddlers and young children, is a morning well spent.
Brought to Dubai by Monica Malhotra, mum of two-year-old Anaya, Kidville is an American franchise from New York. The centre caters to children from the age of four months to five years and offers activities such as painting, singing, dancing and exercising to strengthen the bond between parent and child and enhance a child's personal growth.
Social interaction
Malhotra, whose daughter once attended Kidville in New York, was devastated to realise that Anaya would not have the social interaction she was used to in the US, when they moved to Dubai.
That spawned the idea of creating the first international Kidville franchise.
"It's a personal accomplishment to have Anaya carry on with the programme that she was used to back home, says Malhotra.
After nearly two years, Kidville Dubai opened its doors to children and parents last July. The centre's winter semester began on January 10 and currently has 300 young members. Class structures are original and ingenious. Staying true to the Kidville spirit, the Dubai centre offers age-appropriate programmes in various categories. "In our Gym series, we have a programme called Big Muscles for Little Babies, where six to 12 month olds start gaining muscle strength with stretches and exercises. For older age groups, various exercises are taught over a sing-and-dance routine, while a mixed sports class introduces a different sport to children each week — and all throughout, the learning stays creative, interactive and fun," says Malhotra.
A peek into the My Big Messy Art Class, part of the Art series of programmes, shows Anaya happily painting the walls of her classroom between bouts of singing along with her Kidville-USA- trained teacher.
The centre's Enrichment sessions are the classic Mommy and Me classes. "The programme focuses on new mothers getting to know one another and learning to bond with newborns. Additionally, kids get to socialise at a young age. They learn to interact with others, so that by the time they reach school-going age they are prepared for what lies ahead," says Malhotra, who insists on parents accompanying children to these sessions. "We're not designed to have a drop-off facility. We're not a nursery or a preschool. [We] help develop a child's personality and we encourage either the parent or someone close to the child to be in that learning environment."
True to her word, every class features mummies and daddies dancing along with children, laughing, playing, learning and interacting. A few minutes later, we spot Malhotra stealing a few minutes to be with her daughter in the centre's outdoor playground — an area with padded floors and sterilised environments.
"Anaya's exploring her sporty side today," laughs Malhotra, as the toddler prances around the playground throwing basketballs in all directions. Indoors, parents are arriving for a fresh set of classes and Malhotra is called back to make introductions and create a homely atmosphere for mothers and children to feel at home.
Course Schedule
The centre is open daily from 9am to 6pm, with classes held from Sunday to Thursday. Weekends are reserved for events such as children's birth-day parties. Programmes are available as 16-week packages. A 45-50 minute session once a week for 16 weeks costs Dh2,150, which goes up to Dh2,325 for weekly one-hour classes. The centre also offers a preschool alternative programme called Kidville University, which prepares a child for school. Parents can choose between two-, three- and five-day packages, each lasting three hours a day, with prices starting from Dh8,600 for 16 weeks.
