{"id":51712,"date":"2023-01-13T09:54:33","date_gmt":"2023-01-13T14:54:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=51712"},"modified":"2023-01-13T09:54:34","modified_gmt":"2023-01-13T14:54:34","slug":"ymca-doubles-down-on-family-friendly-fun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=51712","title":{"rendered":"YMCA doubles down on family-friendly fun"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

YMCA staff welcomes members and guests to the West Chester Area YMCA, one of seven branches hosting free open houses this month.<\/p><\/div>\n

During the cold month of January, when winter blues are likely to set in, the YMCA of Greater Brandywine (YGBW) invites area families to leave the house for a dose of good, old-fashioned family fun. Between January 21 and 28, YMCA branches across Chester County will open their doors to the public, hosting free open houses. It\u2019s all to celebrate the Y\u2019s expansion of family-friendly services.<\/p>\n

In total, fourteen events will be held across seven locations, giving families the opportunity to preview new programs and summer camp offerings, receive a swim assessment and explore the facilities and campuses of the YMCA. Families must register in advance for Open House events.<\/p>\n

“We love to see families spending time together in our branches,\u201d explains Kim Cavallero, VP of Membership for YGBW. \u201cTo ensure that we provide a great experience that keeps families coming back, we asked our members for feedback. We heard loud and clear that parents need more support, so we\u2019re rolling out additional services geared towards family fun this year.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cHere at the Y, we get it. We are teachers, coaches, camp counselors and parents. We work with children and families day in and day out,\u201d comments Bridgette Barbera Byrne, Senior Association Director of Camp, Youth Sports and Family Programs. \u201cIt is hard to raise children in today\u2019s world. The pace of modern life is lightning fast \u2013 with high expectations placed upon children at young ages.\u201d<\/p>\n

To alleviate these pressures, YGBW invites families to refocus on fun experiences through two new services \u2013 Family Fun Activities and Monthly Programming.<\/p>\n

Family Fun Activities include STEM challenges, game nights, family dance parties and much more. Family Fun Activities are hosted weekly on Fridays and Saturdays at all YMCA branches in Chester County – and are free and exclusive to those with a YGBW Family Membership.<\/p>\n

Monthly Programming will begin in March and will focus on helping children discover what they love. With offerings like tumbling, cooking, STEM, arts & humanities and more, kids ages 2-14 can try a new experience each month \u2013 while having fun.<\/p>\n

“We noticed a trend in youth sports and activities,\u201d notes Byrne. \u201cChildren\u2019s sports and activities are increasingly serious at early ages. We see a need to focus on fun experiences. Let kids enjoy being kids while building independence and skills on their own terms \u2013 and at an affordable price for parents.\u201d<\/p>\n

Monthly Programming is open to members and non-members alike, and pricing starts at just $24.99 per month for those with a YGBW family membership. Registration begins on January 28.<\/p>\n

To sample all that the Y has to offer families in Chester County, attend an upcoming open house.<\/p>\n

To register for an Open House: https:\/\/ymcagbw.org\/program-showcase-registration<\/a><\/p>\n

To learn more about Monthly Programs: https:\/\/ymcagbw.org\/monthly-programs-ymca-greater-brandywine<\/a><\/p>\n

To browse weekly Family Fun Activities: https:\/\/ymcagbw.org\/familyevents<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

During the cold month of January, when winter blues are likely to set in, the YMCA of Greater Brandywine (YGBW) invites area families to leave the house for a dose of good, old-fashioned family fun. Between January 21 and 28, YMCA branches across Chester County will open their doors to the public, hosting free open […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":51711,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[5608,5728],"class_list":["post-51712","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","tag-family-fun","tag-ymca-of-greater-brandywine"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51712","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=51712"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51712\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51713,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51712\/revisions\/51713"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/51711"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=51712"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=51712"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=51712"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}