Wallaby, a brand new family development center in the heart of Silver Lake in Los Angeles, recently opened its doors to cater to families of children from birth to 3 years. Conveniently located on Hyperion Ave. near Sunset Junction, Wallaby offers parent & me classes, drop-in hours, parent education, support and hobby programs, as well as children’s birthday parties. Created by Ericka Tullis, a Los Feliz mother of two with a Masters in child and family policy, Wallaby hopes to fill the void for Eastside parents seeking high-quality services all under one roof and for a reasonable price. Wallaby‘s next semester of classes starts January 3, visit www.wallaby-la.com for their full schedule and pricing.
“It’s such a great place to raise kids- a really unique combination of urban and progressive but still very neighborhood-y and friendly in a way that people usually associate with the suburbs,” said Ericka, a former pre-school teacher, on why she chose the Eastside location. “Basically all the hipsters grew up, got married and had kids, and chose to stay in the area they loved.”
Unlike many parent & me classes that focus on just one domain of children’s learning, Wallaby offers a comprehensive, developmental and dynamic preschool-like curriculum that includes freeplay, music and movement, arts and crafts, storytime and a healthy snack. Classes are offered in the following age groupings: Baby Joeys (12-18 months), Little Joeys (18-24 months), and Big Joeys (2-3 years), with all ages drop-in hours offered several times a week.
In addition to their parent & me classes, Wallaby offers support groups for new moms and dads, as well as hobby groups including guitar lessons for moms. Wallaby is in the process of building their parent hobby program to include additional offerings such as knitting classes, crafting classes, and writing workshops.
Wallaby offers a free trial class for prospective new students. They are located at 1835 Hyperion Ave. (@ Fernwood Ave.) in Silver Lake, 323-662-0128, for more information visit www.wallaby-la.com.