Kim Lyons, MEd, CMT, CIMI

We LOVED Kim’s Tum e Time class! It was a fun, low key way to get out of the house with my newborn, meet other new parents, and learn some easy ways to engage with my infant. The mix of infant massage, yoga, sign language and songs was great — I brought back some new things to try every week. Honestly — it’s worth it just for «3 Little Speckled Frogs» — my daughter’s favorite song and the one thing that will calm her down in the car! I highly recommend this class to any new parent.

After my wife’s maternity leave was over, we came to the tough decision for me to quit my job and stay home full time with our daughter. Daycare for an infant is incredibly expensive and we both felt like we wanted one of us home with our daughter full time. Decision made, I sat down and started looking around for classes and activities that were geared toward infants.
What I found is that there isn’t a lot out there. There are plenty of things out there for parents with toddlers, but not for infants. The real oasis in that desert is Kim Lyons and her Tum E Time class. This four day class, spread over the course of four weeks, will give any parent a vast wealth of ideas, methods and techniques to not just entertain and interact with their infant but also, more importantly, to take an active role in their child’s development.
A wide variety of topics are covered, including singing to your child, sign language (which, if started early, will help your child communicate before they can talk), massage (which can help with relaxation, bonding, digestion and more), yoga (relaxation, bonding and physical development) as well as all kinds of ideas for playing with your infant in ways that will help them learn about the world around them. This includes finding safe, interesting, educational toys around your house, saving many, many dollars in toys.
Another great benefit to Tum E Time is that you will be in a room with several other parents of infants. This is a fabulous networking opportunity, a chance to share experiences and interact with other parents. Everyone is encouraged to share their ideas, thoughts, experiences and reflections, which provides a valuable addition to the class content. Plus, it’s super cute to see how your child reacts to the other kids in the class!
Kim brings so, so, SO much to the table. Her decades of experience in child development is matched only by her love and passion for teaching these classes. It’s a joy and a pleasure getting to interact with her and have her interact with the kids. She loves what she’s doing and it shows in every action and instruction.
Whether you are a first time parent or a fifth time parent, Tum E Time is an invaluable experience and is worth every moment. You will learn so many ways to bond and interact with your child and you’ll gain tools and knowledge that will empower you to take a massive, effective role in your child’s development. I can’t recommend Tum E Time highly enough.

Thanks for a great class — a memory of my daughter’s early days that I will treasure! Fun for baby and mom, with lots of great ideas for playing with and bonding with your little one. Supportive and warm environment. Looking at the treasure basket I made as we discussed in class as I write!

My husband and I attended the January 2014 class with our three-​month old daughter, and it was wonderful. I just can’t recommend it enough. We started using the things we learned in class right away, and I am not exaggerating when I say we’ve used Tum E Time tips every single day since then. I feel like I have more tools in my tool kit to keep my daughter happy and to promote her development. Plus I think a lot of this stuff is just plain fun and a lovely way to bond with my daughter.
Some highlights — My daughter loves the infant massage, and it helped bring a smile to her face when she had her first cold & wasn’t feeling too great. It’s also a great way to ward off the witching hour. Baby yoga can also be very relaxing, and I saw my husband stop her fussiness in its tracks using some of the baby stretches. I LOVE the baby signs, and we’re using some of them on a daily basis already. She loves watching how our hands move (because hands are pretty much the coolest thing ever right now!). The songs are also a lot of fun & have become some of her favorites. We’re also working on finding treasures all around the house to give her new things to play with.
But I have to say that the class is so much more than just those things. Kim Lyons is an amazing resource on infant development, and she also talked about things like babywearing, communication, self-​esteem, etc. I just wanted to absorb every last thing she had to say! She was also very responsive to questions in between classes and says we can contact her with more questions even after the class is over.
Tum E Time was a terrific experience, and we highly, highly recommend it.

It was wonderful to have this designated time to spend with my son (after I had gone back to work) and to learn so many cool things for us to do together! It was great to have Kim’s guidance for fun and safe activities and I feel like I’ve gotten to know him better during this time.
The «class» is definitely on my «tops» list for all things baby — the others being St Luke’s Centering and Yoga Tree’s prenatal yoga.

I had the pleasure of collaborating with Kim on a project for her upcoming book. We worked together on planning and executing two large photoshoots to produce images for her project. Kim was a pleasure to work with: professional, kind, thorough and altogether really committed to the success of the project and comfort of the folks she had invited to attend the photoshoots. I could tell by the rave reviews and comments from each of the families who joined us that they loved Kim and the work she had done with them. Everyone was so committed to the project and that wouldn’t be the case if they didn’t truly believe in everything that Kim does in teaching new parents how to be amazing with their children and their development. I got to see firsthand the importance of the exercises and activities Kim has designed for parents and their children, and can only say it’s wonderful what she does! I also had the pleasure of having a sneak peek at her upcoming book, and it’s going to be a must-​have addition to any new parent’s bookshelf.

My daughter and I had a great time at Tum e Time — so great that we took the class twice.
The infant massage has been really great at home and helps to calm our baby down when she’s upset, and has also been a relaxing way to enjoy time with her.

I’m so glad I took Kim Lyons’ Tum-​e-​time class! The best part about the class is that I got exposed to activities that I had wanted to learn anyway — for e.g. signing, baby massage, baby yoga, fun songs (with signs!), playtime ideas, etc. Kim is extremely creative and patient and you can tell that she has a lot of experience with infants. This four-​week class is a great way to bond with your infant and see them smile. I’m a lot more comfortable with singing and signing now! I also learned several simple ideas for home-​made toys and discovery objects. I look forward to being connected to Kim and her ideas via Facebook.

I took the tum e time class back when my daughter was about 2 months old. It was wonderful! Kim is a great teacher; I’m still using all the tips and things i learned. I wish the class was longer! I highly recommend the tum e time class.

We just finished our 4-​week Tum e Time class and it was amazing! One of the joys of being a parent is that you get to experience childhood all over again. But it’s been so long since we were children, we’ve forgotten a lot. In Tum e Time, Kim will help you remember what it’s like to be a young child! She will bring to you the joy of songs and creative play. She will teach you fun ways to interact with your baby that also contribute positively to development. We got so many great ideas from this class and I now feel that my interactions with my son are richer and more fulfilling for both of us. Thank you, Kim!

I took Tum e Time classes with Kim and my 3 month old daughter. We both loved it! Kim was knowledgeable, supportive, friendly and patient. I loved learning songs, baby massage, baby yoga and sign language! After taking the classes, I felt comfortable with my baby and never worried about «what would we do all day?!» She also supplied us with great ideas for toys that will grow with baby and stimulate her imagination.
Using some of the things Kim taught us, I’ve found that my daughter generally spends about an hour of engaged time and then needs a good deep nap! :) It is so much fun to see her begin to interact more each time we play!
I wish this class could be longer, it was a great time out with my daughter, interacting with other moms and babies, and learning lots of wonderful tools for entertaining my baby! Thanks Kim!

Yaaaaaay! Play time! My now 8 week old and I just finished Kim’s tum e time «creative ways to play with your infant» class and it was wonderful. It can be hard to figure out how to play with an infant who barely knows she has hands yet… but Kim’s class taught great ideas that I now put to use every day. She works in child development details that help you understand how to best support your growing baby. I was curious about baby sign and this was a good intro with key basics to get you started. Infant massage, songs, baby yoga, and great play ideas were all a part of it. Plus its nice to meet some other parents along the way. Kim has a very easy and supportive way about her. Take this class if you have the chance… you’ll be glad you did.

I loved this class. I wish it was longer and had a caregiver support group attached to it. My baby was about 3 months old when we took it. Kim is great. We had some trauma with our baby shortly after he was born. After reading up on Kim’s credentials I knew her class would be perfect for us. Our baby loved it. I try and sign to him as much as I remember to and I try and massage him when I can get him to lay still. I will be recommending this class to anyone who will listen.

What a fabulous class! My baby was 3 months old when we took it and it gave us so many wonderful ideas for songs, baby signing, massage, yoga stretches and ways to get creative with stuff around the house. It was really wonderful to have a series of classes as a way to remember the signs we learned each week. Kim is full of information about child development, techniques and ideas! She’s also incredibly warm and friendly– and allows the class to ask questions and engage in a natural, organic way, while still giving us tons of new information! I highly recommend this for new moms, dads and caregivers!

I loved this class! Kim is offering such a service to new mamas and papas. sharing with warmth and humor ideas for how to enjoy and care for new babies. I looked forward to this class every week, and only wish it would last for months and months. I find myself singing the songs we learned in class to soothe and engage my baby when she’s feeling cranky, using the massage techniques to relax her for bedtime, practicing baby sign to help with our preverbal communications, and exploring the wonders of playing with cardboard tubing, smooth stones, and silk handkerchiefs — much more satisfying than most of the plastic toys on the market. I can’t recommend this class enough — the class material, handouts, and Kim’s warm demeanor made it my favorite baby-​centered activity of the week. Five big sparkly stars!

I just finished taking Kim’s Tum e Time class at Birthways in Berkeley and I cannot recommend it highly enough! I’ve already been able to use the massage techniques to help with what seems like discomfort from gas that my newborn son sometimes has, and I feel like my bag of tricks for playtime has rapidly expanded. My husband is excited after every class to ask me what I learned so can try everything out on our son as well.
The class environment was also extremely calm and friendly… Kim makes sure to tell you that the room is your space while you’re there. If your baby cries, no worries. If you need to nurse the entire time, no worries!
We’re excited too about what we learned in the sign language portion of this class.
Going to Kim’s class was the highlight of my mommy-​week while on maternity leave and I’m sad that it’s over!

Just finished the Tum-​e-​time class at Birthways in Berkeley and I can’t say enough good things about the experience! My baby is 16 weeks and we’ve tried a bunch of different classes and baby activities around town, including baby massage and yoga classes at the various yoga studios in the east bay. This is hands down the best and most fun activity out of everything we’ve tried.
As any new mom knows, your baby is the best gauge of wether or not an activity is fun. I was amazed by how much our little guy loved the class. He
seemed so engaged and excited by the activities Kim led us through and then he would pass out and take a great nap after every class. This was very different from some of the baby yoga classes we went to which felt like I was trying to stave off a fussy baby the whole time, leaving me stressed at the end of each class. Kim’s pacing and the activities she suggests seem to match a baby’s interests and energy levels perfectly. I could just relax and enjoy the time with my baby. It was the highlight of our week, and I’m sad it’s over!
Kim is a wealth of information on infant development — just listening to her I learned so much that I am now sharing with family and friends and applying to my parenting. I also loved learning so many new ways to play with and engage my baby — I feel like I now have a tool bag of tricks and play ideas that make our days at home much more fun. I also appreciated Kim’s flexibility since I was going to be out of town for one of the classes and she lets you make up classes at a future date.
Since the class works for many different ages of babies, all the way up to pre-​crawling, I’m already thinking about signing up to take the series again. There’s a lot to learn and I would love to bring my husband to a future class.

This review is about a year overdue. I really can’t say enough about Kim and her class. I drove from San Jose to Berkeley just for the class and it was so worth it. I learned so much in those 4 classes; she covers play, massage, baby yoga, sign language, and so much more. Even a year later I still use many of the massage techniques, sing all the songs that we learned, and I still refer to the handouts she gave. My daughter really enjoyed it and it was nice to talk to the other moms as well. Kim was a great resource for me even after the class ended. I highly recommend her class!

Kim has asked me to post an update to my review because she hasn’t taught at Tulip Grove in about a year.
You can reach her at either BirthWays or near Lake Merritt. Please check her website for current locations.

I heard about Kim Lyon’s Tum-​E-​Time (
) classes through a fellow new mother who took her class at Birthways (
) in Berkeley, but was glad to find out that she also has class sessions nearby in Oakland. We ended up scheduling for a private class with Kim for infant massage in the privacy of our own home, and felt that it was money and time well spent!