What is the Little Gym?
The Little Gym has classes for kids with ages ranging from 4 months to 12 years old - though locally you may find that they are more focused on either a young age group or an older one as their customer base dictates. Some classes are parent/child classes - which are a blast to participate in, and other classes are for kids only. The classes are usually on the short side - an hour or less, which makes them easy to squeeze into that already-too-busy schedule.What kinds of classes?
The classes actually cover a very wide range, from gymnastics to dance to sports skills and everywhere in between. I was actually a little bit reluctant to get my daughter involved in a gymnastics class at such a young age, but seeing them in action was enough to convince me that it was the right decision. This isn't competitive gymnastics. It's learning things like how to do somersaults and monkey jumps, walking on a balance beam, and swinging on a bar. Throw in a little bit of bubble time, some fun songs and activities, and some running around in circles and your fun-filled learning hour is over before you know it. The sports skills class teaches about things like offense and defense, how to throw and catch a ball, kicking balls, and then they actually get into the details of some sports. (It's too funny watching a full class of 2-3 year olds tackling the teachers during the football unit).What are the benefits?
Aside from gaining the basic physical skills, which I think is important, the kids all benefit from the social environment they are exposed to - learning how to share and cooperate with the other children, learning how to focus attention on the teacher, and learning about taking turns and that sort of thing. Having the physical skills will help them immensely as they get more involved in athletic activities, and gives the kids the confidence that comes with experience. The parent/child classes offer the opportunity for some one-on-one bonding time with Mom or Dad. The solo classes are a great safe way to play independent of parental guidance. It's also just a good thing to have something fun planned to look forward to.What Else?
Aside from the classes, The Little Gym also offers a parents' survival night regularly - a weekend evening where you can drop your little one's off to have fun for a few hours at The Little Gym. It's great fun for the kids with a little bit less structure and more free-play, but they still have organized activities. They also do birthday parties, which I recommend highly from recent experience.What visitors have to say about The Little Gym
