Most of the activities we do revolve around my oldest daughter who is now in preschool, but now that my son is almost 3-years-old, it is his turn! He is a passionate and energetic little boy, so asking him to sit still is a hard feat. I tried several things, but they were just not his jam. The Little Gym in Mason is the perfect fit for him. He can get his energy out while developing his coordination, listening skills and awareness of others. This is also embedded into the Little Gym’s teaching philosophy.
Prior to coming to our first class, I spoke with a staff member over the phone. They fielded my questions and suggested the best class for my son. Not only did the staff work with me in advance, but they greeted me at the door knowing it was our first class. This customer service and personalization really impressed me. We were actually a few minutes late (story of my life), and this personal touch calmed me down and my son – so I slithered right into the opening activity. Please note – this was a parent assisted class. I also want to mention, I was wearing a baby and I observed several other babies, too.
The opening activity involved stretching and a fun song about body parts. Each child got to introduce themselves, jump on three circles and give the teacher a high-five. This activity involved listening to directions and taking turns. After stretching the children got to play with the parachute, which was a fun group activity. The opening activities lasted more or less than 10 minutes, and then the children had free time where they could try out the different equipment. There was a balance beam, wedges, double bars, a donut, hanging bars and more. My son enjoyed the balance beam. The instructor also provided some structured activities during this free time. One activity included jumping over a jump rope and then bouncing onto three mats. The activity my little boy talked about most was swinging from the uneven bars (with assistance of course). He went back to do it two or three times!
He was so excited about the uneven bars that he cut in front of the line. The instructor nicely, but firmly, asked him to wait his turn, and he did! I really liked this. Kids need to have that awareness of others, and it is never too early to practice that skill. As much as he had fun, I like that there is intentionality in the Little Gym’s program about helping kids to grow physically, cognitively and socially.
After the free time with embedded structured activities, there were closing activities that involved arranging multicolored disks on the floor and teamwork. There were also some closing songs, and then the students cleaned up their hands and got a stamp!
I was very impressed with the Little Gym, and I will be chronicling my son’s growth over the next few weeks. There are parent assisted classes for younger kids and unassisted ones as kids get older. They also host birthday parties and have camps. The Little Gym is located at 8201 Arbor Square Drive (right next to Kroger) in Mason, Ohio. Check out thelittlegym.com for more information about the varying classes and programs they offer.
