The is a sponsored post in partnership with The Little Gym and The Motherhood.
When it comes to fun summer activities I’m all about the element of surprise.
So, even though I had a trip to The Little Gym on my radar, I didn’t tell Jemma and Max until a few hours before. They. Were. Thrilled. I had signed them up for a half dance half gymnastics class – the perfect mix for these two – and the anticipating was unreal.
The Little Gym is serious fun. From the moment you walk in the door and are greeted by friendly staff to the brightly colored walls and kid-size equipment, The Little Gym is all about having a good time while experiencing a new activity with friends.
Is there a location near you?
Technically, dance is Jemma’s forte. She truly loves the grace of it, ballet especially. But, last month the two of them went to a ballet rendition of Alice in Wonderland and ever since, Max has been all about boys who dance. He donned his tap shoes and then ballet slippers and set to work counting to 8.
The teacher who led their group was fantastic! She engaged the kids so well while teaching them the official dance terms and helping them practice each step. We spent 30 minutes tapping and twirling and then it was off to the gymnastics room.
Max prides himself on his “gymnastics ninja” skills so he was ready to get going. During this segment we had two teachers so each child got quite a bit of dedicated time. Max loved that one of them was a boy — “That boy teachers says I’m pretty strong, Mom!” They began class with stretching and a warm up jog (such an important but often overlooked step in exercise) and then learned two rotations through various pieces of equipment. They ended with a game and a cute little goodbye song.
As we walked out, both kids said they couldn’t wait to go back. And we probably will, The Little Gym is such a perfect fit for our family. Designed for children 4 months to 12 years – um, I have four that fall in that age range, The Little Gym offers a huge assortment of classes for little ones experiencing their first taste of group activities to more advanced classes like gymnastics, dance, and sports prep. These aren’t just any kind of extracurricular class though, The Little Gym is unique in that they structure each class around a proprietary philosophy called Three-Dimensional Learning.
The Three-Dimensional Learning approach consists of Brain Boost!, Get Moving!, and Citizen Kid! so while kids are having fun, they’re also developing a number of crossover skills that they can apply at home, at school, with family, and with friends.
- Brain Boost! focuses on listening well, concentration, decision-making, and problem solving.
- Get Moving! is all about exerting energy in a positive way, gaining flexibility and strength, and establishing a love for fitness and health.
- Citizen Kid! (my personal favorite) incorporates things like sharing, working in a group, and practicing leadership skills.
Pretty amazing, right? As a mom I love when regular activities are taken to the next level. It really makes me feel like I’m getting my money’s worth. Our experience at The Little Gym was top notch. The kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves, they learned new skills, and I noticed so much attention to detail. All three of their teachers were 100% involved and focused on the kids, they encouraged and directed them well, and made sure everything was age appropriate – even the music!
