My Gym: a fun place to go on a non-school day!

by Lisa, TTH

My 3 1/2 year old son has been enrolled in My Gym's Mighty Mites (3 1/4 - 4 1/2 years) for about four months and we love it. It's a safe indoor playground where children can develop gross motor skills. My son loves the variety of activities…the entire configuration of the gym changes weekly. The flow of the one hour class is consistent, but the activities are always new. The class starts by everyone being prompted to introduce themselves and answering an age appropriate question, this week it was "what is your favorite vegetable?" They warm up and jump into some sort of group activity like a relay or other game. Then the class is broken in half for two gymnastics tricks where children learn basic skills like "airplane arms" for balance or "tuck your chin" for forward roll safety.

The teacher takes time with each child, skill level doesn't matter. Free play follows and simple rules are given and the kids repeat each time, "one friend on the trampoline at a time", for example. The class wraps up with a Simon Says sort of game and maybe a puppet show. Kids don't linger after class because there is a race to put shoes and socks to get "stamparoos". My son has really learned how to do a somersault, how to balance with airplane arms and generally try new things that seem tricky or scary.

We haven't done many enrichment programs, but I highly recommend My Gym on Bascom.I continue to be impressed with the quality of teachers, the positive discipline approach used in class and range of activities they do ever week. They offer "mommy and me classes" from 6 months to 3 years and independent classes from 3 years to 13 years. Enrollment in any class entitles you to come any time for free play sessions. The added benefit that keeps me coming back is that classes roll over if you miss - it isn't "use it or loose it" (unless you pay by the month).