Thumbs Up for “My Gym”

Today Harper (4 months) and I participated in our very first “My Gym” class and had so much fun!

My Gym has developed an extraordinary program and facility devised to help children 6 weeks thru 13 years of age develop physically, cognitively and emotionally. We have over 200 locations in more than 25 countries offering structured, age-appropriate, weekly classes that incorporate music, dance, relays, games, special rides, gymnastics, sports and more. Children have loads of fun as they gain strength, balance, coordination, agility and flexibility while developing social skills, confidence and self-esteem. Our state-of-the-art facility, extensively trained staff, award-winning class programs, and excellent student/teacher ratio have earned My Gym the reputation as the best early learning program of its kind.

As a mama with a background in Early Childhood Education I went into this class with a very clear idea of what an early learning program should look like and My Gym lived up to and beat these expectations. Right off the bat I was greeted by a staff member who not only welcomed me but also introduced herself to my son–I LOVED this! The facility was sparkly clean, laid out in bright kid friendly colors and stocked full of toys, books, swings, ladders and all kinds of great equipment for the kids to experiment with.

Harper and I attended the “Little Bundles/Tiny Tykes” program designed for little ones 6 weeks – 13 months of age. This class took into account the developmental needs and abilities of this age group and catered activities towards strengthening muscles, skills and social interaction. The class we attended was a combo class and looked a little something like this:

We started our class off with introducing ourselves and our babies, singing a few “hello” songs, waking up our bodies with gentle stretching, dancing and a brief intermission and free play as the staff set up special activities. Ladders, planks, stairs, and soft wedges were put together to create a climbing, crawling, standing, sliding zone for the children to practice their balance and allow free range of motion and exploration. Next a rope was brought out and each child was assisted by a parent and staff member to practice hanging and swinging. I was surprised that at 4 months my little guy was able to participate in these activities and impressed with how easily the staff was able to adopt each exercise to meet my little guys ability. The smile on his face proved that he was stoked to be trying all these activities and using his full range of motion.

As class was winding down a large bucket of toys was brought out and the babies were allowed free time to interact with one another and explore the different array of materials. Parents were encouraged to give babies “independent time” as they felt comfortable, allowing the little ones an opportunity to explore on their own time and interest. I loved watching as the older babies gently crawled around engaging with the younger ones, passed toys to one another and babbling back and forth.

Our experience with My Gym was absolutely incredible and has me wanting to go back for more. I loved seeing a different side of my son, even at 4 months he was more alert, talkative and smily. Living in a small condo we don’t have much opportunity for free play (tile floor has his play area restricted to a small rug) and having a place like My Gym to explore is exactly what we needed.

At first I was a bit blindsided by the tuition costs, a lifetime membership fee will run you $75.00 and monthly dues are $80.00 for 4 weeks. However, when I really sat down and did the math this isn’t really that expensive. For my sons age there are two 45 min. classes held each week, with highly trained staff and special equipment that we don’t and won’t have access to at home. That means we’re paying $10.00 bucks a class and in addition to these structured times, My Gym has free play built into their weekly schedule. There is even a special baby play time to insure the safety of the little ones. When you add in this *bonus* time we’re talking a few bucks each time you visit the Gym and you and your child get a top notch experience. If you can swing the tuition I definitely recommend My Gym.

But wait there’s more…(in my best game show voice)

On top of the wonderful classes My Gym offers there are also Parent’s Night Out events ($35.00/3 hours) that consists of theme nights and a pizza dinner. My Gym also has birthday parties, art classes and even mobile programs for special functions! You can also TRY My Gym for Free. Yes, for FREE as in $0.00!!

Check out the My Gym website to find a location and class near you and sign up for a free class trial.