Indoor Fun: Dallas Gym

I occasionally take a random day off work to spend some time with my kiddos. As much as we love to be outside, some days we need some indoor options. Jenny  recently shared a great list of indoor play ideas. I love the idea of gym time, so I started searching for a place close to my house that didn’t require any kind of commitment, registration, etc. I found Dallas Gym at the Walnut Hill Recreation Center located at Midway and Walnut Hill. It is very similar to the Palaestra where Kelly takes her kids to expend some energy.

My five favorite things about the Dallas Gym Preschool Open Gym:

1. Hours – Preschool open gym is 10:30 to 11:45 (ages 0-4) Monday through Thursday. Not only are the hours convenient being in the morning, before lunch, setting us up for a great nap, but I can remember the schedule. Since my days off are random and often last minute, it’s nice knowing this easy schedule.

2. Space – The large open spaces in the gym are great. The kids and I always had a line of sight with each other, which is really great when I have two that want to play with complete different things. I never felt as if we were crowded or waiting for specific equipment. Everything was very spacious and easy to see. I also love that they are contained. To get out of the play area, they have to open a gate and sneak by someone at the front desk.

3. Price – The cost of open gym is $5 per child. I don’t really know how much I need to elaborate on that!

4. Playgroups– There seemed to be a few different playgroups while I was there, and I can see why this place is perfect for that. Since place is well organized and keeps the children contained, moms can stand around and chat while keeping an eye on their little ones having fun. I saw one group of moms and kids discussing lunch plans in the parking lot. So fun! I miss out on this quite a bit, but I did get to chat with a few friendly moms.

5. Fun – I have such great memories of gymnastics as a kid, and I absolutely love watching my kiddos explore the equipment…swinging on the bars and rings, walking on the balance beam, and of course jumping on the trampolines. Seeing their little faces puzzled with curiosity and then the pure elation when they have conquered their task is so much fun! Now that they are turning three, I think I’ll be signing up for a structured class.