Dallas Moms Blog has partnered with The Little Gym during the fall to introduce you to the variety of classes The Little Gym offers around the Dallas metroplex. From Mommy & Me with your youngest to Sports Skills with your biggest, discover through these sponsored posts all that The Little Gym has to offer.
Jump In and Try a Mommy & Me Class At The Little Gym!
The rumors are true about second children. The world just does not revolve around them the way it does with your first. While my first son attended a variety of different classes and play groups almost every day of the week from the time he was 12 months old, my poor 2nd son is almost 18 months old and has never attended a single class or camp without his brother in tow. Where we take our first, my second gets tagged along.
When The Little Gym introduced themselves to Dallas Moms Blog and asked if my 18 month old would attend a “Mommy & Me” at their Preston & Forest location, I jumped on the chance. This was an opportunity to allow my youngest to be his own person and enjoy a class that was specifically geared to him.
While I know a few friends that attended The Little Gym classes, I surprisingly knew nothing about the classes before I showed up on Monday morning; which made me a little nervous. Since my son hasn’t had any group activity experience, I had no idea how he’d behave, if he’d pay attention, or if he’d even enjoy it. My oldest doesn’t start school until September, so I was unsure whether he’d act out sitting there staring at his brother during class. There were a lot of uncertainties, but as I came to realize, there wasn’t a single reason to be uneasy.
Before I even unloaded my boys from the car, Ben, our teacher, was at the door introducing himself to make them both feel at ease. I’d arrived about 10 minutes early and was given a quick tour; showing my oldest where the restrooms where and where he’d sit. As we were being shown the observation/waiting room, my oldest spotted a giant rolling rack filled with boy crack–Legos. For the next 45 minutes, my son played without even realizing I’d disappeared behind the glass to start our Mommy & Me “Beast” class with my youngest. (Mom Worry #1: What to do with my oldest…squashed!)
From the very beginning of class, our instructor did an incredible job of explaining to parents what the focus of the class was (fine motor skills) and how we’d be developing these during the activities.
Each of the 3 and under classes at The Little Gym lasts approximately 45 minutes and are broken into themed, multi-week Learning Units that take a holistic “Three-Dimensional Learning Approach:”
Get Moving! Increased physical strength and muscle control, fine and gross motor skill development, coordination, balance
Brain Boost! Spatial and perceptual awareness, introduction to colors, language development and self-expression, knowledge of numbers and letters, initial problem solving
Citizen Kid! Developing independence and feeling comfortable away from parents, early socialization, sharing and taking turns, accepting new environments, following directions and cooperating
Each song sung had an objective. Each activity was timed to not lose their attention. What looked like random play was actually structured and planned. If children wandered from the mat where we were doing a group activity, I was reminded several times to just let him explore–it was all a part of learning. (Mom Worry #2: Will he pay attention? Relief because it was okay if he didn’t!)
Each activity moved quickly so there wasn’t much opportunity for kids to get bored. We moved from the floor mat to the tumble pads, to the low balance beam, and over to the uneven bars. At each station, parents were given very specific instructions on how skills could be developed and the instructor was always eager to help the kids when needed.
Not only was it a learning experience for my son, but it was a learning experience for me! It was on the bars that I realized my 18 month old has incredible upper body strength and could hang and swing without my help– abilities I wouldn’t have discovered at home in my backyard.
At the end of our time, we were reminded again about the skills they were learning and encouraged to come back on Friday for their “practice time”. This is a a form of open gym but much better! This is an opportunity to come in and practice the skills from the week before with an instructor helping lead.
I’m already looking forward to our next class at The Little Gym and can’t wait to watch my little guy develop in a class all his own! (Mom Worry #3: Would he like it? He LOVED it!)
If you’d like to discover more about The Little Gym and their programs for ages 4 months to 12 years, make sure to visit their website or contact a location nearest you and ask about an Introductory Experience. You’ll find The Little Gym at the following locations throughout the Dallas metroplex:
- Preston & Forest; Dallas
- Mockingbird & Abrams; Dallas
- Preston & Park; Plano
- Preston & Stonebrook; Frisco
Fall classes begin on August 25 and registration is now open! This is a great time to jump in and try a class where your child will learn, grow, and have a blast!
Will we see you at The Little Gym?
Disclosure: Dallas Moms Blog received complimentary tuition to The Little Gym during the fall to introduce you to the variety of classes The Little Gym offers around the Dallas metroplex. All opinions are 100% our own, and we stand behind the businesses we endorse!
