Parent/Child Classes

FROM START TO FINISH:
• Opening Circle- this is the “official” start of class each week where we bring out musical instruments, sit in a group circle, and sing our “Hello Song”. We put away the instruments and do a Name activity. This part of class is to get kids (& grown ups) oriented to the group. Our goal is to create a positive social experience for everyone at the start of class. Many kids will not stay with the group during this part of class. That’s ok. Social comfort is part of the learning to be in a class. It will hopefully come in time. Grown-ups are encouraged to stay with the group unless their child needs help for safety or social reasons. This way you can be a positive role model for your child.

• Warm-Up- this is where we get to RUN! We move to directive music and explore age-appropriate locomotor skills and basic gymnastics skills. The music typically tells us what to do so we can also work on listening and following directions. Some kids will jump right in and go, others will cling to their grown-up and refuse to touch the floor until they are comfortable with the group. Keep in mind that this is a lot of stimulation for many kids. Even if they aren’t “shy” normally, the music , the movement, the kids, the newness, may leave even the most outgoing child wondering what he got into. It’s great to expose kids to this type of stimulation, it helps them get used to it and get comfortable.

• Group Activity- this varies from week to week. It is a fun activity that is designed to appeal to the whole group and get them participating with others and following directions. We rotate parachute, bean bags, scarves, hula hoops, and air track (our inflatable trampoline) into our fun line-up.

• Exploration- this part of class is for kids to explore throughout the gym, climbing, crawling, jumping, swinging rolling and learning gymnastics. Obstacle courses are set up with age-appropriate activities on full size gymnastics apparatus as well as equipment scaled to kid size. The Instructor will demonstrate skill ideas and make suggestions, show spotting techniques and do a “Skill of Focus” each week.

• Skill of Focus- This is a skill that requires a little more spotting or we take the opportunity to explain how a skill works for the age group you are in. It isn’t a requirement that your child participate in this each week, it’s just something for you to try out any time during exploration.

• Ball time!- We do ball time every class for this age group. Usually it is a free form activity so kids can practice throwing and catching, shooting hoops or kicking into soccer nets. We will occasionally mix in additional activities to stimulate participation. This is great not just because it’s fun and kids love balls, but also because it improves eye-hand coordination, fosters social skills like sharing and taking turns, and improves visual tracking ability which is still developing in toddlers.

• Bubbles- the best way to transition from balls is to do something the kids like equally as much! We use the bubbles to wind down at the end of class. We blow them on different body parts for body part identification and challenge kids to catch them so they again improve their visual tracking ability.

• Closing Circle- This helps with closure! Kids learn that we sing good-bye at the end of class and get stamps on our hands and feet on the way out of class. It helps kids learn quickly that this is the end. Many kids that were not comfortable with the group initially are usually much more relaxed now. They will tend to come back to the group to sing good-bye and stamps are one last motivator to get them to sit in the circle!

See Schedule for class times…..

Call us to schedule a free trial so we can make sure there is room in the class you are interested in.