This afternoon, on one of the hottest days of the year, our NYC Dads Group stayed indoors and checked out a well-known and respected Children’s Gymnastics Venue on the Upper East Side. Nine dads and their kids took the elevator up to the private 4th floor of Jodi’s Gym. Upon entering this true gymnasium, we were welcomed by an enthusiastic staff that lead us into our action-packed, Mighty Muscle Movers Class. I would be putting it mildly by saying the children ranging from 1 – 3 years of age had an absolute blast!
The class opened with about 10 minutes of free play so the kids can explore the different centers and gym equipment on their own to get acclimated. What impressed me most was that all of the gym equipment – rings, uneven bars, balance beam, “high bar” (that was not so high), etc. was all set up so our children were able to reach them unassisted! My son was on sensory overload – moving from the pint-sized rings to the balance beam, to the trampoline. Our instructor called us in for a huddle and performed a few songs with the kids to get us really warmed up. Then, off to supervised instruction on the balance beam – which all of our children participated in. My son even attempted an awkward and comical dismount off the beam.
There was something for everyone in this type of class. The class session even included a full-sized bounce house which almost made you feel like you were at a carnival. Some of our kids raced on the obstacle course, tumbled on the mats, shot hoops in their basketball area, or enjoyed all of the gymnastics equipment. What I enjoyed most was that this class was focused mainly on gymnastics, and not so much on singing and dancing and bubbles (even though that was sprinkled in). Overall, the supervised exploratory class went so smoothly that the dads had a chance to watch and engage with our kids as well as socialize with each other – an important aspect of our dads’ community outings.
I would certainly recommend this class to all parents. It’s always nice to hear from the staff that this was the first all-dads class that they have had and it was a pleasant experience. My son, a more important critic than I, had told me before bed tonight that he would like to go back to Jodi’s Gym tomorrow. We will be back!
this sounds like a great time!