preschool groups

Gymnastics for preschoolers: Why free play at Liberty had us bouncing off the walls!

Now, for no particular reason other than a friend suggesting we try out a local class with them, my girls are “ballet girls.” I use the term in the most literal sense – they do ballet. Neither one is destined for great things at the Royal School of Ballet; oh no, just like their mother, they haven’t been blessed with grace or light feet. However, they get a lot of enjoyment out of it (their beaming smiles say it all), I think it’s super cute, and it keeps them active, so it’s all good.

Recently though, I’ve wondered about gymnastics. The Little Big One is massively into jumping – on a trampoline, on the sofa, down the stairs (God help me); anywhere, really. She makes a beeline for the balance beams and stepping stones in the park too and I’m starting to think, maybe, that gymnastics might be more up her street. Same with the The Not So Tiny One, who has always been a bit of a daredevil and will climb just about anything given half a chance.

As we’re already doing a regular ballet class, I looked into drop-in gymnastics and found a class for pre-schoolers over in Frome at a place called Liberty Gymnastics Club. As well as doing pre-booked classes for a variety of ages (see link for more info) they run a pre-school drop-in session every Monday and Friday from 10-12pm that is all about free play. The fact that the session isn’t structured means that it worked really well for my two girls, who are nearly 2 and 4, and have different interests and ability levels.

The space is perfectly set up for pre-schoolers of all ages, from babies who have a host of mats, toys, walkers and sit-on toys to amuse them, to toddlers – there are swings, tunnels and trampettes and trampolines a-plenty – and those at the older end of the scale who can try their hand at balance beams, tight-rope walking, rope swinging, and even a mini assault course. Obviously the Not So Tiny One had a go on everything too, but the great thing about the space is that it has that amazing sprung floor everywhere (not just fun to walk on but nice and soft too) with crash mats located near anything where a fall might be possible.

One of the things that provided a great deal of entertainment was the foam landing pit, around which they’d placed crash mats that the children could slide off into the pit. A different take on the ball pit – but possibly even more fun!

It was really lovely to see the girls trying out new things and getting out of their comfort zones a little bit – and amazing for them to have the opportunity to try out some real gym equipment. The Little Big One got a great feeling of pride when she mastered the tight-rope. She didn’t brave the hanging rope on this occasion, but we’ll work on that next time!

The pre-school drop in session costs £4 per child but discounts are available for siblings (it cost us around £6.50 for both girls). I had Monday morning brain when we went and forgot to take cash with me but they do take card payments over £10 so I just pre-paid for another session and can use my credit any time (good to know if, like me, you don’t always carry cash!)

We’ll definitely be returning to the drop-in session, and who knows, maybe we’ll try out a proper class one day.

Boogie Woogie fun in Compton Dundon

This week we’re returning to our musical theme and reviewing a lovely little class run by a lady called Sarah Priddice called Boogie Woogies. Held in Compton Dundon village hall (just outside Street), the group is energetic, fun and loud – designed to get little ones up on their feet and moving about. It’s clear that this group has a really strong local following and the children were already happily running circles around the room when we arrived; an activity that the Not So Little One wasted no time in joining in with! From that point on, the fun never stopped.

Unlike Rock the Tots (which I reviewed earlier this month) this group is wholeheartedly geared towards the children so, while we didn’t have the standard nursery rhymes, we had some very popular alternatives – Ridin on a Donkey was a memorable one – all of which encouraged the children to move in different ways and dance along with the music.

There were props a-plenty – at the beginning of the class Sarah pulled out a huge bag filled with teddies and we all had to make lots of noise to wake them up, before each choosing one to join us for the rest of the session. A few songs were designed to get us moving with our teddies – lots of head patting and waving – and the rest were about getting us as active as possible. This was where the hall really came into its own – lots of space for us to go marching or twirling around the room or to make a large circle in the middle and dance together as a group.

At the end, the pace slowed and we said goodnight to our teddies… I think the Not So Tiny One was ready for a nap herself!

It’s not all running about though. After about 45 minutes of movement, it’s time for refreshments! This is where the grown-ups get a bit of a rest and the chance to sit and have a natter and a cup of tea while the little ones can either join them or continue burning off steam, with a variety of toys to entertain them.

The group is term time only and runs from 10-11:30am. The first session is a free trial and then its £5 per week thereafter. There’s also a group in Edington if you’re Bridgwater way. You can find out more here.