Summer Camp fun in Gainesville!
The warm weather has finally arrived and it's time to start thinking about Summer Camps! What is the value of participating in a Summer Camp? At The Little Gym of Gainesville, it's important to not only have fun, but also promote and develop your child's well-being.

So, Why Summer Camp?

Unplug! Summer Camp enables your child to break away from the iPads, Laptops and T.V. screens and gets them active and develops the habit of staying active too!

Independence! Summer Camp -- whether it's a day or a week -- develop's your child's ability to separate from you, make some of their own decisions and participate in social activities without Mom or Dad!
 
Confidence! At Summer Camp your child is able to try new things in a positive and safe environment -- every time they try a new skill, social activity or game, they're building their confidence that will last long after camp fun is over.
 

Friendship! Of course, one of the best parts about Summer Camp is the friendships that are built and developed during the fun summer activities they participate in together.
 

Summer Camp Fun in the Gainesville area is Just around the Corner and we're offering you a special deal!
 

Mention this blog post & you'll receive $25 off of camp when you reserve three or more camp days at The Little Gym of Gainesville!
 

Whether you're looking for just a day, multiple days or even weeks, we have Summer Camps that are sure to make your little one smile!
 

Our Summer Camp Themes Include:
The Little Gym Crazy Carnival
Cars, Planes, Trucks and Trains!
X-Treme Sports
Superheroes!
Legends, Fables and Folklore!
Lights, Camera, Action!
Cheerleading
My Animal Planet
The Little Gym Olympics
Hip-Hop Karate Chop!
Sky Rangers

Special deal is valid from April 10 until May 1, 2013.
Over 8,250 Shoes Donated to Children in Need

 Over the past several months The Little Gym of Gainesville and Soles4Souls have turned to the people of Gainesville and nearby Northern Virginia communities to help collect shoes for children in need.  The shoes were shipped last week and a whopping 8,250 shoes were collected locally!

The Little Gym of Gainesville franchise owner, Chad Mussmon, his family and local community members, packaged, box-up and loaded the truck with the donated shoes.  Mr. Mussmon then delivered the truck filled with shoes to New Jersey, where Soles4Souls leaders were waiting to collect the shoes and distribute the donated shoes across the world to people in need!

The Little Gym of Gainesville owner, Chad Mussmon was quoted saying, “It’s not only great to see how many people have come out to donate shoes over the past few months, but it’s really awesome to see the children helping package and transport the shoes – they really get an understanding of why donating to others is so important.”

The Little Gym International and Soles4Souls teamed up nationwide.  The total number of shoes collected across the nation was a little over 42,000 pairs of shoes.  The collected shoes will protect children from harsh conditions, disease and enable them to attend school as well.

Thanks to the community members who donated shoes or helped box and ship them to the children in need!

Summer Class -- Enrolling Now!
We just wanted to share a quick reminder to all that our Summer Classes will begin on June 10th! We're so excited for our Summer Classes and cannot wait to begin! We are currently enrolling students in our Pre-K and Grade School Gymnastics, Karate, Dance and our Parent/Child Classes!
 
Now until March 24th we are offering you $10 off your Summer Class enrollment and FIVE raffle tickets for a chance to win an Awesome Birthday Bash, a free second Summer Class, a week of Summer Camp or a Parents' Survival Night!
We hope to see you over the Summer! Give us a call to take advantage of the $10 savings before it's too late!
 
703-753-9101
It's time to start thinking about Summer Camps!

Are you ready to skip the bug spray this summer and just enjoy fun physical activities in the gym, crafts, games and even welcome special visitors -- from Firefighters to superheroes to puppies -- each day your little one joins us for an awesome camp will be a new and exciting experience!

Summer camp can be a big step for the little ones in our lives, that's why The Little Gym of Gainesville offers half day and day camps that you can take for the day, multiple days or even the week! We have a variety of camp themes that will put huge smiles on everyone's face!

Whether you are looking for a fun carnival theme, visits from firefighters, policemen and even the occasional puppy, turtle or snake, then check out our summer camp schedule online or give us a call at 703-753-9101.

Keep Healthy this Flu Season
You hear it on the news, friends are talking about it -- it's flu season. At The Little Gym of Gainesville we're looking to help keep you and your little ones prepared and protected from "The Bug!"
 
- Make snacks and meals with wholes grains, dark and leafy greens and berries!
- Tea is a great disease fighter as well! Serve it hot with a little honey and your kids will stay healthy with a yummy treat.
- Sleep! When we sleep our bodies are able to recover and fight against any disease. For toddlers, experts recommend around 12 hours of sleep and 10 hours for pre-school and school-aged children!
- Teach kids not to share their food and drinks with other children. Disease is spread the quickest amoungst the little ones when they share food and drinks.
 
Staying active and eating healthy are simple and effective ways of staying healthy during the flu season! Don't forget that we offer make-up classes for any class you miss throughout the season, so if your child isn't feeling well, keep them home, let them rest and then when they're feeling better come on in for your make-up class at The Little Gym!
Toddler Class Review
At The Little Gym we offer everything from grade-school gymnastics to karate to toddler and parent/child classes.  We were honored when DCMetroMom.com wrote not only a wonderful article about our Birds Program (10 months - 19 months,) but we were also so impressed with how insightful the article is regarding the curriculum and core values of each class we offer and we wanted to share it with everyone.
 
The article is from a parent's perspective on why our programs are more than just a fun place for your child to burn off some energy. 
 
Mommy and Me Parent/Child Classes Research
Research suggests that starting creative physical activity at a young age may be the key in fostering confident, healthy and successful children. A new white paper published by The Little Gym International, shows that what was once thought of as fitness skills can now directly translate into classroom and work skills.
 
Mommy and Me Parent/Child classes at The Little Gym start working with your child at four months of age. Introducing your little one to new physical movements that help them reach their developmental milestones.
 
"Raising Future Well-Adjusted Adults" is prepared from research compiled by Dr. Cheryl Olsen, a former Harvard Medical School faculty member who specializes in child development and health behaviors. Some of the research in her report is listed below:
 
- Children make judgements about their motor skill abilities at an early age, which may affect their willingness to take on new physcial challenges as they get older.
 
- Structured and repetitive physical activities can improve a child's processing speed, working memory, self-control and strategic decision-making ability.
 
- Early participation in structured group activities that allow children to cultivate skill such as initiative, teamwork, and emotional regulation, can help children more effectively take on leadership roles in the future.
 
Mommy and Me Parent/Child Classes at The Little Gym have a structured and three dimensional learning approach, with three core tenents: "Get Moving" to foster flexibilty and strength, "Brain Boost" to foster listening skills, concentration and decesion-making and finally, "Citizen Kid" to cultivate sharing, teamwork, cooperation and leadership abilities. The research in Dr. Cheryl Olsen's study support this approach as an effective and benficial tool in your child's development.
Refer-a-Friend and Reap the Benefits!
Does your child love coming to their gymnastics, karate, dance or parent/child class? Why not share that news and get rewarded for it?
 
When you refer-a-friend to The Little Gym you'll receive a $25 Visa Gift Card, $25 off an Awesome Birthday Bash and your child can pick from our prize board that's hanging in the lobby! Don't worry, we didn't forget about your friend either! They'll recieve $20 off their first month of class and their little one can pick from the prize board too!
 
Give us a call or stop by the front desk for more information!
Mommy and Me Classes Video

From infant to toddler, our Parent and Child classes promote early development and provide a strong foundation for your childʼs critical first three years. Weekly Mommy and Me classes will help your child achieve new milestones and prepare for more advanced challenges during each stage of growth. And since youʼre along for the ride, youʼll be right there to celebrate every discovery with smiles, hugs and the occasional adult-sized giggle.

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.


We offer four fun Mommy and Me classes for our youngest members and their parents:

Bugs: infants 4 -- 10 months

Birds: infants/toddlers 10 -- 19 months

Beasts: toddlers 19 months -- 2 1/2 years

Super Beasts: toddlers 2 1/2 -- 3 years

For more information on Mommy and Me class visit http://www.thelittlegym.com/GainesvilleVA/Pages/parent-child.aspx

The Little Gym of Gainesville
7364 Atlas Walkway
Gainesville, VA 20155
(703) 753-9101

Check out our video that gives you a sneak peak inside our Parent/Child Classes!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woJTnL2a6RY

 

Kid's Dance Classes at The Little Gym
 
Dancing -- It's More than Just a Toe-tapping Good Time!

 
Does your little one love to move, wiggle or shake?  Then maybe a dance class is the right fit for them! 
 
Dancing isn't just a fun time, it's also good for you! At The Little Gym, we love to see smiles on our members' faces, but we also love knowing that the skills we are teaching them are growing their confidence, coordination and balance!

A few things that make our youth dance classes so unique are the creatively themed classes and the complimentary gymnastics time to help emphasize your child's balance and coordination.

Dancing is fun and it helps to increase a child's self-confidence, flexibility, balance and coordination! We'd love to have your little one join our The Little Gym Dance Family! Give us a call at 703-753-9101.
Our "Get Moving" Family of the Week
Check out Mr. & Mrs. Barber, Matthew and Kiran, our "Get Moving" family of the week!  Mr. and Mrs. Barber worked on their balance and body control today when they bounced on the air track in the Mini-Flips class today!  Way to go guys -- balance and coordination are key elements to ensuring a healthy lifestyle!
Halloween Safety Tips
At The Little Gym we not only focus on flexibility, strength, listening and leadership skills -- we also focus on safety! Understanding how to perform gymnatistics skills properly and safely is an important part of the learning process. With Halloween on its way, we wanted to share some safety tips! We want this Halloween to be safe! Here are some quick tips to help protect your little ghosts and goblins: Choose brightly colored costumes so your child is more visible in the dark Add reflective tape or stickers to your child’s costume and goodie bag Make sure the hats, masks and wigs don’t interfere with your their ability to see clearly Give your child a flashlight with new batteries to carry with them Avoid oversized costumes which can be a tripping hazard or can catch fire by brushing against a lit jack-o-lantern Make sure your child has identification just in case you should get separated Leave bikes, skateboards and in-line skates at home Remind your child to walk, never run while trick-or-treating and at street corners to stop and look before proceeding For younger children, avoid candy corn, caramels, gummy bears, jelly beans and other small candies that are a choking hazard Know a tip we forgot? Share it with us on our Facebook Page.
Gabe -- Student of the Week!
 
Congratulations to our awesome Student of the Week, Gabe! Gabe has been working on his flexibilty and coordination in his Karate class here at The Little Gym.  Coordination is so important in karate and we're so proud of all is hard work! Way to go Gabe!
Birthday Party for Your Little One!

Planning a birthday party for your little one can be stressful. Children’s birthday parties at The Little Gym take away your stress! We take care of the set up and the clean up so you can enjoy your child’s birthday party as much as they do! Every birthday at The Little Gym of Gainesville is filled with gymnastics, moon bounces, obstacle courses, games and more!

Check out more information for our Awesome Birthday Bash at http://www.thelittlegym.com/GainesvilleVA/Pages/kids-birthday.aspx

Also, when you reserve your child’s birthday party before Oct. 31, 2012, you can receive $25 off your child’s party! Give us a call today for more information or schedule your date – 703-753-9101.

Fun Fall Crafts!
As we make our way into October and cooler weather is upon us, we all seem to be spending a little more time indoors. Today we want to share with you some awesome fall craft ideas we have found!

This first craft idea comes from All Kids Network. The name of the craft is Paper Bag Scarecrow and it's a cute and simple way for you and your child to get into the spirit of fall!
 
What You'll Need:
Brown paper lunch bag
Newspaper
Yellow, brown, orange, black, blue, and red construction paper
2 googly eyes
Glue
Scissors
Tape
 
How to make your Paper Bag Scarecrow Craft:
Use the newspaper to stuff your brown paper lunch bag. Be careful not to stuff it too full! Tape the top of the bag closed.
Print out our template above.
 
Cut out the shapes and trace them on construction paper. The smile is black, the hat is brown, the hat ribbon and bow are blue, the nose is orange, and the leaf is red. Cut out all of the pieces.

Cut a few one inch wide strips of yellow construction paper.
Glue the bow onto the bag towards the bottom. Glue the tiny yellow square in the middle of the bow.

Glue the smile on above the bow. Then glue on the googly eyes so they are at the same height as the top of the smile. Then glue the nose in the middle.

Cut the yellow construction paper strips to various lengths and glue along the top of the bag as hair.
 
To make the hat, glue the blue strip to the tall rounded portion of the hat. Then glue the brim of the hat on so that it leaves a bit of the blue strip exposed, but not all of it exposed. Glue the red leaf on the side of the hat. Glue that hat onto your scarecrow.
 
 
If you're looking for something that only requires a few supplies than Martha Stewart's "Hanging Leaves" is the project for you and your little one! All that is needed is some leaves,a stick, glue and string!
 
How to Create the Hanging Leaves Craft:

Glue the string to that back of the leaves and wrap the string around the stick and then hang the stick from a window and you have just made your very own "dream catcher" out of leaves and string!

There are all sorts of fun fall craft ideas -- share with us some of your favorites at http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Little-Gym-of-Gainesville/165325408439?ref=hl
Internet Safety Tips
The Internet is a wonderful resource for kids. But like all tools, you need to teach your children how to use it wisely. Consider setting some basic ground rules to help protect your children. Some simple rules such as how long they can be on the computer and what types of sites they can visit can help keep your child safe as they surf the web. Another easy safety tip is to keep the computer in a public part of your home, instead of a bedroom, so that you can more easily keep an eye on what’s going on. It may also be helpful to determine whether your children's friends have the same type of rules at their house as you do at yours.

Here are a few internet safety tips that we recommend discussing with your children:
· Never give out your personal information online such as name, home address, school name, or telephone number.
· Tell Mom & Dad right away if you read anything on the Internet that makes you feel uncomfortable.
· Only communicate with people you know personally; people online may not be who they say they are.
· Do not meet anyone in person that you have met online or have them visit without your Mom or Dad’s permission.
· Never write to someone who has made you feel uncomfortable or scared.
· If you get a message that is mean or threatening in any way, tell your Mom or Dad immediately.
 
Safety and savings! Visit www.thelittlegymgps.com to receive a special $20 discount on the Amber Alert GPS tracking device.
 
Boost Your Blog’s Visibility: Social Marketing Posts
Facebook Post: The Internet is a wonderful resource for kids. But like all tools, you need to teach your children how to use it wisely. Click below to view some great tips about web safety from our friends at Amber Alert GPS.
Splish and Splash Safety
Enjoying some time splashing in the water is a great way to beat the summer heat! The pool and beach offer hours of entertainment for kids of all ages!
 
While you're enjoying the water, be sure to take the appropriate steps to keep your child safe this summer. Every day, two children die from accidental drowning -- which is the second leading cause of death for children ages one to 14.
 
Follow these simple guidelines when your child is near the water:
 
1. Never leave your child unsupervised when he or she is near any water; this includes lakes, pools, bathtubs, hot tubs and even shallow pools of water.
 
2. Empty all buckets immediately after use and store them upside-down and out of reach of your child.
 
3. Teach your child to swim -- get them started with age-appropriate swim classes in your community.
 
4. Never rely on flotation devices alone to keep your child safe in the water.
 
5. Small children should be accompanied by an adult when swimming.
 
6. Teach your child to use the buddy system and instruct them to never go near water alone.
 
7. Adults and kids over the age of 13 should learn infant and child CPR.
Don't forget to have a fun and safe summer!
 
By the way, visit www.thelittlegymgps.com to revieve a special $20 discount on the Amber Alert GPS tracking system.
Spring Break Camp 2012

Anytime Spring Break

Kids Camp®

 

April 2, 2012 - April 6, 2012

 

For Ages 3-8 years

 (must be POTTY INDEPENDENT)

 

 

 

  

 

 

Monday-Friday

9:00am- 12:00pm

 

Theme: Superheroes!

Look up in the sky!  It’s a bird!  It’s a plane!  No – it’s your Superhero child flying, dashing and speeding around The Little Gym “saving the day” with their super powers!  The kids will have fun pretending to be their favorite superhero during this Marvel-ous week of camp!  We’ll even have some visits throughout the week by our REAL-LIFE superheroes – police officers, firefighters and paramedics!

 

Tuesday & Thursday

1:00pm- 4:00pm

 

Theme: TLG’s Crazy Carnival

Carnival rides and games in The Little Gym?  Crazy, right?  Well that’s exactly what we have planned for our “campers” this week!  Using our safe equipment, music and imagination we will create all of this and more.

Summer Camp Themes 2012

We are super excited to have brand new themes this year!  Registration starts Monday, February 6th, and for every 3 day camp purchased before February 18th, get a free day of Spring Break camp!*

 

Call or email for more information!

 

*Three days purchased must be within the same week theme

 

June 11th – 15th 

TLG’s Crazy Carnival!

Carnival rides and games in The Little Gym?  Crazy, right?  Well that’s exactly what we have planned for our “campers” this week!  Using our safe equipment, music and imagination we will create all of this and more.  Oh, and don’t forget about the carnival “Talent Show” on the last day!  “Come one, come all to TLG’s Crazy Carnival”!

 

June 18th – 22nd

Cars, Planes, Trucks & Trains

Is your child crazy bout “Trucks”? “Trains”?  Do they dream of flying, or speeding across the finish line in their racecar?!  Each day this camp offers fun activities, music and games about one of these modes of transportation; an exciting week of Transportation Fascination!

 

June 25th –29th

X-treme Sports of ALL Sorts

Tired of the regular old sports?  How about challenging yourself with some X-treme Sports – TLG Style?!  The kids will have a BLAST taking part in some creatively-modified X-treme sports activities such as “Base Jumping”, “Cliff-Diving”, “Surfing” and even “Zorbing” – riding INSIDE our donut!  All of these safe activities are sure to Thrill!

 

July 2nd - 3rd  & 5th – 6th  

Superheroes!

Look up in the sky!  It’s a bird!  It’s a plane!  No – it’s your Superhero child flying, dashing and speeding around The Little Gym “saving the day” with their super powers!  The kids will have fun pretending to be their favorite superhero during this Marvel-ous week of camp!  We’ll even have some visits throughout the week by our REAL-LIFE superheroes – police officers, firefighters and paramedics! 

 

July 9th -13th

Legends, Fables & Folklore

Wonder and fascination will be brought to life during this week of Legends, Fables and Folklore!  Has your child ever pretended to be a Unicorn, Dragon or Mermaid?  Do they love the stories of “Robin Hood” or “Cinderella”?  The kids will get to bring these and other characters and stories to life this week – and get some great exercise at the same time!

 

July 16th – 20th

Lights, Camera, Action!

Who knows how many of our TLG campers of today just might be the Movie Stars or Broadway actors of tomorrow?  What we DO know is that each child will have many fun-filled creative movement, role-playing and even acting experiences this week!  By the end of the week we just might even have a “World Premier Movie” – starring all of our campers – to show the parents!  

 

July 23rd – 27th

Cheerleading!

“Give me an ‘F – U – N!’  What’s that spell?  “FUN!”  Get ready for some fun cheers, chants and flashy moves during Cheerleader Week!  The kids will enjoy cheering, dancing, high-powered gymnastics and TEAMWORK.  We will even introduce some fun, age-appropriate stunts for our little Cheer Team to try!  Come find out why Cheerleading is one of the fastest growing sports! 

August 6th – 10th

The Little Gym Olympics

The Summer Olympics are back once again in 2012!  We will celebrate by having our own The Little Gym Olympics during this week of camp – complete with Opening and Closing Ceremonies, and of course the Grand Awards Presentation!  Each day will offer fun-filled sports activities.  But be forewarned!  Along with familiar sports, we might try some fun Whacky Sports that have never been done before!

August 13th -17th

Hip-Hop Karate Chop!

As the theme suggests, this week will be an incredible action-packed combination of karate and hip-hop dance skills!  Whether your child is already a “dancer in the making”, an aspiring “ninja” – or just a curious little “mover”, this camp will be an energetic, rhythmic adventure like no other! 

August 20rd - 24th

Sky Rangers!

“Please fasten your seatbelts and know that your Imagination may be used as a floatation device!”  The children’s imaginations will truly SOAR this week as they pretend to fly in helicopters, zeppelins, flying saucers, jetpacks – and more!  “How will they do this?” – you may ask!  Leave that to us!  Providing creative, fun-filled adventures is our specialty! 

What has motherhood brought to your life?
What has motherhood brought to your life? This article on Time.com breaks down why it’s so great to be a mom. Plus, I thought they provided a wonderfully accurate description of how I generally feel watching my kids grow and develop at The Little Gym.
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