Fun Activities for Children Blog – The Little Gym of Darien, CT

The Little Gym of Darien, CT
4 Corbin Drive
Darien, CT 06820
(203) 662-1235

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We all know that starting the school year off right is really important, but getting back into the routine after summer break can be tough. From waking up early, to getting used to new friends and teachers, to getting back in the groove of paying attention and curbing impulses, the start of the school year is a giant wake up call for many kids.

Fortunately, The Little Gym is here to help. First of all, exercise is a great outlet for kids who have spent the whole day focusing on learning new rules and routines and just remembering to raise their hands before talking or do extended amounts of seat work.

There's no question about it: starting the school year can be stressful for kids, and exercise can help alleviate that stress. In fact, this article explains that, "Exercise scattered throughout the day will help keep blood flow circulating through the body and may stimulate brain activity while reducing stress. " It goes on to explain that, "Being physically active will keep you alert, focused and ready to tackle mental projects."

Plus, this article points out that children with 30 minutes of recess have more attention and fewer behavior problems. The article further states that kids with at least 45 minutes of exercise every day "have less discipline problerms and better academic performance." If that's the case, just imagine what an hour of serious fun at The Little Gym can do!

Not only that, but our curriculum helps kids practice those skills they need to be successful in school in a fun, pressure-free environment. We help our students work on listening, social, and creative thinking skills, among others. See our blog post here for more on how The Little Gym can help kids to be more successful in school.

We wish you the best for a successful school year!

Stop Worrying About Screen Time!

At this point it’s probably safe to say that most parents recognize that allowing kids too much screen time can be harmful. We know that we need to limit children’s access to television, computer games, and mobile devices.

Specifically, both the CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics strongly discourage any screen time for children under age 2, and they recommend a limit of one to two hours a day for older children. The American Academy of Pediatrics points out that some of the dangers of excessive screen time include "attention problems, school difficulties, and sleep and eating disorders," among other hazards.

The problem is that putting kids in front of a screen is sooooo effective. Let’s face it: kids love screens, and adults love when their kids are otherwise engaged and they can get adult-stuff done! The important question, then, is how do we entertain the kids all day during the summer when school is shut down?

Well, let The Little Gym help! Drop the kids off at our Anytime Summertime camp for a few hours! You’ll be amazed at how much you’re able to get done, and your kids will be amazed at how much fun they’re having! More importantly, our camp gets kids’ minds and bodies moving and away from screens.

Here are some of the ways our Anytime Summertime camp can help:

If you've ever observed a Little Gym class or camp session, you know we get kids moving. From the warm up to the stations to the games and crafts, there is virtually no down time.
We help build kids’ imaginations while helping them develop strength and body control! During a pirate-themed week, for example, campers may think they're "walking the plank," but they're actually on the high beam working on their coordination. Check out our camp themes here.
We’re social! This may be more important than you realize. According to an article published by Time Magazine on May 28, 2012, recent studies show that “hanging out with active peers may lead kids to exercise more, making a child’s social network a potential vehicle for promoting healthy habits and reducing obesity.”
Our programs help kids become more successful in school. We teach listening skills, creative thinking, respect, cooperation, and more.

The best part? Our campers have fun!! Even while they're getting exercise, working on social skills, and building their imaginations, they're having a great time!

So what are you waiting for? Stop worrying about screen time, and give us a call to register your kids for our Anytime Summertime camp.

One more thing - if you’re looking for ways to limit your kids’ screen time when they’re at home, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute has some helpful suggestions here, and the CDC has a fantastic tool kit here. Another eye-opening resource that we recommend is screentime.org.

Summer Safety at The Little Gym

Summer safety is a hot topic right now, but as you might imagine, it's always a major priority at The Little Gym. Sure, we’re all about fun, but we take fun seriously here.

So, here are some measures we take to ensure safety of your children during camp and summer classes:

Since camp sessions and summer classes take place indoors, there is no risk of sunburn and minimal chance of dehydration or overheating.
Speaking of dehydration, we encourage our students to drink water and always require our campers to drink water before they can have juice.
Our program is based on progressive growth, meaning that each student progresses at his/her personal comfort and skill level. This minimizes risk of injury.
Likewise, progressive growth ensures that each of our students has the skills he or she needs in order to safely progress to the next level.

Of course, our campers and students can't be with us all of the time, so here are some great resources you can use to keep your little ones safe when they're out of our hands:

The CDC has a very helpful section on kids' safety here. They cover just about every relevant topic, from water safety to sun protection to cyberbullying.
Here are the American Acadamy of Pediatrics' safety tips, including some interesting articles and newsletters from other sources.
Healthy Children breaks their safety tips down based on the age of the child. You can find their advice here.
At keepkidshealthy.com you'll even find strategies for fighting summer boredom! Check out their suggestions here.

The Little Gym hopes you have a safe and seriously fun summer! And don't forget - one way to beat the heat (and sun exposure!) is by enrolling in our camp or summer classes!

We're Excited to Show Off!!

Next week is a really big deal at The Little Gym: It's Show Week! We can't wait to see your kids show off how much they've grown this year!

Join us during your child's regular class for a chance to see everything they've learned put into action!! You'll be amazed by how much strength, flexibility, and independence your little one has gained!

Show Week is a great confidence builder for kids and a great photo op for parents, so come prepared to take off your shoes... and don't forget to bring your camera!

It's Time to Enroll for Our Core Season!!

Our core season kicked off on Monday, but don't worry: it's not too late to enroll!

Wondering what we're all about?

For starters, we emphasize serious fun. What's serious fun? Well, if you were to peak in on a Little Gym class you'd probably just notice the fun part: giggling, tumbling, bouncing, and playing.

What you might not notice right away is that our students aren't just having fun; they're working hard at building confidence, listening skills, creative thinking, social skills, and more. Not to mention that these little gymnasts are developing strength, flexibility, and coordination.

The benefit of all of this work extends far beyond the Little Gym classroom. In fact, next week we'll write about how taking a Little Gym class can help your child be more successful at school.

Speaking of school, unlike the seasonal sessions we used to offer, our new core season lasts the length of the school year.

In case you're wondering, we offer flexible payment options. You can choose from our single payment, bi-payment, or automatic monthly options.

Go ahead and enroll now for the whole season or sign up for a trial class and see for yourselves what serious fun is all about! As a reminder, call (203) 655-1235 or register online.

Keep the Kids Moving at Home

In our last blog post, we talked about the importance of getting your kids moving, and we shared with you some ways that The Little Gym can help. But we know we aren't the most important influence in your kids' lives. You are!

According to this CDC article, parents "play a major role in encouraging their children to become more active." So, this week we thought we'd give you some tips for keeping your kids moving at home.

First, it's important that you participate with your children. Check out this picture of a mother doing handstands at home with her daughter.

Mr. Mike, one of the fearless and fantastic instructors here at The Little Gym of Darien, acknowledges that it can be tough, but he encourages parents to "Pretend you're a kid." How, you ask? "Think back to how you felt when you were a kid and bring that in to play." He stresses the importance of encouraging your little one to use his or her imagination. Have a tea party, pretend to be a dinosaur - whatever it takes. Your kids will love discovering new worlds with you at the same time as they build strength and develop the confidence to be more independent.

Another tip is to keep it fun. Our philosophy at The Little Gym is that the best way to encourage kids is with a smile. One way to do that is to pick activities that fit your child's interests and activity style. You know your child best. So, as Mike Greenwell, director of communications for CDC's chronic disease center points out, "If a child prefers fast paced games, parents can suggest running, aerobics or basketball. By contrast, children who prefer leisurely activities may enjoy walking, yoga or badminton." For little explorers, try a hike or bikeride. You get the idea.

What child doesn't love performing for his or her parents? That's our third strategy: encourage your little gymnast to show off what he or she is learning at The Little Gym. Here's a video of BJ showing off his first forward roll at home.

For more tips and tricks for getting your kids moving at home, visit this CDC article entitled "Tips for Parents," or ask one of the instructors at The Little Gym. They have tons of ideas!

We bet you have some great ideas, too, and we'd love to hear from you. Go ahead and share your story here.

Announcements:

There is still time to enroll for the new season, but space is limited so call us soon!
If you're still trying to decide whether or not to enroll your little one, why not visit our open house on August 28 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.?
The summer is flying by! There are only three weeks left of summer camp and summer classes. As a reminder, our camp is flexible, so there's still time to get in a session or two!

Get Moving At The Little Gym!

It has never been more critical to get kids moving. As this CDC article points out,"physical inactivity has contributed to an unprecedented epidemic of overweight children." In fact, the CDC is so concerned that they've launched a campaign called VERB whose sole mission is to increase and maintain physical activity in children and teens. You can learn more about VERB here.

If your kids need a little encouragement to get moving, consider letting The Little Gym help. Whether they're enjoying our anytime summertime camp or enrolled in our summer classes, we guarantee that when they're with us, your kids will meet the CDC recommendation of "at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day."

We're proud of our efforts to get kids moving, and the best part is that they're having fun while doing it! This is important because "children are more likely to continue physical activity if they enjoy it," according to Dr. Jim Marks, M.D., M.P.H., director of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at CDC.

This week's camp theme is "Time Travel," so campers are enjoying activities like "Explore Over Moon Mountain" and "Crater-to-Crater Bridge." They're having so much fun that they don't even realize how much climbing, sliding, walking, and just general moving they're doing.

If you want your kids to get moving and have a blast while doing it, enroll them now in our summer camp or class sessions.

Announcements:

If you're trying to decide if The Little Gym is right for your child, pop into our open house on August 28, from 2 to 4 p.m.
Stay tuned for more details regarding our grand opening in Ridgefield!
Remember that our summer camp is flexible, and there are still some openings.

The Little Gym's Camp is Serious Fun!

There are so many benefits to camp at The Little Gym that it's hard to list them all, but we'll try to share a few here.

Enrollment in the camp is flexible. Enroll your child for one day or multiple days, one week or multiple weeks, morning or afternoon. Whatever your schedule, our camp fits into it.
Our camp is not weather-dependent. Rain or shine, cold or hot, you can count on camp at The Little Gym.
It's fun! Our themes and curriculum ensure that your child will have a great time. This week's theme is Jolly Roger's Hidden Treasure, and campers are enjoying searching for hidden treasure, walking the plank on the balance beam, seeing their counselors dressed up as pirates, and more.
We get your kids moving. There is essentially no down time at our camp.
Kids learn new skills. Whether they're developing gymnastics skills such as handstands or social skills such as sharing, our campers are always growing and learning.
Our camp builds creativity. From our themes to our activities, we encourage campers to use their imagination.

What does a typical Little Gym camp look like? Our camp incorporates free play, circle time, group activities and games, skill-building, crafts, and snack. All of the days' activities center on a weekly theme. For instance, since this week's theme is Jolly Roger's Hidden Treasure, one gymnastics skill is Popsicle Pirate Handstands, and another is Walking the Plank on the balance beam.

As you can see, there are a lot of benefits to enrolling your child in our flexible and fun Anytime Summertime Kids Camp.

Announcements:

Call us today at (203) 662-1235 to take advantage of our flexible and fun Anytime Summertime Kids Camp.
Note that enrollment is still underway for our summer classes.
Take advantage of the many improvements we're making as part of our 35th birthday celebration.

Happy Birthday to the Little Gym!

Welcome to the Little Gym of Darien's new blog. It's the Little Gym's 35th birthday, and we're celebrating with Something Big: a Makeover! Everything from our decor to our curriculum is being improved. This blog is only a small part of the changes you can look forward to. What else can you anticipate?

Serious Fun: Our new and improved curriculum emphasizes Three Dimensial Learning with a focus on the following areas of development: Get Moving, Brain Boost, and Citizen Kid. Visit this video for a fantastic live description of the improved curriculum.

A New Look: Look for a new paint finish, posters, and more, all of which will be showcased in an open house to be held late this summer.

Core Season: Rather than seasonal sessions, we are now featuring one core season that lasts the length of the school year, plus a summer session.

Flexible payment options: Whether you prefer a single payment, bi-payment, or automatic monthly payment, you can now choose the tuition option that best fits your needs.

Friendly and Experienced Staff: Expect the same quality of instructors you've grown to trust.

Somethig Big is coming to The Little Gym, and we're glad you'll be celebrating with us.

Announcements:

Our spring session wrapped with a successful show week. We were so proud of the kids as they showcased the many skills they have developed over the last few months.
Both summer camp and the summer session of classes are under way. If you haven't enrolled your child yet, it's not too late!
Fall enrollment has started started as well. Enjoy all of the benefits of our birthday makeover.
As part of the improvements taking place at The Little Gym, we are looking to hire additional staff and instructors. Send a resume via e-mail if you're interested.