Raising a Citizen Kid!
Friendships provide children with so much more than just fun playmates! In fact, friends are essential for healthy psychological development. Many experts believe that a child’s ability to make friends is the single biggest predictor of their success later in life. Some even claim that it’s more important than IQ and grades. Programs at The Little Gym are purposefully designed to help children become “Citizen Kids!” by improving their social and emotional development. Songs, games, and activities focus on listening, sharing, and taking turns. Experiential learning activities help foster creativity, allow friends to solve problems together, and let them pass on knowledge. Throughout the Season, we have special themed weeks to celebrate your child’s friendships. Our Bring a Friend Week is meant to do just that- build friendships and confidence. Watch for our next Bring a Friend week.
New Years Resolution, what else?
"Parenting Resolutions" for the New Year! Each New Year is a new opportunity to focus on making positive changes in your life. While this is a great habit for everyone, it’s especially important for parents. Why? Because the choices that you make not only benefit you, they have a direct effect on your child’s health, too! Here are 3 parenting resolutions to consider for 2012: 1. Instill a love for physical activity. Physical activity provides countless benefits. So, it’s important to help your child develop healthy habits at an early age. In addition to gymnastics, The Little Gym has several physical activities for kids, such as Sports Skills and Dance, which can help your child develop a love for an active lifestyle. 2. Establish healthy eating habits. Keep healthy, yummy snacks on hand and set an example for your child with your own food choices. Plan low fat meals that follow the government's MyPlate guidelines and involve your children in meal planning and shopping. This allows you to reinforce your child’s healthy meal options and helps children discover new foods and flavors. 3. Focus on your child's positive behaviors. Like adults, children respond to favorable comments and adopt behaviors that gain them attention. Try to get in the habit of catching your children “at their best.” Providing encouragement for good behavior or for achievements in sports or other physical activities is a great way to motivate children to maintain good habits. While you help your children develop healthy habits, don’t forget to make resolutions for your own health as well. In fact, consider resolving to get some well-deserved “me” time this year. Planning some time away from the kids should be considered a necessity rather than a luxury. Plus, brief separations are beneficial for kids as well. Time away helps foster a feeling of independence and builds bonds with other adults such as grandma, a favorite neighbor, or The Little Gym instructors. And if you need a parents night out, our Parents’ Survival Nights have got you covered! As we start the New Year, we’re thrilled to have helped so many children in the Minneapolis area develop an appreciation for fitness and fun with our kids gym classes. We’re still taking enrollments for students that want to join for the second half of the 2011-2012 Season. For more information, or to schedule a free introductory class, please contact a team member at 952-924-0083 today! Other Ideas: Boost your blog’s visibility and interest by: • Including 1 to 2 links that will direct readers to other pages of your website. For instance, you might link “We’re still taking enrollments” in the closing paragraph to your class schedule page • Showing some photos of kids at your gym having a great time o Make sure Mom and Dad are okay with photos being taken! • Posting a photo of a staff member working with kids or even just a shot of a smiling staffer cleaning the gym after a class…a parent interested in enrolling won’t mind seeing that your gym is always kept clean!
POPS week 16

PARENT/CHILD CLASSES

BUGS

 

If you have a crawler try setting up a crawling station at home with various multi-colored objects, like blankets, pillows, sleeping bags, anything you can think of that promote a fun, colorful environment. For non-crawlers have some daily tummy time placing multi-colored objects over there head, play peek-a-boo and then call out the colors at the same time.

 

BIRDS

Did you have fun with matching your colored socks last week? Well, keep them out because we’re going to use them again! To continue with the NAMING theme, this week, use your same three pair of basic colored socks. Lay them all out randomly on the floor (separate the pairs). Ask your child to find two matching socks from the six on the floor, then ask him to name the color; continue until he or she has picked up and named all three pairs. You can expand this game to four or even five colors when your child is ready, but take it slow! Remember, it’s easiest for your child to learn and memorize one color at a time.

 

BEASTS AND SUPER BEASTS

 

At home you can play the same game you played last week; matching the socks and clothes to different items in the house, but this time ASK THEM what the name of the color is before they match it up.

 

PRE-K CLASSES

FUNNY BUGS

Blow up a balloon this week for your child and encourage them to hit it with their hands either keeping it in the air or hitting it against a wall. Maybe you can count how many ‘hits’ they can get before the balloon hits the ground…a great hand-eye coordination activity!

 

GIGGLE WORMS AND GOOD FRIENDS

 

Hopefully, we have lightened your workload around the house this week by asking the kids to practice their hand-eye coordination by throwing their dirty clothes in the laundry basket. Who knows? Maybe next week it could be cleaning the bathroom!

 

GRADE SCHOOL CLASSES

GRADE SCHOOL AND ADVANCED GRADE SCHOOL

This week we’re challenging the kids to practice their bridges with you, allowing you to ‘master’ the spotting technique we showed you today in the gym! If you can’t find the time, it’s A-Okay, they can practice this move on their own also! Please remind the kids to ‘rock and roll’ their backs out after each bridge.

 

PRE-K DANCE

 

JAZZY BUGS, GIGGLE TOES AND GOOD LEAPS

 

The POP for the week is for the kids to draw or color a picture and then perform a dance about the picture. We encouraged them to share the artwork with you and perform their dance. See if you can prod them to discuss how they created those specific movements based on their picture.

 

SPORTS SKILLS

MINI JACKS AND CRACKER JACKS

This week when you are at home, we want you and your child to be ‘passing partners’. Just like at our sports station, spread out and pass the soccer ball to each other without stopping or trapping the ball.

 

KARATE

CHOPSTICKS

 

If you saw what we did in our Opening Circle for our Name Activity today called ‘Spin and Splat’, we’ve asked the children to recruit your assistance in recreating that at home this week! We told the kids to do five spin-punches each day before dinner!

Holiday Camps
We have HOLIDAY CAMPS !
Kids must be 3 years old and potty trained for the following camp days.  Call to reserve your spot.  952-924-0083
 

Monday, December 26th

TLG Stars on Ice

We’ll use paper-plate ice skates to

glide around The Little Gym...

 

Tuesday, December 27th

Winter Camping

Bring sleeping bags and get ready for some

bird watching and tent-building

 

Wednesday, December 28th

Holiday Goofy Games

Candy cane spin baseball, snowman slams, ice-castle

building, and parachute snowball poppers …

 

Thursday, December 29th

Dinosaur Ice age

We’ll take a sled ride across the Arctic, meet a silly stegosaurus, and travel to some of the coldest places on earth

 

Friday, December 30th

New Year’s Eve Beach Bash

Come celebrate the New Year with a

party on the beach!

 


Price:

Members: $30/Day

Non-Members: $40/Day

POPS WEEK 15

PARENT/CHILD CLASSES

BUGS

 

For your POP’s this week, converse with your Bug on a daily basis about colors. There are thoughts out there that say you should start with just one color and constantly repeat the same color over and over until they can identify it, but in reality, with our Bugs only being 4 to 10 months old, just starting with some conversation about colors will begin to pave the way to learning them. When dressing your Bug in the morning, say and point to the blue pants, or pink top. Fun little activities like this over time will create a ‘knowledge database’ of colors for your babies to begin learning.

 

BIRDS

In your daily activities this week, try to focus on colors. You can pick one color and keep reinforcing objects that are the same color. Or you can name and identify different colors as part of your daily conversation. As you dress your baby, tell them what color the dress is; as you cover them with a blanket, tell your baby what color the blanket is. You can also try a simple matching activity. Get three pairs of socks in basic colors (maybe a red pair, a green pair and a blue pair). Lay out one sock of each color on the floor. Give your baby one of the other socks and ask them to find the matching sock on the floor. Continue until they have matched all socks. After they’ve mastered this activity, ask them to choose the sock from the basket to match, or add another color or two.

 

BEASTS AND SUPER BEASTS

 

At home this week, as your Personal Outside Practice, please continue to match and identify COLORS with your child. As they are getting dressed, tell them what COLOR their clothes are and ask them if they can find ANYTHING else that is the same COLOR, or separate some of their socks in piles and have them try to match the pairs. Have some fun and you can try it during dinner too. Did you know broccoli and peas are the same COLOR? YUM!

 

PRE-K CLASSES

FUNNY BUGS AND GIGGLE WORMS, AND GOOD FRIENDS

At home, we asked the kids to choose a chore or job to do at home – but try doing it with just their feet. Maybe do a different thing each day. Here are the three ideas we gave them:

- Each night when you put your pajamas on, use only your feet to put your dirty clothes in the laundry basket or hamper.

- If you have a pet dog and a dog brush, use your feet to give your dog a good brushing! Can you hold the brush between your feet and brush your dog?

- Pick up your toys and put them in the toy box – or even try to stack toy blocks using only your feet!

They also know to check with you to make sure their ‘Foot Chore’ is safe to do!

 

GRADE SCHOOL CLASSES

GRADE SCHOOL AND ADVANCED GRADE SCHOOL

Parents, this week, after the kids brush their teeth, they can find a wall and walk down it backwards with their hands into a bridge! They’ll start facing away from the wall, and arch back to touch wall and walk down it backwards into a bridge! You’ll want to supervise this one to ensure the kids are rocking and rolling and stretching through their shoulders!

 

PRE-K DANCE

 

JAZZY BUGS, GIGGLE TOES AND GOOD LEAPS

 

During one – or more – nights this week, we’ve asked your child to perform their ‘Color Solo’! We practiced it in class. All they need is a yellow, a green and a purple object to spread out on the floor to serve as their dance ‘color cues’ for their skills! We’ll see if the kids can remember which skill we’ve assigned to each color! We also told the kids, after they show you their ‘color solo’, perhaps you will take a turn to do a ‘color solo’ for your child!

 

SPORTS SKILLS

MINI JACKS AND CRACKER JACKS

This week when your child is at home, have them practice counting their hits. Use a balloon and a racquet. If you don’t have a racquet, then they can use their hand. How many hits can they do - 10, 50, 100? Can they break their record? Can they hit higher than they can count? Have fun!

 

KARATE

CHOPSTICKS

 

We’re asking for you to help the children work on their blocks this week at home by swinging a small pillow or stuffed animal at them to let them practice their blocking motion. If you are comfortable and have the space you can try tossing something at them to see if they can block it out of the air – a rolled-up pair of socks, a small pillow; anything soft and safe!

POPS for Week 11

PARENT/CHILD CLASSES

BUGS

 

Try these great parent/child activities at home to carry on our important ‘Do’ and ‘Feel’ learning from this week: Partner log rolls, Back and Front-Whoop-Dee-Doo’s, and maybe even your arm and leg exercises!

 

BIRDS, BEASTS AND SUPER BEASTS

Practice walking backward with your child: Get a paper or plastic plate and pretend it’s a steering wheel. Let them drive around the house and when you cue them with a ‘beep, beep, beep’ they can stop and try to move backwards; like a truck backing up.

 

PRE-K CLASSES

FUNNY BUGS AND GIGGLE WORMS

Every day before they eat breakfast and before they eat dinner, we’d like the kids to try to three different body positions – demonstrate for the parents – squat, pike and straddle. Count to ten with your child and see if they can hold the pose the entire ten count!

 

GOOD FRIENDS

In class, the kids did a ‘Build a Better Body’ Strength Circuit! We are challenging our Good Friends to do some of the same strength activities at home they did in the circuit. They can put their feet on the sofa and their hands on the floor and try to walk the length of the sofa, keeping their torso tight and strong! Or maybe put their hands on the edge of their bed, keep their feet on the floor and try some dips for strong arms! Rome was not built in a day - and better bodies can’t be built in one hour at The Little Gym! So encourage them to move those bodies each day!

 

GRADE SCHOOL CLASSES

GRADE SCHOOL AND ADVANCED GRADE SCHOOL

To continue working on building up that power, we’ve asked the kids to re-visit the 800 meter runs they may have tried a few weeks ago. Parents, you can take them to a nearby track and see how many 800 meter runs these powerful kids can do!

 

PRE-K DANCE

 

JAZZY BUGS, GIGGLE TOES AND GOOD LEAPS

 

We’ve asked the kids to utilize their imagination skills and put on an ‘Imagination Show for Mom and Dad’ at home! Your child has been asked to pick three different objects in your house and imagine what it would look like if those objects could move or dance. Then they will find a safe open spot and try to dance/act it out for you in a Three-Part Show (one show for each object they choose)! This is a great example of ‘Think About It, Move About It’ in action! Parents, you know it’s always helpful to provide your child with a wonderful, dynamic demonstration! Maybe YOU can first put on an ‘Imagination Show’ for your child to ‘set the tone’!

 

SPORTS SKILLS

MINI JACKS AND CRACKER JACKS

“How Fast Can You Do Your Chores?”

This week parents you and your child are going to agree on a chore that they can do. They are going to start that chore when they say ‘HUT’. They will do the chore as quickly as they can (while still doing it the correct way!). You will time them and can even have them try to break their record the next time they do the same chore!

 

KARATE

CHOPSTICKS

 

To continue to exercise their minds, we’ve asked the children to enlist your help by reading them a short book or story and having them try to ‘act it out’ as best they can. This is similar to some of what we did in class today by presenting a ‘scenario’ and challenging them to translate it through their movements and actions!”

POPS Week 9

PARENT/CHILD CLASSES

BUGS

 

Provide opportunities for your Bugs to roll and rotate from different positions. You could start in a wheel barrow position moving into a F. Roll, donkey kicks into little handstands then roll at the end. These are great sequencing skills and will assist in creating more body control and development for your Bug.

 

BIRDS

Daily vestibular challenges are essential! Have fun spinning on the kitchen floor! Use the ‘roll’ sign and do some log rolls or forward rolls on the floor; engage in roughhouse play: fly your baby through the air or rock them quickly from side to side; dance with your Birdie, moving them up and down and side to side.

 

Another fun activity is to play ‘roll-up’: spread a blanket or towel on your child’s bed, have them lie on top of the blanket on one side of the bed, and gently roll them across the bed until they are wrapped up in a blanket roll. Then unroll them to spin their heads in the other direction!

 

BEASTS AND SUPER BEASTS

Take your favorite small stuffed animal for a ‘ride’ by tucking them under their chin when you do your roll. This will teach them great ‘chin-tucking form’ and will work on the balance control center or ‘vestibular system’. Parents, maybe you can try one too.

 

PRE-K CLASSES

FUNNY BUGS

One of our skills in class was jumping from a platform from two feet and landing on two feet with strong stable legs while maintaining balance. At home, at the playground or in the back yard, find opportunities for your child to safely practice their jumping and landing skills with balance and body control. This skill, being able to jump and land on two feet from a raised surface, is a great ‘safety skill’ as it provides a safe and effective way to get down off of higher areas that are too high to step down from!

 

GIGGLE WORMS AND GOOD FRIENDS

We have encouraged the kids to practice their favorite balancing position at home this week. They can practice while watching their favorite TV show or while waiting for dinner or by putting on a ‘balancing pose performance’ for you in the living room! Maybe you can join them and work on your balance, too!

 

GRADE SCHOOL CLASSES

GRADE SCHOOL AND ADVANCED GRADE SCHOOL

“Bedtime balancing” This week kids will be challenged to go home and do 200 toe raises before bed each night…just kidding!

 

Just before they go to bed, they can use their bed post or headboard to balance while raising up and down 10 times from flat feet to relevé on toe! A great calf work out and easy to remember if you do it just before bed! Challenge them to even try it without holding on! Tricky business balancing just before bed!

 

PRE-K DANCE

 

JAZZY BUGS, GIGGLE TOES AND GOOD LEAPS

 

Their POP for the week is to practice their passé while they perform port de bra each morning when they wake up.

 

SPORTS SKILLS

MINI JACKS AND CRACKER JACKS

“Angle Shooting!” “This week we have a great challenge for the kids at home with your help parents. As you know, in soccer, the ball isn’t always just sitting there for us to score or rolled directly to us. So what we want you to do is have your child line up like they are going to shoot the ball. Your job is to roll the ball, not directly to them, but just off to one side or the other so they must run to the ball and kick from different angles at the goal. Remember to give them lots of praise and don’t let them get frustrated!

 

KARATE

CHOPSTICKS

 

During this unit, we’ve mentioned to the children that balance is important in many other areas of their life besides just karate, so we’ve asked them to try some everyday tasks at home on one foot. Be prepared for some potentially odd feats of balance - such as balancing on one foot during a commercial or while singing their ABC’s!

 

POPS Week 8

PARENT/CHILD CLASSES

BUGS

 

Using a wooden spoon, rhythm stick (if you have one), or wood dowel, have your Bug lie down on their backs with feet toward you. Put the stick in front of them and see if you can play ‘peek-a-boo’ gently lift the stick above and below their head (while they hang onto it). It’s fun and a great for strengthening those shoulder muscles getting them ready for future hangs and swings.

 

Then try and gently lift your Bug up as they grasp for the stick into a standing position promoting some balancing opportunities to again continue to work on strengthening your little Bug’s lower body.

 

BIRDS

This week’s Personal Outside Practice will help train your child’s Static Balance, which is the ability to maintain a desired body posture or position when the body is stationary. Have your child stand on both feet and extend their arms. Give them two objects of different weights – maybe a stuffed animal and a heavier toy – and have them hold each toy in a different hand. Ask them to move their arms up and down. Next, ask your child to stand on one foot with arms extended and to hold two objects of different weights.

 

They may use a chair or table to lean on to help them balance at first, but with practice their balance should become developed enough that they can stand on their own on one foot. Holding objects of two different weights creates a situation where they have to reestablish their center of gravity and focus on stabilizing their core to deal with the imbalance they’re holding – a great balance challenge!!

 

BEASTS AND SUPER BEASTS

Spot your child in a wheelbarrow to their bedroom at least once a day; maybe on their way to bed for the night, or going to their bedroom to get a toy! Wheelbarrows are a GREAT ‘Core’ builder! Not only are the kids using their back, neck, shoulder and chest muscles to bear weight on their arms as they keep their head up, they also activate their abdominal muscles to stabilize their spine!

 

PRE-K CLASSES

FUNNY BUGS AND GIGGLE WORMS

Every time they brush their teeth, they’re going to try and balance on one foot. If it’s easier to brush and then do a 10 second balancing, that’s ok too!

 

GOOD FRIENDS

“High Wire Hero Around Town!” We told your children to be a ‘high wire hero at home or around your town this week and work on your balance! Find a safe curb in the parking lot or at the park with Mom or Dad and walk on it without falling off.

 

GRADE SCHOOL CLASSES

GRADE SCHOOL, ADVANCED GRADE SCHOOL, AND GRADE SCHOOL DANCE

This week’s ‘POP’ will include you, parents!

If willing, play the Frozen Popsicle game. REPETITION will lead to the child’s ability to make this body position and “muscle activation” automatic! Be supportive and encouraging with this – but try not to force them. This is completely optional and “Extra” for the kids to do!

 

PRE-K DANCE

 

JAZZY BUGS, GIGGLE TOES AND GOOD LEAPS

 

Practice being an Amazing Balancing Betty. We encouraged them to practice standing on one foot before going to bed each night. The challenge is to see if they can balance long enough to sing the entire ABC song.

 

SPORTS SKILLS

MINI JACKS AND CRACKER JACKS

“How Long Can Your Child Balance?”

This week parents, we want you to get out the stop watch and challenge your child to trap a ball for as long as they can without their trapping foot coming off the ball. Maybe they can break their record as the week goes on! They can try it with both their right and left feet. If they need more of a challenge, then you can either have them try it with their eyes closed or you can playfully try to knock them off balance.

 

KARATE

CHOPSTICKS

 

To further that development, we have asked the children to practice some balancing on one foot at home this week after they get out of bed each morning. They also know to check with you before they do it to be sure the spot they’ve chosen is safe to practice.

 

 

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