This week’s POPs for your children (Feb 20 - 25)

Here are this week’s POPs  (Personal Outside Practice) for the week of February 20 - 25th . These are optional activities that you can do with your children to continue the development and *fun* at home, in between your weekly classes:

 

Bugs:  Play “Contingency Games” (“If I do this… that happens.”)     

Birds:  Rhyming words with pictures…     

Beasts/Super Beasts:  Find nursery rhymes your child likes and repeat, repeat, repeat! See if they can remember words or phrases.  

 

Funny Bugs:  When your parents read to you at night, move your pointer finger from left to right, tracking the words.     

Giggle Worms:  Same as Funny Bugs  

Good Friends:  Play the Hokey Pokey to work on remembering your left and right sides.     

 

Flips/Twisters:  Flexibility Funfest Challenge Review     

Hot Shots:     StrongKid Power Set Challenge

Aerials:        Same as Flips/Twisters

 

Mini Jacks:    Practice shooting and not stealing with a parent.

Cracker Jacks:  Same as Mini Jacks

 

Chopsticks:  Practice wrist release moves with your parent.       

Choppers:  Practice your escape/release moves with your parent.        

 

Pre/K Dance:    When your parents read to you at night, move your pointer finger from left to right, tracking the words.

Grade School Dance:  Find a particular space at home to “Dance in my own space”

Amazing testimonial from one of our The Little Gym customers
Last month, one of our members sent us a letter, letting us know about their experiences at The Little Gym of Lake Oswego over the past year.  It was such as nice letter that I asked if we could publish it.  It's very heart-warming to read about how our programs have impacted a family and it helps our team keep up their energy and committment to growing skills and self-confidence in children.   I've removed the names from the letter below...

Happy Handstands,
 Teacher Ron, Owner


January 16th, 2012


Dear Ron and Staff-

As my family approaches their one year anniversary of belonging to The Little Gym, I wanted to share with all of you how much we have enjoyed being a part of TLG family! We have been impressed from the start how every staff member goes out of their way to greet you at the door, answer your questions and daily demonstrates high energy and enthusiasm while working with children!

My son [age 7] is currently not interested in traditional ball-sports and my husband and I wanted to find a physical activity that would spark his interest. He expressed an interest in karate and we went to a local karate gym that was sterile and competitive. It was clear this was not what he had in mind. We then tried a preview class at TLG. BINGO! It was an instant success and a perfect fit. I’m very impressed with how well the karate program blends the skills of the martial art in a non-competitive manner along with gymnastics. Additionally, Teacher Adam is a master at making the class both engaging and educational. I appreciate his firm, yet friendly and fun approach to the class.

This past fall my younger son [age 4 at the time] joined the ever popular “Giggle Worms” gymnastics class. His enthusiasm for the class is evident when he talks about the moves they have worked on and how he counts down the days in between classes until his next visit. Teacher Jessica, Angela and James are all experts at incorporating the perfect balance of fun, imagination and gymnastics skills. They also take the time to get to know each of the students and reinforce manners and good sportsmanship during class.

Recently we had the pleasure of celebrating [our younger son's] 5th Birthday at The Little Gym. The party was literally the “icing on the cake” for what is already a wonderful place for kids to learn and grow. All the children, ranging in age from 21 months to 7.5 years, had a blast at the party. The instructors, Jessica and Qiana, were extremely enthusiastic and certainly gave the birthday boy the VIP treatment. [My son's] heart was set on a dinosaur theme, and with that, the teachers infused the party with dinosaur games and lingo. Both ladies were hands on helpful from the moment I walked in with my multiple bags of food, drinks and party goods. They helped with the set-up, orchestrated a fun-filled party and were gracious hostesses during our post-party snacks and cake. As we said thank you and good-bye to our guests, both Jessica and Qiana had everything cleaned up and back in bags for us, ready to go.

We are so grateful that we discovered all that The Little Gym has to offer families. We delight in the smiles and pure joy our boys display throughout their classes. It is important to us that our boys want to be active and TLG inspires them to feel good about themselves, while they learn and acquire new skills at a pace that is right for them. As a parent, I also appreciate the flexible make-up policies, camps, birthday parties and point accrual system. Your child friendly play area makes attending classes with younger siblings easier to manage.

Thanks again for ALL you do to nurture and inspire young children! My children are benefitting not only from being active and practicing physical skills, but also learning the importance of kindness and zest for life as modeled by each and every one on your staff.

Sincerely,

E & R, Tualatin, members since March 2011

Now enrolling for Spring Break Camps (March 26-31)

The Little Gym is the place to be during this year’s Spring Break break.  Each 3-hour camp will be packed with creative, non-competitive theme-based games, adventures and gymnastics stations. With themes like Big Top Bonanza, Harry’s School of Magic, and Karate Kids Camp, your child will have a blast.  Choose to come one day or every day.   For children ages 3-8 years.   

 

Camps are a perfect break for kids (and parents) during their week-long break from school! 

 

Themes this year include:

  • Mon, Mar 26: Big Top Bonanza
  • Tue, Mar 27: Tarzan and Tar-zana
  • Wed, Mar 28: To Infinity… and Beyond!
  • Thu, Mar 29: Harry’s School of Magic
  • Fri, Mar 30: Hip Hip Hooray
  • Sat, Mar 31: Karate Kids Camp  (Morning camp only)

Camps run from 9am - 12 Noon, or from 1pm - 4pm. Children must be potty-independent.  Cost is $26 for members, $31 for non-members. Sibling discounts available.

 

Call (503) 595-9702 to check availability and to reserve your spot today!

Now Enrolling for Winter and Spring classes!

With the rollout of our brand new curriculum last September, we no longer have two separate semesters.  So we do not have any specific dates for open enrollment for Winter or Spring classes – we have open enrollment the whole season long. 

 

If you’re looking for classes for your 4 month to 12 year olds, you can enroll at any time.  We have many classes with space, and even full classes may have some spots opening soon as some children switch classes.  If there isn’t space in your first choice class, we can put you on our wait list and you can switch into it when space opens.  If you haven’t tried a class in a while, you can try a free introductory visit first!

 

It's not too late to join The Little Gym and receive the benefits of the physical, emotional, and social growth of our programs.  With our unique class format, children are constantly moving and growing, and instructors spend time with each child individually, growing skills with an appropriate challenge.

 

Call us at (503) 595-9702 and we can help find a class that is perfect for you and your children.  There’s still a lot of time to grow skills and smiles from now through summertime!!

New Year's musings from Ron
It's the Tuesday December 27th -- the lull between Christmas and New Year's.  Classes are a bit small so far this week so I have a few minutes to reflect.

Marie and I took the past week off, so we could spend some time with our kids in the mornings and get some home projects/to-do's done in the afternoons.  We had a small list of things that we really wanted to get done -- like fnally plan our "big" vacation we've been talking about, make some 2012 resolutions, clean our home office and garage, and get some old electronics and old clothes "recycled."  

I think 4 of the afternoons were spent working on that vacation... (Hint... if you wait too long, flight costs go through the roof!)   We finally got the flights set, and now we need to work on hotels...  We didn't really get to any of the other topics, unfortunately.  But last night, with the grandparents watching the kids, I was able to atack the office and garage enough to clear a wider passage through each.  I got just enough done to feel good.

For our mornings this past week, we tried to pack in a lot... We visited Pittock Mansion, ate a late brunch at Slappy Cakes (where you cook your own pancakes at your table!), visited the lights at the Portland International Raceway, delivered cookies to friends, and saw (the only?) G-rated movie out - the new Chipmonks movie.    (My favorite line -- "A double rainbow across the sky!!  What does it mean?!    Search YouTube for "double rainbow" to understand it better.)

We celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah as a family.  I mistakenly put the "big" Hanukkah present under the Christmas tree.  Oops.  My biggest laugh was when my son opened his stocking Sunday morning and was excited to find "piz."  (After a chuckle, we let him know that it's called "Pez.")   Happy Holidays!   We wish you and your family a very Happy New Year too!
 
 -Ron, Owner

It's cold outside - which makes it a perfect time to be inside at The Little Gym!

Teeth are chattering, jackets are zipping, and hot cocoas are pouring.

It‟s definitely getting colder out there, But here at The Little Gym of Lake Oswego, kids are staying toasty warm. Their bodies are in motion and their minds are too. Kids in The Little Gym Parent/Child classes are exploring their worlds, gaining independence and trying new skills. The structured lessons of our Pre-K gymnastics programs are helping kids with listening skills and following directions while also emphasizing balance and coordination. Our Kindergarten level gymnastics kids are learning to work in groups and cooperate because we know controlling emotions is as important as body control and agility.

All the Flips, Twisters, Aerials, and Hot Shots of our Grade School Gymnastics programs are strengthening their bodies and getting a springboard (pun intended) of confidence. Plus, our Dance kids are twirling like snowflakes, Sports Skills kids are improving arm strength for throwing snowballs, and our Karate students are practically chopping firewood with their bare hands (okay, a slight exaggeration).

Check out the photos of The Little Gym kids (on our facebook page) having as much as fun as a summer vacation, no matter what the thermometer says.

Don‟t forget - We also have great winter day camps coming up (Dec 19 - 24). And if you want to squeeze in a date night (or maybe some holiday shopping without the kids around), we‟ll be having another Parents‟ Survival Night on Saturday, December 17th.

Finally, remember that giving someone some Serious Fun is an excellent gift. We have gift certificates available if you want to give the unique gift of skill building and Three-Dimensional Learning.

 

Til next time,

Your friends in fitness, fun and fundamentals at The Little Gym of Lake Oswego.

Meet The Founder of The Little Gym - Robin Wes!
Robin Wes founded The Little Gym 35 years ago.  He is an amazing person.  In my 6 years in The Little Gym system, I've met him about a dozen times - at the annual "Reunion" at at various trainings.  He lives and teaches in the Bellevue, WA area.

Yesterday, he was on a Seattle, WA news program, being interviewed about The Little Gym.  Then he treated the audience with some children showing their gymnastics and listening skills while Robin played guitar and sang a The Little Gym song.

Please watch this video to see where The Little Gym came from... Robin is the soul of The Little Gym and our philosophy and Serious Fun flows from him.

 
The Little Gym of Lake Oswego is voted #1 Children's Gym AND Birthday Party Place for 2nd year in a row!!

For the 2nd year in a row, we are excited and honored to announce that The Little Gym of Lake Oswego was recently awarded the #1 Birthday Party Place *and* #1 Children's Gym in the greater Portland area in Metro Parent Magazine's 2011 "Family Favorites" Reaader Survey. 

 

Each year Metro Parent Magazine surveys its readers of their "family favorite" places in the Portland region.  In their September 2011 issue, the winners were announced. 

Thank you, members and friends for voting The Little Gym #1!  We are so appreciative of all of you for taking the time to vote for The Little Gym.   Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

Join us for our 2011-2012 season of classes!

The 2011-2012 season of classes runs through June 16, 2012, following the local school year.  Classes can be joined anytime as long as space is available, and tuition is pro-rated based on when you start.  Call us at (503) 595-9702 or go to our Schedules page online to schedule a free introductory visit, or enroll and ensure a spot in class.  We look forward to seeing you soon!

Best Vacation Ever!

We got back from our summer vacation this past Saturday night.  We spent a week in Massachusetts, visiting my family and friends, and then taking a few days with just my wife and kids at the beach.   It was probably my best vacation since my honeymoon, 12 years ago.

It had been a while since getting back to Massachusetts.  One night we had pizza over one of my high school friend's house.  Not all of my old buddies could be there; one's wife was very pregnant; two of them are in the army/reserves, and one was in Colorado with his son at camp.  But it was great to catch up with all of the gossip and reconnect after not seeing them for 6 years.

The next night, my sister got the extended family together at her house for dinner.  I got to see my niece's two children for the first time, and see some cousins that I hadn't seen for 12 years.  And my two children got to see some of their cousins and 2nd cousins for the first time.

Then we spent 3 days at a motel near the beach in Cape Cod.  Great weather, plus our kids are at the age (7 and 9), that you can do some really fun things with them -- swim in the ocean, play on the beach, play miniature golf, and go bike riding.  Plus they can entertain themselves on the airplanes!  

Summer is winding down.  (Yikes!)  I hope you all had the chance as well to have a vacation, to get away from the daily and weekly to-do's, and have some fun.   We need these kinds of fun times to recharge the batteries, and create memories that your whole family can remember and cherish.  

See you at The Little Gym,
  -Ron, Owner

Backpack Safety

It's that time of year again! Students are picking out school supplies, lunch boxes and choosing their backpacks.

 

According to the American Chiropractic Association, or the ACA, reports of back pain in school aged children is on the rise. According to local chiropractor, Dr. Bryan Hulsey, of Foundations Chiropractic & Functional Medicine, this isn't surprising. It's being reported that students are carrying 10-22% of their own body weight in their backpack.

 

"We see students complaining of back, neck and shoulder pain. The first question I ask is, 'do you carry a backpack?' More often than not, the answer is yes", says Dr. Hulsey. He went on to explain how important it is to keep your child healthy and free from unnecessary discomfort.

 

"When students are uncomfortable, they're not performing their best in all aspects of school-studying, athletics, socially-this plays a huge role in your child's day-to-day life. Make sure they're at their best so they can BE their best."

 

How can parents better help their children avoid backpack misuse? Start out by reviewing these simple recommendations from the ACA:

  • Make sure the backpack weighs no more than 5 to 10% of your child's weight. More than that causes the child to bend forward while walking. This not only creates poor posture, but also adds pressure to the shoulders and low back
  • The backpack should never hang more than four inches below your child's waistline. A backpack that hangs too low adds pressure to the shoulders
  • Remember: bigger may not be better. The bigger it is, the more your child will load it up. Try to find a backpack with numerous, smaller compartments. This not only provides less "generic space" but also helps your child stay organized.
  • Make sure there are wide, padded, adjustable shoulder straps. Non-padded straps will dig into the shoulders and provide little to no support. If the straps are not adjustable, the backpack will hang far past the 4 inches recommended by the ACA. Padding in the back will make it even better!
  • Urge your child to always wear both shoulder straps. Using one strap to lug the backpack causes the child to lean to one side. Constant pressure on one side leads to discomfort, poor posture, muscle spasms and strain on the shoulder, neck and low back. It can also cause curvature of the spine that is difficult to reverse.

Dr. Bryan Hulsey is a local chiropractor in Lake Oswego and a proud parent of Little Gym Students! Find out more information at www.foundationsbbt.com or email foundationschiropract@gmail.com.

If you have any questions or concerns about backpack safety, please contact Dr. Hulsey!

Become a Fan of The Little Gym on Facebook!

"Like" us on Facebook!  Visit our Facebook Page and become a fan, share stories with other The Little Gym of Lake Oswego parents, post pictures, ask questions, and build community!

How to find us -- Please use these directions!!

From Interstate 5:

  • Take exit 290; go east on Boones Ferry Rd (towards Lake Oswego)
  • Turn right on McEwan Rd (1st stop light)
  • Turn left at big blue Cat Care sign
  • Continue straight and turn left into our parking lot. We are one building to the left of 24 Hour Fitness and in the same building as Cat Care Professionals and Players. 

Our address is 17890 SW McEwan Rd, Lake Oswego, but Mapquest and other Internet mapping sites don't recognize our address properly!

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