Dora the Explorer is coming to The Little Gym!
Are you looking for a unique birthday adventure for your child?  Well, load up your backpack and head on over to The Little Gym!  Nickelodeon and The Little Gym have partnered to create "Dora the Explorer" themed birthday parties with a special storyline and music from the Emmy award-winning animated preschool series.
 
A Dora the Explorer Birthday Adventure at The Little Gym is the perfect way to make the big day extra special.  Your birthday child and their friends will have the entire facility to themselves to take part in a fun imaginative adventure with Dora and the whole explorer gang.  The birthday guests will help Dora overcome obstacles to find the Birthday Wands which they will use to fly to the top of Birthday Mountain!  During the adventure, they'll cross Crocodile Lake, jump and bounce through Isa's Flowery Garden, and more.  Along the way, the kids will encounter Tico the Squirrel, Swiper the Fox, and other friends from Dora's world.
 
In addition to leading the fun, The Little Gym team will handle everything from invitations to clean-up so you can rest easy and enjoy the fiesta!  Many dates and times are booked weeks in advance, so call today to reserve your celebration.  Let us help make this the most memorable milestone yet!
A Parent's Review of An Awesome Birthday Bash at The Little Gym!
I would like to personally thank you for an extremely positive, organized & fun party experience for Chase and myself. As mentioned, I had a party at your facility around 5 or 6 years ago for my daughter. Although I do not have any negative recollections about the party, it did not make a lasting impression. When Chase turned 2, I called several other venues - Your facility was close to home and could accommodate 2 year olds so I opted to have his party at The little Gym. Every moment of the process, from invitations to the actual party surpassed my expectations. The manner that you proactively addressed the small 'hiccup' with the invitations was very professional. When Chase got sick the day of the party and I needed to postpone it, you made the change easy and you never missed a beat!

I specifically want to take a moment to comment on the responsiveness, friendliness and outstanding customer service that I experienced when working with your staff. Having been a business owner, I am aware that often times the customer's experience when you are not there is more important then any other efforts you invest in to grow your business. That said, it is important to me to let you know that your employees went above and beyond their professional obligation. Every interaction with each of your employees was a positive one. Emails and voicemails were responded to promptly and the staff's attitude was upbeat and courteous at all times.

The day of the actual party was fantastic. Both of the employees were great and all smiles - Samantha managed the party from beginning to end and although I tried (purely out of habit), she literally did not let me lift a finger! I think the single moment that left the biggest impression on me was when one of my guests came in and I extended my hand to take their jackets. I am not sure if Samantha will even recall this but she smiled and said that I could go into the gym because she would take care of the jackets and the guests could meet me inside. It was the acummulation of these types of subtle, persistent acts that gave me the opportunity to truly enjoy the party by spending time with Chase, speaking to other parents and not stressing about the activities. I have three children - 15, 7 and 2 so I have thrown alot of children's parties. I have never once been compelled to write a note such as this one. Not only did you provide a party venue - Samantha and your team also provided a stress-free, memorable experience for Chase, my guests and myself.

I will definitely refer your facility & I look forward to having another party at the The Little Gym of Olney!

Chinyere Mathewson
A Comfort Zone Known As The Little Gym

I’m not one to tell parents what to do.  Yes, we do give our two sense at The Little Gym when asked, and I believe we have some pretty good advice.  With all the advice we do give, I want every parent to know that we make ALL our decisions based on what we believe is in the BEST INTEREST of your child.  Now with that said, we aren’t talking about telling you how to raise your child.  What I am talking about is what we feel, based on building a supportive positive environment, can best help your child be the best that they can be.  In addition, how you as a paying customer can get the best experience and the most from your investment for your child at The Little Gym. 

We love your children.  If you asked any of my staff what they love most about their job, they would tell you a story about how cute, funny, wild and crazy (in a good way) your children have been.  They would also tell you that what they miss most, for instance when they go away to college, is the regularity of seeing their Little Gym friends.  So what I want to talk about today is how YOUR children might feel when they are old enough to go to pre-school. 

One of the biggest challenges for parents is when their children are old enough for pre-school.  Entering this first phase in their children’s education can be overwhelming, especially when juggling a job, home responsibilities and all the activities a family might have.  Over the years, we have seen many families juggle well.  On the other hand, we see many parents who become stressed out and pull their children from The Little Gym because they want their child to get used to the new routine.  The problem with altering one’s life in this way is that suddenly the comfortable routine gets replaced with a hectic routine where nothing is the same.  Please understand I have the utmost respect for all of your opinions.  However, it is our belief that if some part of a child’s life is being disrupted, that their should be something that stays the same, and we believe The Little Gym can serve as that COMFORT ZONE for this important transition.

So whether you have made the pre-school transition or you are about to embark on this important journey, we ask that you consider what The Little Gym means to your child and how it and my awesome staff can help keep life regular for your child.  We love your kids.  What better a place to maintain their COMFORT ZONE than The Little Gym!

Thanks for listening…. Dr. Evan

“Dr. Evan” Brody, owner of The Little Gym of Olney will be posting future blogs that emphasize the educational concepts of The Little Gym and how they may be applied to daily life.  We all welcome your feedback and thoughts and thank you for allowing us to be a part of your children’s life.

"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 in 2012:
 
1.  Instill a love for physical activity.  Physical activity provides coutless 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 acitive 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 yoru childre "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 a grandma, 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 Olney area develop an appreciation for fitness and fun with our kids gym classes.  We're still taking enrollments for students that want to join the second half of the 2011-2012 Season.  For more information, or to schedule a free introductory class, please contact Lynne or Keisha at 301-570-9310 today!
Lobby Talk
As I sit here at the front desk, I am listening to 3 veteran TLG parents talk to another parent who is visiting our facility for the 1st time...It's wonderful to actually here what they love about the program
 
It's a Funny Bugs class (3-4 yr olds)...
 
1.  They love that the instructors don't get stressed when the kids don't listen
2.  They love that it's ok if the kids wander, as long as they are safe
3.  They love that the instructors know how to handle different kids and different personalities
4.  They love that the instructors keep the kids engaged 100% of the time, there isn't any down time or waiting around!
5. They love that they are learning AND having fun!!
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