Re: Gymnastics for 4-year-old
I am not sure where you live, but Kids In Motion in Oakland on Piedmont is terrific. What is nice about that facility for beginners is that there is a seating area right in the gym for parents to watch the classes. And Golden Bear Gymnastics has good classes as well. A bigger facility and ultimately, a competetive program for older children. I would encourage you to try one of these over a community center program, as there is more equiptment available to the children in the classes. Trampoline, bars, ropes that may not be offered in a communtiy center room where mats, etc. are brought in by the gym teacher. Mom of a gymnast

Re: Gymnastics camp for 6 year old novice
Also Golden Bears Gymnastics offers summer camp. Their schedule is already out on their web site. (http://calbears.berkeley.edu/ -- click on Youth Programs). anonymous

Re: Gymnastics for toddler in Piedmont or Rockridge

My daughter attended Kids in Motion Gymnastics classes and camp programs from age 3 until she grew out of Kids in Motion and joined the Golden Bears Gymnastics team located on UC Berkeley campus. While I loved Kids in Motion for many reasons, if your child really loves gymnastics and wants to compete you will need to move them to Head over Heels in Emeryville or Golden Bears in Berkeley. If they truly want to compete the sooner you move them to a team the better off they will be. Kids in Motion is a non- competitive gym and is a great, safe, place for your toddler to have fun and learn the basic moves for gymnastics. But if they stay there too long they will not get the skills to compete at the higher levels -- at least that is what we found. Mom of a jumping bean

I'd be interested to hear anyone's experiences (good or bad) with Golden Bear Gymnastics classes, specifically beginning boys for an 8-year old. We're not looking for anything too intense, just good fun. Thanks. joan

We started our daughter, who is now 4, at Golden Bear Gymnastics earlier this year when she was 3 1/2 and she loves going. I believe there are classes for 18 month olds with parent participation.

There are six children per class, and during the week classes are not always full. The instructors are very nice, yet can keep the children focused on the activity. Classes are 45 minutes long and are conducted at various times and days. Golden Bear Gymnastics is up at the Dwight Derby complex at the top of Dwight Way and they can be called for schedules and enrollment forms. Sessions are eight weeks long and continuous during the school year. Denise