Gymnastics Classes for Kids
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April 2010
been thinking of taking my 8 months old son to gymboree but
they're really expensive. can you recommend other classes or
activities for us? thank you! happy mommy
You should check out Kindergym classes with Dawn Margolin.
Her classes have everything that Gymboree has in a more
spacious location, and a fraction of the cost. She has been
holding these classes for something like 25 years and is a
great resource when you need parenting help or advice. My
daughter (now 3) has been going since she was 9 months or
so, and really loves it. There is free play time with tons
of great toys, and then 15 minutes of directed circle time
with stories, songs, parachute, movement and bubbles. There
is an earlier session for the older toddlers that goes for
an hour.
I tried out Gymboree and never felt it was a good match for
me. There tended to be more nannies at Gymboree in my
experience, so the social dynamic was quite different.
Kindergym has been primarily parents while I've been going
there and I've made some great friends.
Classes for the littler kids are Wednesday and Thursday from
11:15 to noon, and they are located in the social hall at
Temple Beth Abraham in Oakland (on the frontage road to 580
between Harrison and Grand). (The classes, though held at
a synagogue, are non-denominational)
http://www.tbaoakland.org/kindergym/page2/page2.html
Jeanne S.
You're right - Gymboree is much too expensive. I've been
taking my son to Kindergym at Temple Beth Abraham since he
was 8 or 9 months old. He's now 2.5 and has loved it this
whole time. http://www.tbaoakland.org/kindergym We started
out doing the drop-in classes on Wednesday morning and now
we do the earlier Toddler class and stay for the drop-in as
well. They have climbing structures, slides, a ball pit,
rocking horses, and tons of stuff for babies and toddlers to
enjoy. In the drop-in class, the first half hour is free
play and the last 15 minutes the teacher, Dawn, leads
singing and parachute games. The kids love her. The drop-in
classes are only $8 or $56 for an 8 class pass, so it's
pretty affordable. I also have a yelp review here:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/kindergym-at-temple-beth-abraham-oakland Caitlin
Not.
Go to a park. it's fine for an 8 month old, 1 year old and
even 2 year old to just play. They don't have to take
classes, be in structure, or have a teacher. They learn by
playing, and if you meet other moms or dads at the park
whose kids play well with yours, you can make more time for
the kids to play together. Your child will be fine if they
don't take Gymboree or some other program that the marketers
have convinced us are essential to our child's mental,
emotional and physical growth. Believes in Play
You know Gymboree is at its cheapest for you right now,
because classes for 10month olds (and younger) are unlimited
for the monthly fee. You might want to try it for two
months while you have this option. While I can't say I like
going, my baby really does!
Have you tried Kindergym at Temple Beth Abraham?
http://www.tbaoakland.org/kindergym/
I took our first son for almost two years and loved it.
Dawn, the teacher does a great job at providing a great
variety of play for the kids, and she's got a great
background in child development to help with all those crazy
developmental questions that come up. Both my son and I met
some good friends in the class. We just recently stopped
going - he's a smidge too old and rambunctious (3 1/2 years
old); his little brother is going to start going soon though
- he just got mobile, and I really miss the class! I can't
say enough - its a great place to play, meeting others,
learn more about parenting, etc. We usually go on Friday's
because we like to do the tot Shabbat (we're Jewish) but
there are lots of other families that are not - its a great
way to teach your kids about other cultures!
Good luck with your search!
cmzwerling
minkim: A lower-cost alternative to Gymboree with no product
placement is Kindergym
with Dawn Margolin. The classes take
place at Temple Beth Abraham, all are welcome. On Fridays
there is a brief Shabbat celebration for the children but on
Wednesdays and Thursdays, there is no Jewish content, just
stories, songs, and bubbles at storytime. The room is
spacious with mats, climbing structures, toys, blocks,
playsets, a mini-ball pit, and for older toddlers, safe
paints, puzzles, and homemade playdough. Dawn is full of
positive energy and loves interacting with both the children
and their adults. The atmosphere is friendly and
comfortable. I attended for six years when my two sons were
under age three. They looked forward to it and so did I! I
hope you will give it a try. More information and photos at
http://www.tbaoakland.org/kindergym/ Karen Bloom
blooms
I am really thankful to Gymboree. We signed up when our
child was 6mo old and it was a life saver for me. Not only
was it a lifesaver as I was able to get out of the house and
have something to do with my baby. But I also made some
really great friends whose children were all very close in
age and will probably be friends for life (for us and our
children). At the time all of my friends were working and I
didn't know anyone with a baby; it was very isolating. We
signed up for a whole year because it was cheaper (per
class) that way and you could go unlimited times each week.
That meant that Dad could go on the weekends with baby and
give me a break or at times it was also a nice family
outing. At that age Gymboree also has a Q/A portion where
they ask a question that pertains to the group and everyone
gets a chance to answer and get to know one another. It's
often advice Qs or Baby or Mama firsts... it's very nice.
They also work on motor skills and you learn songs/games etc
you can do at home with baby.
Our son is now almost 2yo and we did re-up for another year.
He's active and at this age it's a looser class format so he
can burn some energy. Judy at the Lafayette Gymboree is very
nice and always has good advice if you're in need and there
are some nannies, but there are also a LOT of Moms and Dads.
I would encourage you to try 2 months and see what you
think. The 'open gym' times are also nice for when your
child won't sleep or it's a rainy day or you just want to be
somewhere contained to have them burn some energy. Happy To
Have Met Gymbo
Oct 2009
I am looking for a very low-key tumbling class for my 2.5 year old
daughter. She is very athletic and physically adventurous, she LOVES to
climb and is good at it. Normally I wouldn't do a class for a child
this age but, her twin brother is a little less physically advanced and
I am looking for a place she can explore her physicality with some fun
equipment and a little guidance. I don't want anything too structured.
Weekends and some weekday afternoons would work.
Thanks for any ideas!
natalie
You should look into Ruby's Tumbling in Alameda. It's perfect for active
little kids and they have classes for all ages. Very low key, no
competition, just lots of tumbling, climbing, jumping and fun!
http://www.rubystumbling.com/classes.html
Mom of a Climber
April 2009
Does anyone have a recommendation for a gymnastics class for my 4-year-old
daughter. She is a little lacking in coordination and arm an abdominal
strength compared to what I see with the other kids at preschool (i.e. can't
do a sit up, or even hang on the monkey bars for more than a second), so I
want to help foster that without too much pressure. We are not looking to
make her a future olympian! I was always terrible with upper body strength,
and I'm hoping to avoid that. We live in Oakland. Any comments about
experiences good and bad are appreciated. Thanks!
Not monkeying around
Try Ruby's Tumbling
in Alameda. It's totally zero-pressure on
the kids, but they have a lot of fun and learn a lot. My 3 1/2
year old loves it! http://www.rubystumbling.com/ Mama of a
Tumbler
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
I have a four and a half year old son who also is not the most
coordinated or the strongest guy (would much prefer to look at a
book). Anyway, we have been looking at and trying classes for a
couple of years now.
We first tried a session with Head over Heels and were very
disappointed (this was about 2 years ago; as they moved in to
their new facilities). The facilities are very nice, but they
had so many classes going on at the same time that it was VERY
NOISY and hard for the preschoolers to hear their instructor and
to then try whatever they wanted them to try.
Most recently we tried Kids in Motion on Piedmont. We actually
went to several sessions (maybe 3? 4? each session is about 8
weeks long). The first session was great; and then they kept
going downhill. The biggest problem is that even though we
stayed consistent on the time we went; we got a NEW instructor
every single time (usually they were new to KiM too). Felt like
our son never got consistent instruction or learned anything.
So, recently (about 3 months ago) we tried martial arts at Bay
Mountain Martial Arts on Grand Ave (near Safeway) and we LOVE
it. The Sensei (teacher) is very focused on the kids. He knows
all of their names from day one. It is AMAZING how much our son
has changed is such a short time. They are working on ''life
skills'' not just martial arts. Each week has a different focus
(coordination was this week, then there are things like memory,
self control, discipline, focus, etc.). They have a whole
thought through system that really motivates the kids. The
preschool teachers also cannot believe the changes he is making
esp in terms of his confidence and his abilities on the
playground.
Best of luck!
James' mom
Oct 2008
I am looking for a place where I can take my daughter to gymnastic
class. She is 1 1/2 year old. I want to keep her busy with
activities. Any suggestions?
gabriela
They have classes at head over heels in emeryville - www.hohgymnastics.com, or
kids 'n dance in oakland has gymnastics/creative movement classes -
www.kidsndance.com.
have fun!
My daughter and I (parent participation until 3 years old) have been taking
gymnastics classes at Head Over Heels
(www.hohgymnastics) for the last 9
months. A new session starts in early November (although you can also join a
class mid-session (tuition in pro-rated). The coaches are great. My daughter
works hard, but has a good time too.
Gym Mama
Check out the creative movement / gymnastics classes at
Kids N Dance in Oakland (www.kidsndance.com). There are fun
''parent-and-me'' participatory classes for the under-two crowd,
and the teachers do a great job keeping the kids engaged and
participating.
Enjoy!
August 2008
Hello,
We showed our 5 y/o boy gymnastics and diving from the Olympics and he
seems to have the bug! All the reviews about different places are a few
years old. Where should go, which should we avoid? We live in Oakland.
Many thanks,
Bobbie
Hi, I had great luck with Kids in Motion on Piedmont Avenue.
My daughter was 3 and 4 when she went there (last 2 years), and
she loved it. The teachers were very enthusiastic and
attentive, the class sizes were small, the difficulty of the
exercises was age-appropriate, and they kept things moving
along and lots of fun. I highly recommend it.
Oakland Mom
My boys (3 and 5) have done a few sessions at
Head Over Heels
in Emeryville and love it there. They do gymnastics and also
circus classes, which include some trapeze, clowning, juggling,
etc. More info at www.hohgymnastics.com Gotta Tire Them Out
Somehow
My daughter has been attending gymnastics at Head Over Heels
in
Emeryville for a year now. They have great coaches from
beginners gym tots to the competitive classes.
happy with Head Over Heels' offerings
This isn't straight gymnastics, but very fun for a 5 year old.
Trapeze Arts is a wonderful circus school in Oakland, where he
can learn tumbling, trapeze, trampoline, etc. It's
non-competitive and fun, with close attention paid to safety.
The family that runs the school are wonderful, caring people
who hire the same. Have fun!
Heidi
Our son took a week long gymnastics camp at
BayIslandGymnastics.com.
I was a bit apprehensive but he LOVED
every minute of it. I've since taken him for a weekend class
and he chose not to participate until Ashley coaxed him to the
mat. She proceeded to give him a private lesson that day. All
the other staff have been fantastic with my son, too. Don't let
the location avert you, they're near the 24hr fitness/Home
Depot at 880/High St.
Tumble Heaven Close to Home
Jan 2008
I thought I'd post to get
suggestions for good places for my daughter and her friend to attend a
weekday morning gymnastics class. I was most curious about experiences
with Head Over Heels in Emeryville and Kids in Motion on Piedmont Ave
in Oakland. Thanks so much.
Gym Momma
Kids in motion was great for my daughter when she was
little. The only thing I would recommend is that if your
little one really enjoys gymnastics and does it for a number
of years you may want to explore a gym where they compete,
like Golden Bear Gymnastics at UC Berkeley or Head over
Heels in Emeryville. Kids in Motion is a non-competitive
gym. The standards are very different.
My daugher did eventually begin to compete and wished she
had moved to the more competive gym before she did. She
thinks she would have been further ahead but Kids in Motion
was a great place to start.
We've been going to the Tiny Tumblers class at Kids in
Motion on Piedmont for about 6 months and my two year-old
loves it. The class is not very structured, which works
well for that age group. Most of the time the kids are free
to play on the equipment and with other toys/activities that
are set up in advance by the staff. There are also two
''circle times'' called during the class when the kids come
together as a group for stretching or a game and for the
kids to take turns demonstrating different ''moves''
(somersault, crawling through tunnel etc) for each other.
It is a really enjoyable class and I highly recommend it.
Eve
My 2yo has been doing
Head Over Heels in Emeryville since
last fall and we love it. Lots of variety in activities;
fun, friendly teachers; accommodating of his various 2yo
moods. The best thing for me is that we can take both kids
(ages 2 and 4) to classes at the same time in the same big
room, and I stay with the 2yo while the 4yo does his thing.
Mom of Two Bouncing Boys
Nov 2007
Does anyone have any recommendations for a gymnastics class for a
toddler/preschooler?
oakland dad
Head Over Heels
in Emeryville. Just google Head Over Heels to get to
their website. My 2 year old is in their gym tots class. It took 4 or 5
classes for her to display interest. Even though she's paid attention to
everything they've done there. Because when you ask her to show you the
stretches, she can do them. Now she gets excited when we head over to
class.
Crystal
Great classes at Bay Island gymnastics
- the teacher's name is Darcy & he
is really fabulous. I can't say enough good things - he varies the
routine, does stuff that gets the kids moving & having fun & using their
imagination. He is a dad himself & I think that makes a big difference. It
is a fabulous facility. They are right across from Home Depot in Oakland.
love our gymnastics class!
I have to say we have tried both HOH gymnastics
and Kids in Motion. We
LOVED HOH, the instructors are amazing and the facilities are primo!!!
Kids in Motion
was a terrible experience. The instructors were trying to
make kids do things they weren't interested in, pulling arms, using
inappropriate analogies, etc. When telling the owner of my bad experiences
she told the instructor, and also pointed out who I was, even though I had
asked my complaint to be anonymous. In the next class the instructor
harassed me, wanting to know my specific concerns. I was very
uncomfortable and told the director, she told me she would refund me
money. To be short, we had to fight for our refund, the owner repeatedly
failed to return our calls. It was an AWFUL experience. I wouldn't
recommend them to anyone.
oakland mom
Jan 2007
I am looking for a gymnastics class for a 2.5 year old in
either Piedmont or Rockridge. The reviews on the site didn't
have any for classes in these areas. Thanks!
the couch is not a junglegym
Hi. We go to Kids in Motion
for gymnastics. It is located on
Piedmont Avenue. It is perfect for little ones. Nancy
I have a few recommendations for toddler gymnastics:
Kids in
Motion on Piedmont Ave is always great (510-601-8424), Gymboree
on the corner of Lakeshore and Mandana is brand new but I don't
know the quality yet, there is also a combination
gymnastics/jiu-jitsu class called ''Gym-Jitsu'' on Grand Ave for
ages 3-7 (510-207-6640)
stephan
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
Try Kids in Motion gymnastics on Piedmont Ave. -
http://www.kimgymnastics.com/. The City of Piedmont also runs
some programs (definitely in the summer and maybe year-round),
though in my experience they fill up fast. Call 510-420-3070
for a catalog.
JP
April 2006
Looking for a fun toddler gym for a 13 month in the Berkeley area.
sr
The gym class at UC Berkeley Village
is great and affordable,
much more reasonably priced than Gymboree.
anon
We enjoyed the Kindergym/babygym classes at the
Albany YMCA at that age. Open
to non-Y-members. It's drop-in, so there's no commitment. They offered it 2-3
times/week. Berkeley Y also has kindergym, but i'm not sure if they're open to
non-
members.
Mary
Kids in Motion
on Piedmont Ave in Oakland has toddler gymnastics
classes. Our daughter goes there and likes it. There is also
something over at Cal. www.oski.org
Nov 2005
Hi,
I'm looking for a great, fun, small gymnastics (or lively
uncomplicated dance) class for my energetic 6 year old son who
has some attention and social deficits, but who is also a very
exhuberant and friendly guy. He loves to tumble, jump and hop
around, and since his O.T. at school has recommended that he
better his lagging gross motor skills, we thought a gymnastics
class might be a great way for him to use his abundant energy
and learn some skills in a fun way. I'm particularly looking
for a really good teacher, ideally with some experience with
special needs kids, but much more importantly skilled and
sensitive and patient!
Thanks,
Julia
My 6 year old son has been taking gymnastics classes at
Kids in
Motion (kimgymnastics.com), on Piedmont Ave., for a few years now
and the staff seem quite aware of a variety of developmental
issues and have been able to help redirect my son (sensory
intergration issues and language delays). He's been in classes
just slightly under his actual age-level which has worked out
fine for us socially and developmentally (eg. he's in a class for
4-5 yr. olds right now). I would avoid Sat. midday classes
because the studio is quite noisy and distracting, and try for a
day when there is maybe only one other class going on at the same
time. Good luck.
Tracy
August 2004
I have a really active 3 year old who's very in touch with her
movements and I would love to join her up in a low-cost
weekly TUMBLING class in Oak/E'ville/Berk areas.
I've looked into some classes but, they're all pretty pricey for
the generally free-form activity of a 3 year old. I'm not looking
for anything regimented...just a 30-45 minute session of
jumping, summersaults and general energy release in a
controlled atmosphere with other kids.
Thanks.
Alena
Recommended:
Montclair Rec Center
University Village Gymnastics
June 2004
Can anyone reccomend classes for a 2 1/2 year old that loves to
tumble? I would be very interested in a program that is located
close to Berkeley, Kensington, Albany or El Cerrito.
Thanks in advance.
Julie
Recommended:
University Village Gymnastics
Curryville (2/00)
We recently went to a great party at Bay Island Gymnastics (BIG) in Alameda
for a six year old that was terrific. Check them out.
From: Aleta
3 yr. Birthday party: The Golden Bear Recreation
Center, east of Clark Kerr Campus at UCB has a fun gymnastics birthday
packet. Their number is 642-9821.
From: a mom
The past couple years I reserved the gym
at the Albany YMCA (on Kains and Solano): that way the kids have a great
indoor place to play, a brief time for refreshments and gift opening, and
presto! it's over. Two years in row is enough for my little one, though, so
this year I'll have to come up with something else.
From: Karen (11/97)
Our daughter wants to have her 7th birthday party at Head Over Heels Gymnastics
in Emeryville. Head Over Heels is quite expensive--$280 for 25 kids; we're
willing to spend this kind of money if the parties are staffed by interactive,
well-trained "party" teachers who are able to create a fun, well-paced
celebration.
Last year we had a very disappointing experience with a gymnastics party at
Golden Bear Gymnastics (low energy teachers, no effort made to make the birthday
girl feel special, kids spent a lot of time standing around, etc.).
Has anyone hosted or attended a birthday party at Head Over Heels? What was
the overall quality of the event? Thanks for your help!
From: Michael (11/97)
we haven't used head over heels, but we've used the albany YMCA, just
off solano, for two years running. the teacher is great, there's a
separate party room for food and presents, and the activities and
equipment keep the kids engaged for the duration. the organized
activities single out the birthday boy or girl.
it's a good deal cheaper than head over heels, as well. tipping the
teacher is recommended -- twenty bucks at the end of the session is
conventional.
From: Barbara (11/97)
My daughter had a birthday party at Head Over Heels when she was a student
there. As I recall, the kids had a great time and the teachers at that
time were a group of energetic, young people who really organized the kids
well and gave them a workout. I have also been to a couple of parties at
the Albany YMCA on Kains and they did a pretty good job but it is better at
the level of Kindergym because it is small. This was a number of years ago
but, for that price, I think Anne Marie would tell you how many teachers
will be with your kids and you could ask for the activities you want. They
played lots of fun games (very active).
From: Deborah (11/97)
Re: Head Over Heels
We went to a party there for 6 yr olds and I really didn't like it, nor did
many of the kids. The teachers were TOO involved--tried to make it like a
gymnastics class, rather than a birthday party. All structured activities
and no time to just play around on the equipment (supervised of course).
We've had 2 parties at the kids gymnastics place on Piedmont Ave (can't
remember the name but in yellow pages) and liked it much more.
From: Donna (9/98)
Head Over Heels in Emeryville does kids parties. I went to a party there
and it was great (its a gymnastics place - the kids loved it) but I believe
its a little pricey. Its probably worth checking out.
From: Barbara (9/98)
Windmill Gymnastics in Richmond does birthday parties, as does the YMCA in
Albany.
Windmill Gymnastics
August 2003
Can anyone offer comparisons between gymnastic classes at
Windmill v. Head over Heels v. Albany Village? My 6 y.o. did the
Albany Village program last year, and while she enjoyed it,
there seemed to be an awful lot of sitting around. I'm
wondering if the other programs are superior. Thanks,
Monika
We were disappointed in Windmill gymnastics. Briefly the
instructors were young (in their early teens), distracted and
bored. My child left after completing one session even though
she wanted to leave after the third class. Most everyone in my
child's class left and went to Golden Bear gymnastics at UC
Berkeley. By comparison Golden Bear is so professionally run and
they have unrivalled equipment and sp
Liking the Gold Bear
2000
To Mary Carol on the subject of toddler gymnastics: my daughter (4 yrs.
old) goes to a preschool in El Cerrito (Keystone) where they bring in people
from Windmill Gymnastics once a week for an additional fee. My daughter
absolutely loves the class and comes home showing me how they learned to do
stretching exercises and some tumbling. So far, she hasn't gotten hurt, and
she has an elbow that dislocates easily. I also know that some kids in my
son's 2nd grade class take classes from Windmill Gymnastics on the weekends,
and also have excellent things to say about them. I believe they are
located in either El Cerrito or Richmond. Hope this helps!
Helen
From: Heather
My best friend happens to be the assistant head coach at Windmill Gymnastics
in the Richmond Annex. The telephone # is 527-0570. I've been around that
gym for about 5 or 6 years now, and everyone there is really nice. I haven't
seen what they do with the little kids as much as I have seen them work with
the team. I would be happy to find out more information about what they
offer for younger kids (my friend is the team coach, for the older kids).
General
We have no experience with Richmond, but we have done the Cal program and
Kids in motion, and a neighbor has done the head over heels program. I'll
bet kids in motion is your best bet. Both the Cal program and head over
heels are located in big, cavernous rooms which can be really great for
the energetic, whooping-it-up type but if your child is shyer than most,
probably a more intimate atmosphere might be better. Also the Cal program
is staffed by a number of different Cal students and a very jolly
no-nonsense older woman -- Tamara, who is great, but a shy child might not
respond to her that well. Good luck.
Alison
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