Gynmastics class recommendation please - central/south london

[piemashandliquer]

Can anyone recommend an enjoyable class to a good standard for a 4 year old in south (north Lambeth - but willing to travel a little) or central London please?

My DD tried the Westminster school of arts class, but the teacher was very inexperienced (pitched it way too old IMO) and quite over-long boring classes.

Where will be fun, professional teaching?

[piemashandliquer]

Anyone?!

[LadyLech]

Sorry, I don't know the area at all, but a good place to start would be to look at the British Gymnastics website, which lists all clubs registered to them. If the tag is blue, then it means that they have a safety award (gymmark). Personally, this is the sort of club I would look for.

Otherwise you could check out the local board on netmums.

I would sign up for lots in your area as most clubs have very long waiting lists.

[jennycoast]

Is there a Little Gym near you? I can't figure out how to link from my phone, but have a google, there are a few in London.

[jennycoast]

Here you go, is Wandsworth too far? linky this time

[piemashandliquer]

Thanks for the recommendations. The Little Gym is a bit too far through heavy traffic on a Saturday, but I will check out the GB website.

[SE13Mummy]

Ladywell Gymnastics Club in Bellingham is the one I know of and would recommend...you may find that your DD is the 'wrong' age waiting-list-wise though

[Preferthedogtothekids]

I know your dd is only 4 and will only start with a weekly basics class, but do have a good look at the clubs first so you will know what may come later. Some gymnastics clubs cater for more recreational gymnasts, mainly doing just floor and vault and the kids will never train more than a couple of times a week. Others are far more competitive and if a child is recognised at age 5-6 (or 4!) as having good potential then they will be hived off and the training commitment rises quickly.

By 7 or 8 some of the talented kids are training 3-4 days per week and getting ready to compete nationally. It's a huge commitment for parents and pretty much writes off taking on other sports/music/clubs. By 10-11 these kids pretty much eat-sleep-school-gym and not much else! To be fair though, a couple of years of recreational or competitive gymnastics at a young age is an excellent start to taking on any other sport, the kids become flexible, fit and develop enhanced co-ordination.

My DD started at 4 into a competive club, but left at 7.5 as I didn't think she was enjoying it so much. She went back into a different form of the sport at 11 and just last year, at 13 started synchro swimming, which the gymnastics prepared her for beautifully for.

I am a real couch gymnast, it's an amazing sport

[coco27]

Go to a BG gymnastics club rather than The Little Gym or similar.The Little gym is well overpriced ,and they won't teach them to do things at the level their bodies are prepared for.This will lead to them 'working around' their lack of flexibility and/or strength by doing skills incorrectly and forming bad habits which are hard to correct later on.