Gymnastics for pre-schoolers.....any experience?

[Pfer]

DS1 (4)has just had his Early Years assessment lady in again and she says he's great! He's got excellent pen control, co-ordination etc and is coming along fantastically - all of which I am mighty pleased about I can tell you.

Question is I mentioned his 'energy' level and she agreed that he is very lively and could maybe do with a physical outlet by way of a class of some sort.

I've been looking around and TBH there's not much for pre-schoolers in the area but have found a gymnastics group that do loads of classes for all ages including a boys only pre-school class which I'm planning to take DS to on Monday. Anyone else take their LO to a gym class? Do they like it etc? Don't really know what to expect.

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Yorkie - so it's good fun then? DS starts pre-reception in April and am hoping to have found something he enjoys by then to, well, settle him a little?

Tumbletots are supposed to be really good - not around in my area when my two were toddlers - but supposed to really help development.

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The closest tumble tots to me is about 45mins away, and TBH with DS2 as well I just won't be able to go that far. Think will stick to the local gymnastics class.

Yorkiegirl, we are about 15miles South of Lincoln. The classes I'm looking at last for 1 hour and are £4 each session. Is that about the same as your DD's?

pfer we have done a pre-school class with my 3 since DS1 was 18 mo. It?s run by the city council here at a leisure centre, about £2.30 for 45mins.
Aged 9mo to 3 they are with you in the hall, loads of equipment, do what they like etc.
Aged 3-5 (or whenever they start school) they are in a more organised group, parents not there, children take turns to do various moves (very simple, eg jumping, balance, hopping, simple work on equipment). These lead them to get certificates. DS1 managed to get bronze and silver, DD got gold as well. Neither of them do it any more now they are at school as DS1 didn?t enjoy the older age class (DD might but it?s logistically tricky).
Still doing the ?baby? class with ds2 who?s 3 in April and he totally loves it. Goes up to ?big? class next term and he?s just so in the zone (my most physical child by a long way - walked, jumped etc very early). I think the discipline of the bigger class is excellent, they have to wait their turn, do what they?re told etc, good prep for school but fun too. And at this age it?s not intensive and competitive at all.
Why not contact yr local council to see if they do sthg similar?

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Clary thanks for that, I will get in touch with the council to see what they know. Thanks again.

General concensus then......good idea? YES!

Deffo yes. I know tumbletots is not an option, but the gym class is probably similar. I started taking DD to tumbletots when she was 20 months old, as she seemed a bit unconfident physically. It made an impact very quickly and she LOVED it. She still goes now (aged 3).

my 2.5 yr old goes and has done since ummmm about 1.5 I think. we started going when the tumbletots lady changed from a Nice Person to a Wierdo, so swapped to "Shining Stars Gymnastics" instead. It is hilarious, he is a fully paid up member of the british gymnastics association and gets a nice badge every year to prove it! He isn't actually doing the parallel bars or the pommel yet sadly (looking forward to the day when he needs to buy one of those all in one white leotards) but he does do lots of balancing on a little beam on the floor and stretching and standing on one leg and running around. He loves it. I think it is good for coordination and certainly he is flaked when he comes back. Go for it.

My oldest 2 both do gymnastics - the second since he was just 3 - the class is very structured - small groups working around bars, beam, vault and floor work. Not as much burning off energy as a tumbletots type class I think but very good for co-ordination and skills. My two like earning the medals but the older one does find the waiting turns etc difficult. For purely wearing them out I think swimming or football is better - or just making them run round the park! I make mine walk just over a mile to school everyday so they have burnt off energy by the time they get there and am sure this helps with concentration etc in the classroom.

Just something to think about - who actually takes the classes?
our local gym club does sessions where parents can leave the child (in fact, most stay) and the young people who coach the competitive gymnasts in the club run the sessions. However they seem to have no understanding or training in how to deal with young ie pre-school children. The children were grouped into batches of 8-10 and all stood around to take turns on equipment like trampolines etc. there was a considerable amount of waiting in lines, and presumably all their muscles cooled down after the fun warm up which started things off. My friend's daughter aged 3 was told off for fidgeting whilst waiting! then to compound the matter she was not given a go on the trampoline and not given a sticker at the end when everyone else got one, all for the horrendous crime of fidgeting and wriggling about. It was not a lot of fun, it was like a strict old-fashioned school PE class, and we stopped going very soon afterwards.

i used to teach childen gymnastics, and its very good for co-ordination and skills. but for younger ones not much as for burning off,but to start early if there going to keep at it its good.
my dd whos 21years now did from 5 to 16, and was in yorkshire team