Tumble tots

[slightlyconfused85]

Has anyone ever done this with their toddler? My DD is 2.4 and she goes to a local class run by a gym club which she loves but it's quite short and not always on every week. There is a tumble tots session nearby but my eyes watered a bit at the cost and it didn't look that special in the photos! Any experiences?

DS loved it. They're all different as run by franchisees so you never know exactly til you try it. They should let you have a free trial session.

It's alright... Have been going since September and the ladies are very nice who run it, but it is expensive for what it is. Ds enjoys it (apart from the singing!) and it breaks up a Monday morning!

We went with ds a couple of times. Didn't rate it that much. Didn't persevere as it coincided with a time he'd rather be sleeping.

Didn't bother with dd.

My two went ages 1 til 3. They loved it. It's run as a franchise tho so different groups will be run differently.

I tried a trial session, but I decided it didn't quite suit us, so didn't go back.

We went to an under 2's session and my DS got upset about being made to use the apparatus in a structured way ( it's set out in a circle an everyone has to go round in a clockwise direction) My DS didn't like some parts, but wanted to use the tunnel over again which he wasn't allowed to do. Also they were quite strict about how the children must all sit still during circle time. My DS is one of the ones who doesn't sit still for more than a few moments. All other toddler activity groups I attend are very relaxed about a bit of wandering in the circle time.

I also wasn't impressed with how they allowed adults to keep their shoes on, but the toddlers all had to be barefoot (no socks). The day we went it was raining and people's shoes were wet and dirty. I was the only adult who removed my shoes.

There were plenty of others who were enjoying themselves though!

Thanks all. I don't think DD would comply with going round in a circle all the time...I really enjoy the session by the gym that she attends it's quite informal I just wish it was on a bit longer! Perhaps I'll do a tumble tots trial when she's a bit older

My niece goes to tumble tots and she is only just 2, she's been going since September, she loves it! Seems fairly structured but she's been ok with that and has just moved up a class.

Our DS went for a while, and quite enjoyed it, at a local Council gymnasium. It was very informal, and you could do as much or as little as you wanted.

HOWEVER - that was thirty years ago, and he will be 32 in a few months!

I've taken DS to tumble tots for nearly a year now (he's 2.4) and we really like it. He hasn't graduated to the 2-3 class yet as the 1-2 is less structured and they can do the apparatus in any order. It is expensive and sometimes if he isn't joining in I say, come on DS we need to get our £7 worth!

In ours the parents have to take shoes off but can keep socks on. Children have to take socks off which makes sense in terms of safety.

It's not perfect but they're lovely people and he has learnt a lot.

Really nice people ran our local one. Unfortunately my then 2 year old DS fell over and broke his leg during one session.

Never went back but that was more my worry it would happen again(irrational I know) and also by the time DS leg had healed he had outgrew that kind of thing and was doing other activities.

thearty1 your experience sounds totally different to ours!

DS is moving up to the 2-3 class tomorrow (eek!). In the 1-2 class the equipment was set out in a circuit, but the children don't have to go 'round in order until they're verging on moving up - then parents are supposed to encourage their child to go 'round in order. Even then it's not really that set in stone.

No shoes at all in ours - as others have said adults in socks, children in bare feet.

It's only £5 per 45 minute session for us (I don't think the hall they uses charges much, if at all).

DS loves it and gets really excited when I get his T-Shirt out!