TumbleTots any good? Agile child question....

[zebra]

I am trying to figure out if I can do anything to nurture DS's terrific strength -- he's a very agile child. Walked at 9 months and now at 2.6yo, just learnt to ride a bike, climbs any obstacle, very, very coordinated & sure-footed.

I thought of TumbleTots, but it seems quite expensive and I think he's maybe too agile for it. What do others think of tumbletots? What do 2-3yo's do at Tumbletots?

Or would you suggest anything else that the super-coordinated 2-3yo child might like to do? I won't push him into anything, just looking for activities he might enjoy.

TIA -mama zebra

My son is 18 months and walked at the same age as your ds, he is constantly climbing up on furniture etc. and has mastered his climbing skills on his 6 year old brothers TP climbing frame (we had to remove the bottom rung of the ladder so as he can't get up there any longer, much to his annoyance). If you have a council run sports centre locally they run gym tots sessions for age appropiate pre school children starting from 10 months upwards. My ds attends a weekly session for 45 minutes and absolutely loves it. They have slides, climbing frames, trampolines and foam filled ramps and crash mats to hurl themselves onto and they sing a few songs at the end of the session. Ds usually has a big sleep after using up all of his energy there.

I take my very agile 2.5 year old to a gym class aimed at pre-schoolers -it sounds very like the one that glitterbabe recommends. She does like it, but to be honest it doesnt seem quite challenging enough (although its very good for getting her to 'take direction' IYKWIM!). For example, they have a ramp leading up to a 'walkway' that you jump off to land on the crash mat - this would be great if she were allowed to do it on her own but we have to hold them while they are walking and jumping etc which she doesn't need/appreciate! She doesn't sound quite as co-ordinated as your ds (can't ride a bike), but she is a very confident walker/runner/climber and seems to get the most fun out of a combination of climbing frame and trampoline. Those soft play places are an absolute godsend as she can climb and balance and roll about while I have a coffee! I don't really know where to take her from here either - I think just make sure he gets plenty of exercise and wait until school when they'll have proper gym classes?

I don't suppose you live near a beach do you??? We happen to live 35 mins from the coast where nature has conveniently provided plenty of rocks for agile kids to practise their clambering skills!

I took my daughter to 'gymbabes' which precedes tumbletots (it's for 6 months up to when they can walk). I thought it was good as there aren't many activities aimed at that age group. We did progress onto Tumbletots but it is VERY expensive, and quite 'regimented' and is only on for 1/2 hour, so by the time she was 18 months we moved onto other things. She's now nearly 4 and we go to a local sports centre gymnastics club. It's much more reasonably priced and you 'pay as you go' rather than Tumbletots where you pay up front for a whole term

I took against T-Tots, probably unfairly, but my one trial session struck me as like a boot camp for toddlers, only with less good manners. I agree that regimented would be a polite way of putting it. Great for survival of the (already) fittest, not so good for kids who actually need practice climbing, balancing and co-ordination skills because they're clumsy, shy, leggy and/or tend to get pushed out the way. I would highly reccomend a good local sports centre, ours is not specially cheap but my two look forward to gym club enormously and the equipment and teaching is top notch. I'm glad I didn't "wait till they get to school" as PE seems very basic, brief and often missed out in a busy week.

Hi

I think it depends on which 'group/area' you go to.

My son is 2 next months and have just moved up to the 2-3 year old sessions - he LOVES IT!!! Yes, it IS expense around £4 for each 3/4 of an hour session - but it is worth every penny fo us.

Give it a try - you've got nothing to loose (except some dosh)

Noisy

My local Tumbletots class were happy for us to try a couple of pay-as-you-go classes before committing to a term. My 2 year old really enjoys it. There is a good mix of obstacles which caters for most abilities. I like the fact that its is structured, and did not find this boot-camp-like.

Thanks for the tips about sports & leisure centres. I'll look into that. -j

I'm wondering whether to continue with Tumbletots when this session finishes in a few weeks. DS is now 2y 3mo and has been going since he could walk (15mo). He enjoyed it immensely up to the 2year point when they move up a group. Now that it is more structured (before age 2 they can go on whatever they like, when they like), DS is not interested in 'doing as he is told', as it were; he still wants to pick and choose what piece of equipment he goes on whenever he likes, and no mater how much I try and cajole him, he crumples to the floor, whining.

Do all Tumbletots groups tell them to 'make a train' to go between each piece of equipment? DS will hold onto the child in front of him until the 'train' is complete, as soon as it moves off he runs in the other direction!

Jodee, I found dd was exactly the same at that age, refused to cooperate at all some weeks - to the extent I took her home. Now at 2y 9m, she's been back to the enthusiastic stage this term so I'm glad I stuck it out. It certainly boosts her confidence when we visit adventure playgrounds etc and I like the way they learn to climb and jump safely. Her balancing and co-ordination skills are improving a lot too.

It is expensive but she gets a lot out of it, is very pround of her T shirt and stickers and is (gradually) learning to follow instructions. Next term she's moving up to the stage when she stays by herself (gulp, I will not blub..) and she's looking forward to being 'a big girl'

Dear Jodee
yes, had similar experience with dd who attended tt from 16 months until reception age. Perseverance does work, it is all a hard learning process when getting to the "waiting your turn", etc stage. It is worth it though because they are being "trained" for school and the benefits are many in the long term. Children do go on and off things, just like us and another reason I stuck with it was to teach dd that you don't just give up because of course once they are at school that's it for years!

Thanks Twink and CAM, reassuring to know it's not just ds then! The other problem I have is with dh - as I jobshare, dh/mum look after ds on my weeks at work. If TT falls on the day dh is looking after him, he now refuses to take him to TT. He was fairly happy (not over the moon) to take him when it was less structured, but refuses point blank now - something to do with being the only bloke there and having to hold hands with the other Mums and do ring-a-ring-o-roses!

I've read this thread with interest, as dd (23 months) has only just started at TT and I thought it was a lot less structured than I had imagined it would be. I didn't realise that this would change after two. However, I don't think that this is entirely a bad thing - yes, toddlers need to be able to run wild, but they also need to start learning to focus their energies, and after all, TT is only for what? 30/45 minutes once a week? Hardly going to turn them into Stepford Toddlers. Having said that, I don't think dd will be ready in one month's time to move around the equipment in a more formal way, so I will just wait until I think she is ready. I would also expect the TT leader to be aware that toddlers' behaviour is erratic, and would not take too kindly to being made to feel in the wrong if dd 'broke ranks'.

Have only been going to TT this term (ds in 2-3 class) but have to say IMO I think its been a good thing for him. Although we have a climbing frame at home and go to the park/soft play etc, TT helps them develop different skills which certainly I wouldn't have thought would so 'naturally' develop in their own play e.g one week everything was about 'going backwards' (safely) and after that ds was constantly experimenting with going down stairs/his slide etc backwards for the next week!
Although it's 'structured' a good TT should be able to 'cajoule' most unruly/excited toddlers back into the group (ours seems to be able to anyway). Besides which the 'structure part' is on the form of a story/activity to help explain which particular skills are being focussed on, so it's hardly bootcamp! Also, as someone else pointed out, I think its really important for children to learn about respect for those who might be younger/ less able than themselves on equipment, and 'waiting and taking your turn' - it drives me mad in the park when I see older kids (often too old for the 'toddler equipment' anyway) pushing past & knocking over nervous little kids teetering at the tops of slides.