Whole lotta stuff goin' on at The Little Gym!

We've been a bit quiet on Facebook and our blog lately... Well, we've been very busy.  This coming Monday the 21st is Spring Break week.  We won't be running classes that week; we'll be running 3-hour camps for your 3-8 year olds.  We're pulling out the stops to make Spring Break really fun and really active for your children.  Almost all of our morning camps are full with the exception of Friday the 25th (and Saturday the 26th has just 3 spots left as of this writing).

Camps are 3-hours of fun, games, theme-based activities, gymnastics, snack and arts & crafts.  Our afternoon camps, from 1-4pm on Monday through Friday still have room, so call us at (503) 595-9702 to reserve your spot. 

An example lesson plan for a camp consists of:

• 10-15 minutes of free play time in the gym to get the children warmed up and ready to go.
• Opening Circle to set the tone of the day, review rules and expectations, and do a fun name activity so we can get to know each other.  For example, on Friday, we're doing a Bean Bag dash -- the instructors call out two names, and those children, sitting opposite each other in a circle must run to the center of the circle and grab a bean bag each, before the instructor makes it to the center and gets both bean bags.  Who knows... maybe the instructor will "trip?"  :-)
• Warm-up - motor skills and movement to our favorite The Little Gym songs
• Group Game - We might play a game like "Duel," where children tuck scarves in their waistband and team up with a friend to try to snatch their friend's scarf before they get theirs.
• Group Activity - We'll use various equipment like rhythm sticks, hula hoops, stretch rope, parachute, frisbees, and more, typically set to The Little Gym music.  On Friday we'll be using bean bags as "pancakes" during our McFlake's pancakes activity.
• We'll do 30 minutes of gymnastics staions, practicing fun skills, like underswings into the "hot tub", rolls over the donut, walks up an *inclined* balance beam, and even soccer dribbling and kicking around The Little Gym equipment.
• Snacks include healthy treats like pretzels, apple slices and carrots.
• After snack and craft time, we'll ramp up the fun with some time on the Air Trak and a different special feature each day, like "carnival" and parachute games. 

Your children will have a ton of fun, plus we'll wear them out for you!  :-)

Camps run Monday through Friday, 9am - 12 Noon, or 1pm - 4pm, plus Saturday 9am - 12 Noon.  The cost is $31 per session. There is a $5 savings for members, and siblings receive a slight savings.

Camp themes are:

• Monday  - Big Top Bonanza
• Tuesday - Tarzan & Tarzanna
• Wednesday - To Infinity... And Beyond!
• Thursday - Harry's School of Magic
• Friday - Hip Hip Hooray!
• Saturday - Karate Kids Camp

During the week of camps, all members will be receiving a copy of our Summer class, camp, and Fall class schedules in the mail.  We're gearing up for Priority Enrollment, in which current members get first opportunity to reserve class spots for Summer and Fall.  Popular classes fill quickly, so from April 11th through the 23rd is a prime time for members.   We'll be having daily raffle prizes for The Little Gym merchandise and services, plus gift certificates for items donated from The Little Gym members and friends.   (If you have something you'd like to donate to our raffle, let us know!)

Have a great Spring Break next week!   Hope you have fun with your children.  I know we will!