Bring a friend for free to The Little Gym camps!

Summer's coming!   Have you planned all of your children's activities yet?   (My wife and I haven't.  She's actually working on that while I work on this!)

If you've been procrastinating on putting together your summer plans for your children, you're in luck.  Have we got a deal for you!!!  :-)   While space lasts, enroll in any Anytime Summertime summer camps at The Little Gym of Lake Oswego -- any dates in June -- and your child can bring a friend to camp for free!

The week of June 18 - 22 is The Little Gym Crazy Carnival week. Your kids will enjoy playing Roller Ball with our parachute, riding the 'ferris wheel,' and cruising on The Little Gym 'rollercoaster.' The following week, June 25-29 is Cars, Planes, Trucks, and Trains week. The 'daredevil ramp challenge' will be a big hit along with a game of 'Hide & Speed-Racer,' and more!

Our camps are 3-hours of fun, games, gymnsatics, activities, arts & crafts, and sweat! You can choose to come any number of days from 1 to 5 each week this summer. Activities change daily so your children will have a blast whether they come to one or 50 camps this summer at The Little Gym.

Children must be potty-independent, age 3-8, and space for friends is limited. Call the gym at (503) 595-9702 to check availability and to reserve your space. This special offer is for any camp during the month of June only. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday camps run 1pm - 4pm. Tuesday and Thursday camps run 9am - Noon. The cost is $32 per camper. Sibling and Member discounts are available and automatically deducted from costs.

So if you haven't figured out your summer fun plans for your children yet, give us a call!  Not only will you and your friends save money, your children will have a blast with their friends.  (Isn't it easier to convince your children to do something when they have a friend joining them?)

Other camp themes and dates can be found on our website at: http://www.thelittlegym.com/LakeOswegoOR/Pages/camp-schedules.aspx.

Fall Season Priority Enrollment information

Yes, I know... we still have 5 1/2 weeks left of the current school year, before summer starts, but we're already talking about the Fall!  We're going to be starting a 2-week Priority Enrollment period so current members may reserve space in the Fall Season (2012-2013 school year).   By enrolling now, you help us understand which class times will be the popular times for next year, so we can get our employee hiring and training planned and kicked off.  

So to help make enrolling early worth *your* while, we will be raffling off over $1200 in prizes over the next two weeks.  Plus everone who enrolls during Priority Enrollment will save $20 off tution.

Starting Monday, here are the daily raffles:

• Monday, May 14:
• One free Parents' Survival Night at The Little Gym
• Tuesday, May 15:
• The Little Gym Water bottle, T-shirt, and baseball cap
• Wednesday, May 16:
• One The Little Gym Summer Camp
• Thursday, May 17:
• The Little Gym t-shirt, slo-mo ball and Foam Flyer
• Friday, May 18:
• The Little Gym Annual Family Membership renewal
• Saturday, May 19:
• Two games of bowling for 4 people (2 winners) + 10 winners of 10 free arcade games at Gametime Dining (next door!)  Gametime is under new ownership and has recently been remodeled.  Check out Gametime for Great Food with a Side of Fun!"
• Monday, May 21:
• One free Parent's Survival Night
• Tuesday, May 22:
• One month of free Baby Boot Camp classes, donated by member, Kathryn Richard, owner of Baby Boot Camp. Baby Boot Camp balances the fitness needs of new moms with their desire to spend time with their baby. This innovative stroller-fitness program helps moms regain or enhance pre-pregnancy fitness levels and meet the physical challenges of parenting by emphasizing strength training in a supportive environment.   For more information on Baby Boot Camp and Kathryn's schedule of classes, go to: http://www.babybootcamp.com/or-portland-south.aspx.
• Wednesday, May 23:
• Gift certificate good towards an oil and filter change at Dan's Auto Center (across the street, next to Safeway) (2 winners)  Dan's Auto Center's mission is to “provide the highest quality, timely vehicle repairs and services, in a professional, friendly atmosphere, which consistently meets or exceeds our customer's expectations."
• Thursday, May 24:
• $100 gift basket of Mary Kay products from Mary Kay Independent Consultant, Teresa Osgood.  For a free consultation, you can reach Teresa at (208) 870-1625 or at  http://marykay.com/teresaosgood.
• Friday, May 25:
• $50 Gift Certificate to Hanna Andersson stores (2 winners)
• Saturday, May 26:
• Pediatric cleaning and exam (incl. x-rays and fluoride treatment) from Dentistry for Kids of Wilsonville - $349 value! (2 winners)  At Dentistry for Kids, their aim is to make dental experiences as close to fun as possible.  You can find out more about their services at http://www.dentistryforkidsonline.com/   or at (503) 582-8200.

 

 

 

Awesome Birthday Bash Parties: Now with Even More “Awesome!”

I love being a part of The Little Gym franchise.  Our "franchisor," The Little Gym International, is always looking for ways to enhance our programs, or enhance your membership.  Here's some information about a new partnership and "value-add" for your upcoming birthday party!

Nothing captures the magic of childhood better than a birthday party. This year, give your child a celebration they’ll never forget. The Little Gym birthday party places are the perfect way to make your child's big day extra special. Your group will have the whole place to yourselves with games, music and fun activities created especially for your birthday kid. Our trained instructors will lead all the fun and The Little Gym team will handle everything from setup to cleanup. That means you get to go home to a clean, quiet house free of icing and sprinkles ground into the carpet. Sounds like a wish come true? There’s more…..


This year’s The Little Gym birthday parties will be even more awesome, fantabulous, and splendiferous than usual. To help preserve these “awesome” memories, you and all of your guests will receive a special voucher for a free 20-page 8” x 11” Custom Cover Photo Book* from Snapfish valued at $29.99!! Book your child’s 2012 birthday celebration today and let us help make this the most memorable milestone yet!!

You can see our Birthday Party schedule online (and reserve a spot) at: http://www.thelittlegym.com/LakeOswegoOR/Pages/birthday-schedule.aspx

*While supplies last, at participating locations. Offer valid for parties booked March 15, 2012 through December 31, 2012. One per family.

Amazing testimonial from one of our The Little Gym customers

Last month, one of our members sent us a letter, letting us know about their experiences at The Little Gym of Lake Oswego over the past year.  It was such as nice letter that I asked if we could publish it.  It's very heart-warming to read about how our programs have impacted a family and it helps our team keep up their energy and committment to growing skills and self-confidence in children.   I've removed the names from the letter below...

Happy Handstands,
 Teacher Ron, Owner


January 16th, 2012


Dear Ron and Staff-

As my family approaches their one year anniversary of belonging to The Little Gym, I wanted to share with all of you how much we have enjoyed being a part of TLG family! We have been impressed from the start how every staff member goes out of their way to greet you at the door, answer your questions and daily demonstrates high energy and enthusiasm while working with children!

My son [age 7] is currently not interested in traditional ball-sports and my husband and I wanted to find a physical activity that would spark his interest. He expressed an interest in karate and we went to a local karate gym that was sterile and competitive. It was clear this was not what he had in mind. We then tried a preview class at TLG. BINGO! It was an instant success and a perfect fit. I’m very impressed with how well the karate program blends the skills of the martial art in a non-competitive manner along with gymnastics. Additionally, Teacher Adam is a master at making the class both engaging and educational. I appreciate his firm, yet friendly and fun approach to the class.

This past fall my younger son [age 4 at the time] joined the ever popular “Giggle Worms” gymnastics class. His enthusiasm for the class is evident when he talks about the moves they have worked on and how he counts down the days in between classes until his next visit. Teacher Jessica, Angela and James are all experts at incorporating the perfect balance of fun, imagination and gymnastics skills. They also take the time to get to know each of the students and reinforce manners and good sportsmanship during class.

Recently we had the pleasure of celebrating [our younger son's] 5th Birthday at The Little Gym. The party was literally the “icing on the cake” for what is already a wonderful place for kids to learn and grow. All the children, ranging in age from 21 months to 7.5 years, had a blast at the party. The instructors, Jessica and Qiana, were extremely enthusiastic and certainly gave the birthday boy the VIP treatment. [My son's] heart was set on a dinosaur theme, and with that, the teachers infused the party with dinosaur games and lingo. Both ladies were hands on helpful from the moment I walked in with my multiple bags of food, drinks and party goods. They helped with the set-up, orchestrated a fun-filled party and were gracious hostesses during our post-party snacks and cake. As we said thank you and good-bye to our guests, both Jessica and Qiana had everything cleaned up and back in bags for us, ready to go.

We are so grateful that we discovered all that The Little Gym has to offer families. We delight in the smiles and pure joy our boys display throughout their classes. It is important to us that our boys want to be active and TLG inspires them to feel good about themselves, while they learn and acquire new skills at a pace that is right for them. As a parent, I also appreciate the flexible make-up policies, camps, birthday parties and point accrual system. Your child friendly play area makes attending classes with younger siblings easier to manage.

Thanks again for ALL you do to nurture and inspire young children! My children are benefitting not only from being active and practicing physical skills, but also learning the importance of kindness and zest for life as modeled by each and every one on your staff.

Sincerely,

E & R, Tualatin, members since March 2011

Happy New Year!

It's the Tuesday December 27th -- the lull between Christmas and New Year's.  Classes are a bit small so far this week so I have a few minutes to reflect.

Marie and I took the past week off, so we could spend some time with our kids in the mornings and get some home projects/to-do's done in the afternoons.  We had a small list of things that we really wanted to get done -- like fnally plan our "big" vacation we've been talking about, make some 2012 resolutions, clean our home office and garage, and get some old electronics and old clothes "recycled."  

I think 4 of the afternoons were spent working on that vacation... (Hint... if you wait too long, flight costs go through the roof!)   We finally got the flights set, and now we need to work on hotels...  We didn't really get to any of the other topics, unfortunately.  But last night, with the grandparents watching the kids, I was able to atack the office and garage enough to clear a wider passage through each.  I got just enough done to feel good.

For our mornings this past week, we tried to pack in a lot... We visited Pittock Mansion, ate a late brunch at Slappy Cakes (where you cook your own pancakes at your table!), visited the lights at the Portland International Raceway, delivered cookies to friends, and saw (the only?) G-rated movie out - the new Chipmonks movie.    (My favorite line -- "A double rainbow across the sky!!  What does it mean?!    Search YouTube for "double rainbow" to understand it better.)

We celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah as a family.  I mistakenly put the "big" Hanukkah present under the Christmas tree.  Oops.  My biggest laugh was when my son opened his stocking Sunday morning and was excited to find "piz."  (After a chuckle, we let him know that it's called "Pez.")   Happy Holidays!

It's cold outside - which makes it a perfect time to be inside at The Little Gym!

Teeth are chattering, jackets are zipping, and hot cocoas are pouring.

It‟s definitely getting colder out there, But here at The Little Gym of Lake Oswego, kids are staying toasty warm. Their bodies are in motion and their minds are too. Kids in The Little Gym Parent/Child classes are
exploring their worlds, gaining independence and trying new skills. The structured lessons of our Pre-K gymnastics programs are helping kids with listening skills and following directions while also emphasizing balance and coordination. Our Kindergarten level gymnastics kids are learning to work in groups and cooperate because we know controlling emotions is as important as body control and agility.

All the Flips, Twisters, Aerials, and Hot Shots of our Grade School Gymnastics programs are strengthening their bodies and getting a springboard (pun intended) of confidence. Plus, our Dance kids are twirling like snowflakes, Sports Skills kids are improving arm strength for throwing snowballs, and our Karate students are practically chopping firewood with their bare hands (okay, a slight exaggeration).
 
Check out the photos of The Little Gym kids (on our facebook page) having as much as fun as a summer vacation, no matter what the thermometer says.


Don‟t forget - We also have great winter day camps coming up (Dec 19 - 24). And if you want to squeeze in a date night (or maybe some holiday shopping without the kids around), we‟ll be having another Parents‟ Survival Night on Saturday, December 17th.
Finally, remember that giving someone some Serious Fun is an excellent gift. We have gift certificates available if you want to give the unique gift of skill building and Three-Dimensional Learning.

Til next time,
Your friends in fitness, fun and fundamentals at The Little Gym of Lake Oswego.

Special Novmember offer for your friends at The Little Gym of Lake Oswego

The ongoing success of our business is largely based on our members' glowing endorsements. If you've found value in The Little Gym programs, seen your children grow in our classes or have a blast in a birthday party or camp, we kindly ask that you spread the word!


If your friend enrolls in a class at The Little Gym of Lake Oswego, now through November 30, 2011, we will thank them by giving them a $25 consideration towards their tuition, AND we will give you a $25 credit that you can use towards any class payment, party, camp, or Parents' Survival Night. (This is in addition to the 1000 Member Milestone reward points you receive automatically when your friends enroll in a class.)

Your friend must be new to The Little Gym classes.


To receive this offer and ensure you receive your $25 credit, your friend should bring a print-out of this offer with the following filled in:


Child Name (who is enrolling): _______________________

Parent Name: _________________________________


Friend who referred us to The Little Gym: ___________


_____________________________________________



Please call (503) 595-9702 if you have any questions about The Little gym and this special November offer!

Shutterfly Photo Book Offer for The Little Gym Members Expires Soon!

While we believe that enrolling in The Little Gym is rewarding for kids in many ways, we are also happy to give our enrolled members an extra reward when we can. This Fall, all enrollees for The Little Gym of Lake Oswego’s 2011-2012 Season received an offer for $20 off a Shutterfly photo book. The offer expires in just a few weeks (November 18 to be exact) so make sure to go online to shutterfly.com and order your book. In addition, if you are new to Shutterfly, they are also giving 50 free prints.


Their photo books are a great way to preserve memories, and of course, photo opportunities abound here at The Little Gym. With the holidays coming, the photo books can also make an excellent gift and keepsake, so don’t forget to take advantage of this special The Little Gym member offer. We just got our gym’s photo book in today – with over 60 photos from our Halloween Party. It ended up costing us $4, plus $4 for shipping, and it only took us 15 minutes to produce!

If you didn’t receive your $20 voucher, you can pick one up at the gym! And check out our Halloween photo book when you come to class this week!

Halloween's coming... Are you ready?

I wonder how many parents would say that Halloween is their favorite holiday.  You get to hand out candy to the neighborhood children who are dressed up in various cute, scary, or strange costumes.  And if you're really into it, you can decorate your house or get dressed up yourself.  There are always a few houses that we love to go to because the houses are frighteningly decorated.  For my family, we've set up a ritual in which we bring a portion of our candy to a local dentist so we're not left with pounds of sweets after the 31st.  But Mom & Dad are allowed to share in the goodies.   :-)

We're getting ready for Halloween at The Little Gym too!  Our annual Members-only Halloween Party will take place on Sunday, October 30th.  Details about the party can be found on the announcements page of our website. 

Our team is excited to get dressed up in costume and have fun with all of the children and parents who we see each week in class.  I've got my costume ready to go...  I hope you join us at The Little Gym and come to our members-only Halloween Party!

Recent email from one of our customers! Yay!

We always love hearing from our customers about how The Little Gym has been a part of their life.  Last week, I received an email from a mother of twins who have been coming to The Little Gym of Lake Oswego for just over four years.  She had a great experience at our September Parents' Survival Night and said I could post her words.   Here they are!

"[My husband] and I love bringing the kids to Parents' Survival Night!  Your staff does such a great job entertaining and teaching the kids.  We can relax on our date knowing that they are having a blast! 

Actually, they always have so much fun that it can be a challenge getting them to leave.  Last night, we arrived early (around 9) to pick up the kids.  As we were arriving, they were about to do their craft and didn't want to go. Teacher James intervened and spoke with the kids to prepare them to leave and talked with them about doing the craft at home.  Skillfuly, he spoke with them, then had the gruop wish them a good night as they left with us.  It was AWESOME!  Smoothest pick-up of the kids ever... :-)

Thanks to everyone and especially James for helping make the experience particularly positive and stressless."

(We have an award that I give to our instructors when I get great feedback from customers.  It's our "Employee of the Week" award.  James will be getting it this coming week!)

Come "meet" The Little Gym founder, Robin Wes!

Robin Wes founded The Little Gym 35 years ago.  He is an amazing person.  In my 6 years in The Little Gym system, I've met him about a dozen times - at the annual "Reunion" at at various trainings.  He lives and teaches in the Bellevue, WA area.

Yesterday, he was on a Seattle, WA news program, being interviewed about The Little Gym.  Then he treated the audience with some children showing their gymnastics and listening skills while Robin played guitar and sang a The Little Gym song.

Please watch this video to see where The Little Gym came from... Robin is the soul of The Little Gym and our philosophy and Serious Fun flows from him.

Enjoy!

The Little Gym voted #1 by Metro Parent Magazine readers -- again!!

Every year, Metro Parent Magazine (covering the Portland metro area), asks readers to vote for their Family Favorites... It's September 1st and the results are now in....  And The Little Gym of Lake Oswego was voted the #1 Children's Gym AND #1 Birthday Party Place.... For the 2nd year in a row!!!   You can see all the results at: http://www.metro-parent.com/issues/sept11/index.html

We work hard every day to teach the very best classes, helping your children learn new skills every week and have a *ton* of fun while they're learning.  Our hearts swell as much as yours when your children master a new skill, or build on their confidence. 

Thank you for your support, for voting for us, and helping to spread the word about The Little Gym! 

 -Ron, Marie, and The Little Gym team

Best vacation ever!

We got back from our summer vacation this past Saturday night.  We spent a week in Massachusetts, visiting my family and friends, and then taking a few days with just my wife and kids at the beach.   It was probably my best vacation since my honeymoon, 12 years ago.

It had been a while since getting back to Massachusetts.  One night we had pizza over one of my high school friend's house.  Not all of my old buddies could be there; one's wife was very pregnant; two of them are in the army/reserves, and one was in Colorado with his son at camp.  But it was great to catch up with all of the gossip and reconnect after not seeing them for 6 years.

The next night, my sister got the extended family together at her house for dinner.  I got to see my niece's two children for the first time, and see some cousins that I hadn't seen for 12 years.  And my two children got to see some of their cousins and 2nd cousins for the first time.

Then we spent 3 days at a motel near the beach in Cape Cod.  Great weather, plus our kids are at the age (7 and 9), that you can do some really fun things with them -- swim in the ocean, play on the beach, play miniature golf, and go bike riding.  Plus they can entertain themselves on the airplanes!  

Summer is winding down.  (Yikes!)  I hope you all had the chance as well to have a vacation, to get away from the daily and weekly to-do's, and have some fun.   We need these kinds of fun times to recharge the batteries, and create memories that your whole family can remember and cherish.  

Time to vote in Metro Parent Magazine's Family Favorites annual contest!

Now through August 14, Metro Parent Magazine is asking their readers to tell them about their “family favorite” destinations. They’ll announce the winners in September.   One reader, selected at random, will win a Family Fun Package that includes a $50 gift card to the “Family Favorite” restaurant, a $50 gift card to the top children’s book shop and other family fun items. 

We would truly love it if you would vote for The Little Gym in both categories:

• Birthday party venue

• Children’s Gym

The URL is http://www.metro-parent.com/family_favorite/    Please vote by Aug. 14; one entry per household.

Thank you!!

Greetings from Australia!

Well... not from me!!  One of our The Little Gym kids sent us a hello from Australia.  Phoenix moved to Portland about 2 years ago and joined us for summer camps (at age 4 yrs 9 months).  She loved it and showed an aptitude for gymnastics, so her mother signed her up for classes.  It was fun having Phoenix in class (I was the Lead Instructor) -- she's a fun girl with a cute accent. 

Phoenix stayed in our program, moving up to our advanced 5-6 year old Mini Jets class before she and her family moved back to Australia.  (She started taking a competitive program at the Oregon Gymnastics Academy during that time, while still attending The Little Gym classes.)

Over the weekend, we got an email from Phoenix' mom, with an update on how the family was doing.  We're all very proud of Phoenix and her accomplishments and we miss her!   Here's an edited version of the email:

"We would like to say a big thank you for introducing our daughter Phoenix to the Little Gym and in particular gymnastics.  The Little Gym is a fantastic environment for children and we wanted to express our gratitude to the Little Gym at Lake Oswego.Phoenix absolutely loved coming to class at the little gym in the mini jets and we have now moved back to Australia.

Since moving back to Australia, Phoenix has been training at [ ]...an Elite gym club here in [their hometown].  She was with the PreSquad last year, moved to the International Development Program 1 earlier in the year and is now training with the IDP2 team. She is now training 14 hours a week and has recently started competing....which she is completely passionate about.

[My husband] and I wanted to thank you and your team for introducing Phoenix to a sport that she now has so much passion for.  We have attached some photos from her competition today...Gold on floor, beam, vault and bars and first all around!!!"

What a great afternoon! He did it!

On Sunday, we took the training wheels off for the first time and it was a disaster. (Read the blog post.) On Monday I backed off and we tried it again for about 10-15 minutes. (Read blog #2.)   Today, Tuesday, we tried again, and within minutes, Blaise was riding his 2-wheeler all by himself, and he didn't want to stop!

It's times like this, when your child has a breakthrough, when you have that huge surge of pride.  It feels great. We were actually in the parking lot of The Little Gym.  I ran in and got Teacher Angela to videotape Blaise.  After this video he rode up and down the parking lot, getting better each time, learning how to start by himself and stop by himself.  I went inside and emailed it to my wife.  It's going out to the whole family later today. 

So, maybe Blaise was ready for this... he's been riding his bike with training wheels for a while and he has the strength to peddle it pretty fast, and his balance is more advanced than a 4 year old.  But even, so, to be finally sans training wheels is a great feeling.  Yay!

Update regarding Bicycle Training Frustration

I blogged yesterday about reducing frustration in children, and my experience trying to help my son learn how to ride a 2-wheeler.  I included a link to a great article about helping children with frustration. 

Well, I tried again last night.  After coming home from working at The Little Gym, I told my kids that we were going to the Rosemont Ridge Middle School track so Blaise could work on riding a 2-wheeler.  He asked if he could start with his training wheels on.  I said, "Yes."

We got to the school and I took the bikes off the car.  Blaise started wheeling his bike down to the track (without his training wheels on yet). When I got down there, he said that he was ok trying to ride his bike without the training wheels first.  I think that goes along with what Dr. Jim Taylor (of the Psychology Today article) says -- frustration can be good when it gives someone the drive to overcome an obstacle.  I think Blaise had enough time between Sunday's day of frustration, to calm down and focus on overcoming that obstacle. 

So Blaise tried a little bit on his own, and a little bit with my help.  And when he started to get frustrated again, we stopped and went to the library.  It was a much more positive experience.  I'm excited to try again later this week. 

Helping your child when they get frustrated...

Our son turned 7 last month.  We don't go bike riding much, so we haven't pushed getting rid of his training wheels.  He is quite the cruiser on his 4-wheeled bike, but this summer, by gosh, he was going to learn to ride a 2-wheeler.

Blaise wasn't quite in the same mindframe as his mother and I were this past weekend.  On Saturday we got the kids into the car, attached the bikes to the trunk thing, and drove to Rosemont Ridge Middle School in West Linn.  The "rubberized" track seemed like a great place to try, and we were lucky that there weren't many people there.  We actually shared the track with another family who was trying to teach their 4(?) year old to ride a 2-wheeler.

My wife, Marie, tried with Blaise for a little bit, but Marie didn't bring the right shoes to go running alongside him.  A 7-year old has the strength to peddle pretty fast and for a good length of time, which is great for learning to ride a bike, but it quite a challenge for a parent holding on and running.  I then had a turn.  Blaise got the peddling thing, but not the balance thing.  And it was all my fault.  Blaise's frustration was rising because I was holding on to him too tight, or pulling him or pushing him the wrong way.   He wanted to quit before completing 100 yards. 

Marie and I were getting a little frustrated too.  And I'm sure it was showing, even though we tried to be patient.  This was just *the* day that we had some time, and remembered, and we wanted to make progress, whether he liked it or not!

I think we eventually backed off before things blew up.  Later in the evening, I asked Marie, how we raised two children who get so frustrated so fast.  She suggested that perhaps we didn't allow them to experience frustration much as younger children.  (I can't remember if we did or didn't.)

But I did find an article on PsychologyToday.com about children's frustration and what you can do about it.  I love how it describes the chain from Frustration to Anger to Despair, and how you really don't want to go down that path.  The author, Jim Taylor, Ph.D, talks about taking breaks from the activitiy before you get to the more negative emotions, and doing something else that your child can be successful in.  Then when the emotional and physical stress is gone, you can go back and talk about the activity and frustration, and try again, or focus on an aspect of the activity that might be easier to succeed at. 

It's a great article, and I think I'll try this if I can convince Blaise to go bike riding sometime this week.  Wish me luck!
 -Ron

Candy at Summer Camp?

On Wednesday, as I was dropping off my 7 year old at a local science-related summer camp, one of the other moms asked the camp instructor if they would be having candy at camp that day.  I didn't realize that the children were getting treats at their camp, so as we walked back to our cars, I asked the mom if they had candy earlier in the week.  She said that the kids used candy as the planets in a solar system design project, and then got to eat the candy.  And today, for the last day of camp, the campers are going to be using cake in some manner as well.  (My son says that it's going to be the "sun".  He doesn't want to go to his sister's Magic show at 2:45pm because he doesn't want to miss the cake.)

I'm a bit saddened that my children are getting treats at their summer camps.  Yes, it's super fun... and yes, I love treats too, but I prefer to be the one giving them out.  And my expectation is that the camps they attend help them grow physically, mentally, or socially.  My son did a multi-sport camp during the first week of summer and he also was looking forward to the Friday camp that week because they get candy. 

My 9-year old daughter's wizard camp isn't much better.  She said that they might watch a Harry Potter movie this week -- definitely not in the published syllabus for that camp.  I'm *hoping* she was mistaken. I would assume that no camp would show a PG-rated movie without asking parents. 

Now, there are some The Little Gyms that do give out treats on various occasions, and some have TV's in their multi-purpose rooms so siblings can watch TV while their brothers or sisters are in class.   When we became owners of The Little Gym of Lake Oswego 5+ years ago, we thought it was against everything we teach to offer unhealthy treats or have television/movies.  Our goal is to make fitness and being healthy fun!   The only exception we have is that during Pirate week, the Grade School kids find (as natural/organic as possible) fruit snacks during their treasure hunt (Pre/K kids find "gold coins" or other pirate trinkets).

We work our tails off to make classes and camps super fun (Serious Fun), so your children learn new physical skills in every class, make new friends, learn how to work better in a group environment, and learn healthy habits.   Hopefully that's enough to make them (and you) want to come back! 

Serious Fun (in camp) at The Little Gym

We talk about how The Little Gym is "Serious Fun" -- Serious, because we're growing new physical skills, social skills, and building confidence, and "Fun" because every child needs a fun, safe environment to be a kid, play, and use their imagination.

This week is Pirate Week for our camps and Pre/K and Grade School gymnastics and dance classes.  We use different themes, like "Pirate Island" to facilitate the fun part of the equation.  I am super excited to have the best instructors leading our camps this summer.  They know that the more you get into character with the theme, the more the children will stay focused, and the more fun everyone has. 

Here's a short video of Teacher James doing his post-camp announcements, while still staying in character.  He went into a bit more detail than we ask of instructors, but I think it was worth it.  I think *I* want to be in camp with James!