We have been talking about trying out a gymnastics class for a while since Parker loves jumping on his trampoline and climbing on things so much. I finally got around to doing some research on adapted classes and found one not too far away. Mini-Hops is a great gym that offers classes for kids 12 months to 18 years. They also have adapted programs starting at 3 years. They also let you try out a class for free! We arrived about 15 minutes early because another round of storms was coming. I wanted to avoid unloading two kids in a downpour if possible. Luckily it let up a bit just as we were pulling in.
From the moment Ms. Erica started the class I knew this was going to be great. She showed each child a picture of the mat they needed to go to and made sure each of them acknowledged it. Even though this was a new experience these are things he does in therapy and at school. I went in to the gym to help him out while my parents watched Esme and took pictures for me.
We did three "rotations" that involved different activities. Ms. Erica asked all the kids to find the animal mat and sit on it before beginning. She walked through what we would be doing, then let the kids go! The first rotation was the longest. We climbed up a podium (Ta-Da!), touched our feet to bars, jumped on a spring board, climbed a wall, slid down a pole, jumped, crawled through tunnels and walked on balance beams.
I tried showing Parker what to do, but some things were better than others. We are working on jumping on solid ground.
The second rotation was Parker's favorite! We walked over hurdles, jumped on a small trampoline, did somersaults, hung from a bar, climbed in a foam pit, jumped on a big trampoline, walked on an elevated beam, and climbed a rope.
Esme was very well behaved for Grandpa and Nana!
The third rotation involved rings, an angled ladder, jumping, and climbing over a bar. Bits of the whole class can be seen in the video below.
It was a little warm in the gym so I was sweating by the end. It was so much fun and I am looking forward to signing him up for a class soon!
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