With more than 2 weeks to go until school was due back and the temperature still in the mid 30s, I NEEDED to find something to keep my eldest son (Mr 4) occupied for a few hours, preferably indoors. He absolutely loves anything jumping, swinging, climbing – as many almost-5 year old boys do – so I thought a gymnastics-based activity would be the perfect choice.
I’d already heard great things about Active Gymnastics so when I saw they had recreational Gym Fun sessions running throughout January, I knew Mr 4 would love it!
Arrival & Warm-Up
The Gym Fun session started at 9am, with parents asked to pick up their children at 12.30pm, or 3pm if staying for the full-day session. We opted for the morning session to see how Mr 4 would go, especially as he would be one of the youngest there.
The morning started off with stretches and games to get the kids warmed up and ready for the more energetic activities planned. Attempting handstands and doing the splits were particularly popular!
Fun, Fun & More Fun
After the warmup, the kids were split into groups and taken to different areas of the gym to have a go at various activities. The gym occupies two huge warehouses, and there are lots of different apparatus to try out – bars, beam, trampoline, foam pit, and more! It’s not all physical activity though – the participants are given a morning tea break with fruit provided, plus there’s a craft session held in a separate area upstairs.
At the end of the morning session, the kids were brought back together for some team-based games before heading home (or to lunch, for the all-day participants).
Final Verdict
It’s clear the coaches are passionate about sharing their gymnastics experience and knowledge, and they take into account the varying ages, personalities and skill levels. All the kids are encouraged to try each skill or activity, but are never forced to do something they don’t want to do. It was also great to see that siblings and friends were able to stay together as another way to make the kids feel more comfortable.
Whichever program you decide to enrol in, sessions are designed to help improve coordination, flexibility, balance and strength while learning fun and challenging gymnastics skills. It’s non-competitive, plus it’s a great way to burn off excess energy, whatever the weather.
It took Mr 4 a little while to settle into the session but, as he got more confident, he really enjoyed himself and talked about his new-found skills the whole way home!
Active Gymnastics Essential Details
Address: Unit 5 & 6/30 Hines Rd, O’Connor
Website: https://www.activegym.com.au
What: The Holiday Rec program runs Monday – Thursday with a choice of sessions.
During the term, Active Gymnastics also offers a variety of classes for boys and girls, from 2 year olds up to teenagers. For more information, check out the Active Gymnastics directory listing.
Disclaimer: Active Gymnastics provided Melville Mums with a Gym Fun morning session enrolment in return for an honest review. Thoughts and opinions expressed are those of the reviewer and are not influenced by the company in any way.
