Review: GymBugs

Gymnastics sessions for children aged 5 and under

Review by Helen Pryse-Lloyd

Today myself and my two children age 4 and 2 went along for our first Gymbugs experience. When we arrived we received a warm welcome from Tracey and were instantly put at ease.

The first class was for younger children and these sessions take place with the adult helping the child. They are free flowing and supported by Tracey and Helene. I was not too sure how this would work with my older daughter but she was very welcome to join in. There were also some babies at the session and they were at the side in their car seats.

The session began with a group warm up and then the children aged between 18 months and 3 years were free to use any of the apparatus. I was impressed with the space and all the equipment was new. Tracey and Helene were on hand to support the children and encourage them to try new skills and develop their balance and coordination on the equipment. Children were encouraged to try more challenging equipment with the support of staff and learn the techniques of gymnastics. The children all received stamps on their hands through the session and this was a big hit with my two!

Helene told me that the equipment is changed every 3 weeks so there is a different focus for the children. The session was about 50 minutes long and ended with a cool down activity of ‘the hokey cokey’.

The older children have a session without parents and the group is split in half with a small group being guided by Tracey and one by Helene. One mother supported her child through this session. It again began with a warm up but there was more structure within this class with individual support being given to each child to help them develop on the pieces of equipment. There were only a few children in each group so they were never waiting very long before it was their turn. Parents are able to watch from a separate room and there was a short time at the end where parents were able to come in and see the children (which I understand happens at the end of each term). This was a great opportunity for the children to ‘show off’ their skills to parents.

Things I particularly liked about these sessions were the staff, who were very welcoming and supportive to the children. It was very clean and the equipment was new and well maintained. It was easy to have older or younger siblings during the classes and the group sizes were nice and small. I would definitely recommend Gymbugs to other people and will be signing up for the classes myself!

The building is relatively easy to find although the signage outside could be easily missed!

Where to find GymBugs

NCAAC Gymnastics, 56-58 Rothersthorpe Crescent, Rothersthorpe Trading Estate, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN4 8JD.

Sessions for all ages run weekly on Mondays and Tuesdays. See session times.

Call Tracey to book your place, or for more information, on 01604 859412. Alternatively, visit the GymBugs website or see their Toddle About listing for more details.