Changing the World – One Child, One Forward Roll at a Time
By Richard Moore, managing partner, The Little Gym
“Welcome to The Little Gym!” With that simple statement The Little Gym of Greensboro opened over 13 years ago in the Westridge Square Shopping Center off Battleground Avenue. It was the best of times. Our simple goal? To change the world, one child, one forward roll at a time. We officially were promoting the healthy and successful physical and mental development of the children of the world. But we didn’t want to just promote healthy living and development….we wanted to start positively impacting the stories we heard every night on the 11 pm news and read every day in the newspaper.
As a society, we have the option of more video games and television shows available for our children, but if a child’s activity level remains low at a younger age, they are more likely to remain inactive as they get older.*
Now 13 years later, we find ourselves celebrating the 37th Anniversary of The Little Gym International program by continuing to serve the purpose of positively impacting children and their families through non-competitive, curriculum based programs like Parent/Child classes, Gymnastics, Sports Skills, and Dance. With more than 300 locations across the globe, The Little Gym has become the worldʼs premier experiential learning and physical development center for kids ages four months through 12 years. Each week, the progressively structured classes and positive learning environment create opportunities for children to try new things and build self-confidence, all with a grin that stretches from ear to ear!
Our fun, nurturing approach to working with children enables us to focus on so much more than JUST gymnastics! Here is a look at our approach to developing the whole child.Our parents referred to it as Three-Dimensional Learning and we agree!
Three-Dimensional Learning:
~ Get Moving! Physical activities to burn that boundless energy, plus build flexibility and strength, develop balance and coordination, and encourage agility, rhythm and overall fitness to launch a lifetime of healthy habits.
~ Brain Boost! Designed to expand the mind and develop a love of learning, these exercises foster listening skills, sustained concentration and decision making. They also prepare for or reinforce school lessons, and nurture problem-solving ability and creative expression.
~ Citizen Kid! These activities teach life skills like sharing, working in a group, listening and leadership—all skills that translate to a well-adjusted, well-rounded super-kid.
~ As each success builds off the last, you will see noticeable improvements in your childʼs abilities and self-confidence. Your child will simply see The Little Gym as a place to play, laugh and make new friends. And quite frankly, thatʼs fine by us.
At The Little Gym, our environment is fun, but our purpose is serious. For more than 35 years, our trained instructors have nurtured happy, confident kids through a range of programs like our parent/child classes, gymnastics, dance and sports skills development, plus enjoyable extras like camps, Parentsʼ Survival Nights and Awesome Birthday Bashes. In all of our programs, physical activity is a conduit for Three-Dimensional Learning. In every dimension, self-confidence and a proud smile are evident outcomes.
Looking back and reflecting on the friends we’ve made with our students and their families over the years is one of our favorite exercises. Whether it’s the way The Little Gym program focuses on improving children’s listening skills through praise, or the instructors knowledge of all their children’s and parents’ names, or the way we build physical skills through specific positive feedback and directive practice….each parent and family has a favorite reason for why they love The Little Gym. It’s this continuing affirmation of why parents and kids love our unique approach to growing children in the Greater Greensboro area that keeps us going and looking forward to the next 13 years!
Won’t you come and join us? Whether you’re looking for a fun parent/child class, a Pre-K or grade school gymnastics class or even a sport skill development class, it’s important to get them started soon! We have space in our current session that doesn’t end until June 8th. Or you can look at our Summer Classes or Summer Camps which begin June 10th. Call us for more information at 336-545-1117 or e-mail us at tlggreensboronc@thelittlegym.com. We’ll look forward to meeting you soon!
Sponsored by The Little Gym of Greensboro
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