Gymbaroo?

[aimz78]

Hi,
Any thoughts/experiences with Gymbaroo?

[mbear]

Bit expensive, i think you have to pay by term too, which kind of locks you in. I didnt think my then 18 month old got anything out of it - nothing more than mummy taking her to the local park with a ball and a packed lunch - that worked for us

[Phteven]

It's probably better value to just go through the kindergym program at your local gymnastics center.

[Lana]

My DS seems to have enjoyed doing it from the time he was 6 mths. They do a range of activities including massage, dancing, music, eye tracking activities, exercises and free play exploring the right sized equipment. The other positives of it have been parent education so they are constantly showing you exercises and activities you can do at home to get your child moving from stage to stage such as from tummy time, rolling, crawling, walking etc. They also tell you what not to do such as sitting babies too early and wearing shoes too early. It has also been a good social outlet besides Mothers Group and gives DS experiences with other kids.

As a first time parent I have found it good but I agree it is a bit expensive. Some centres will offer a free introductory session to see if you like it though before you commit to a term.

[Elyse84]

I used to be a childcare / kindy teacher, we ran a gymbaroo program throught the cresh and the kids loved it! It is proven to really improve their fine motor skills quite a lot. In addition to that, it is a great way for children who arnt natually very social to come out of their shell a bit, for some reason these classes do wonders for quiet / shy kids in my expereince.

[M22]

my son does gymbaroo and has done for since 6 months- i think it depends on your child- he loved it with a passion and i think it greatly enhanced his motor skills

the owner of mine is fantastic and allows you to bring other kids if they are home etc.

you can do make up classes if you miss one too.

[Lovenhope]

Hi,
I am a full-time working mum. My mum looks after my DS and I have paid for mum to take DS to Gymbaroo. My mum loves taking him, as it gives her something to do with him. It is not all that much more that our local gym's kindy-gym. The time is divided into free-time and mat time. Apparently, DS loves free time, but does not always behave during mat time. As I am not there, I don't really know the details. I think the group time and socialisation is great.