Tumble Tots Are Great! (tumbletots.co.uk)

Member Name: Lucille

Product:	tumbletots.co.uk
Date:	12/03/01 (1825 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great fun, introduces lots of new skills in a safe environment

Disadvantages: A bit expensive

Although this opinion is under the kids website section, my opinion is really about the Tumble Tots classes, more information about which you can access through the website.

When my daughter reached two years I decided that she needed go to an activity club which would not only develop her physical and social skills, but also get rid of some of her excess energy! I had heard about Tumble Tots while I was teaching slightly older children, so decided to find out if it would be suitable for children of my daughter's age. Not only was it suitable for her, it has become the part of her week which she enjoys the most.

Tumble Tots was first introduced in 1979 by an ex-Olympic gymnastics coach, and now has more than 450 centres in the UK and over 60,000 members. Each centre run different classes to cater for children aged from six months to 7 years old. These classes are split in three ways:

Gymbabes: These classes are for babies aged six months to walking. Unfortunately I did not know about Gymbabes when my daughter was this age, so I don't know exactly how the classes are structured. However according to the information on the website the babies are encouraged to play, crawl and explore a range of equipment, such as large balls and foam shapes, with the help and interaction of a parent.


Tumble Tots: When the children can walk confidently they start the Tumble Tot classes. These classes are further split into three age ranges; walking to two, two to three years, and three to school age. Although this may seem confusing, it means that the age range of each class is quite small, and you will never find a child of a year old having to share equipment with a three year old. My daughter and I attend a two to three year class, and this is how the 45-minute class is organised:

Circle Time: We start the class with nursery rhymes and songs. Adults are expected to join in, so there is no sitting and watching! Most of the song
s are ones the children and parents will probably know before they join the class-'Humpty Dumpty' and 'Row Row the Boat' are our current favourites, but there are other songs which are Tumble Tots own, such as 'Bendable and Stretchable'. Once we have sung several songs the children are split into small groups to move onto the equipment.

Equipment Time: Once the children are in small groups, they go onto the bright coloured equipment. This is made up of ladders, slides, foam shapes, small trampolines, tunnels and all manner of other things. A member of staff always explains carefully how things are to be used, and the children are expected to work round in the set way. There is no 'free for all' playground type of behaviour. The children are encouraged to work independently, always of course having a parent or member of staff right there in case of accidents. The sets of equipment usually have a theme. It maybe all be the same colour, or that you have to jump on each piece. At the end of a set period of time all the children move round to the next set of equipment. Again this is orderly, the children are not allowed to go where they feel. One period of this time is used for small equipment, balls, bats and hoops for example. Once all the children have been on each set of equipment we move onto:

Song Time: The children come back into a circle, and we finish the session with more songs. This is a nice way for the children to calm down after their busy time using the equipment. Finally, just before we go home the children are each given a sticker, (this is my daughter's favourite part of the whole session!). The stickers always have a positive message on them; 'Tumble Tots are Great!' or 'Tumble Tots I can'.

The session is then finished, and we all go home exhausted, children and parents alike!

Gymbobs:

When the children reach school age they move onto the last group, Gymbob
s. This runs in a similar way to Tumble Tots, except that parents are not expected to stay with the children. The staff also start to introduce concepts such as teamwork, using relays and working on the equipment in groups.


It is very easier to find a Tumble Tots class if you want to. They have a well-organised web site, www.tumbletots.co.uk, which will find you the nearest centre based on your postcode. Once you have found your centre they offer a one off trial session for £4, so if your child doesn't enjoy the class you haven't wasted too much money.

If you want to continue going to the classes you do have join the Tumble Tots organisation, (current price is £12 a year with a discount for any further children from the same family). For this you get a club t-shirt, (which your child is asked to wear to each class), seven issues of Right Start Magazine, and a privilege card which gets you a discount if you go to Legoland, Alton Towers or Longleat. Membership also means that you are completely covered by Tumble Tots insurance while you and your child are in the class. Classes do then have to be paid for in advance, which is a bit of a disadvantage, as it means no refunds if you miss a class through illness or holidays etc.

Tumble Tots is an excellent children's activity, as long as you can afford the prices. It introduces so many different skills to the young child, and more importantly, it's fun! It also means that I get a wonderfully quiet Wednesday afternoon, as once we get back all my daughter can do is eat her lunch and have a nap! I would highly recommend it!

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