I have taken my son and daughter to Wendy's Gymnastics year-round for a few years now, so we have…read moreexperienced what they have to offer for 1-year-olds up through age 3 (almost 4). We take classes on a weekday evening, so my review is based on that experience. I've heard weekdays are much less busy.
The space is fun, safe, engaging, and appropriate for young children to learn coordination, burn some energy, and practice their listening skills. The entire floor has springs beneath it for safety and they protect metal edges with pads. It's one large room, which accommodates lots of kids at once, creating a fun energy that can also be, at times, chaotic. If your kid feeds on party atmosphere, great. If not...it will be a good lesson for them in learning to cope with more craziness than they're used to.
At the start of class, all the kiddos participate in a group warm-up. The tiniest gymnasts (like my little T) do a warm up with songs and a parachute, talking about parts of their body. The older toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary kids experience a more traditional warm-up with jumping, moving, stretching, and a bit of choreography.
After that, they break into smaller groups by age and spend 10 minutes at each of 3 stations doing a routine. I can't help but think it's a bit like a dog agility course!! The kids listen and watch their teacher, then go through the paces. The teachers ensure safety and work with the kids through the more challenging obstacles.
Part of why we travel across town to Wendy's is that our kids can do an activity at the same time even though they're different ages. It sure beats making 2 trips! The other is the quality equipment. I love the tiny soft balance beams, but also the opportunity they have to experience full-sized official equipment. There are 3 bars, a rope, 2 rings, a large trampoline, a tumble track, a pit of foam blocks, a trapeze, 3 balance beams, a vault, a pommel horse, and much more!
