There are lots of different types of parents out there - which kind are you? Authoritative?Permissive? Instinctive? Is it better to be helicopter or free-range?

Each parenting styles has its own merits, but at the end of the day the truth is we are ALL striving to be great parents. We all want to raise kids who are healthy, happy, kind and well-behaved. So, what matters most?

The relationship!

Children have a natural willingness to please, a genuine curiosity and an ability to change, which makes connecting with them a little easier. They genuinely believe YOU are the best, fixer of everything and the ultimate play companion!

As your child grows and their interests and needs change, this natural bond fades and the RELATIONSHIP evolves.

If you want your pre-teen to tell you if they are being bullied or want a teenager that can talk to you openly and honestly - it starts with building that strong connection when they are YOUNG.

As a gymnastics coach, teaching kids of all ages starting from 18 months, I am, in many instances, a child’s first experience with an outside caregiver.

I am a BIG deal in a child’s SMALL world. Having a positive relationship with the kids I teach supports their learning and development. I started Gymkidz because I had a vision to watch children grow through doing gymnastics. Our program influences the relationship kids have with their coaches and in our parent assisted classes, we shape the way parents and kids connect.

Our program places early childhood development at the heart of what we do. The importance of this parent-child relationship combined with our roles is intertwined with connection.

How do you build a strong relationship?

1. Love in action

To build a strong relationship love needs to be more than words. It means prioritising connecting with your kid and putting that love into action. Closeness is built intentionally, through shared experiences. Being completely present and attentive in the moments that matter.

At Gymkidz we intentionally design our parent-child gymnastics circuits with specific connection activities. Think crawling through mums legs on the balance beam and rocking back and forth, while sitting on dads lap. Coaches and kids connect through spotting and correcting skills, attention and high-fives! We mindfully prioritise physical connections and provide an environment for parents to be fully present and for kids to feel totally connected.

"Closeness is built intentionally, through shared experiences."

2. Start with trust

Trust is born at infancy when babies learn that they can depend on you to meet their emotional and physical needs. As your kid grows up, this trust becomes a two way street. Their trust is earned when you follow through by taking them to the park as promised, or picking them up when they fall. As parents, you extend your trust by believing in your kid and trusting in their potential for positive change, no matter what they do.

At Gymkidz, trust looks like a coach assisting a kid to balance across the beam or execute a forward roll safely. Parents have to trust in the process of learning through gymnastics and watch as their kids bravely fail - but trust in their resilience and perseverance to get back up.

Trust is coupled with mutual respect to lay the foundation of a great relationship. This is not to say that all boundaries go out the window. At Gymkidz we set firm but fair limits and do it with empathy and respect, so that kids learn to treat others with respect and to expect the same in return.

"As your kid grows up, this trust becomes a two way street."

3. Little chatterbox companions

It’s challenging paying attention to fourteen prattling little ones whilst trying to start a gymnastics class. However, listening and talking to kids is not only one of the best ways to build a kid’s vocabulary, but it also shapes their social skills and influences their wider ability to learn.

At the start of each Gymkidz Toddler and Preschool classes, we come together to ignite kids' imagination through a weekly theme - think under the sea, space adventures or dinosaurs. We discuss five theme pictures to introduce our gymnastics shape of the week and make it easy for kids to relate and communicate around an exciting theme.

Parents in our assisted classes, guide their kids around a circuit and patiently communicate the correct gymnastics skills to their feisty toddlers. Along the way parents get to understand their kids fears and unique point of view.

At Gymkidz we believe that it’s important that every kid feels heard and that we take the time to listen and understand kids' perspective. We believe that you miss an opportunity to learn something about kids when you aren’t really listening to them.

"...listening and talking to kids is not only one of the best ways to build a kid’s vocabulary, but it also shapes their social skills and influences their wider ability to learn."

Gymnastics is a great activity for parents to prioritise connecting with their kids. Gymkidz provides the very best environment to nurture trust, develop mutual respect and give kids a platform to communicate. Our priority is growing confident, empathetic kids who feel totally loved and accepted through some serious gymnastics fun.

Want to connect and build a stronger relationship with your kid, or just want to learn more about what we do? Why not contact us to join us for a trial session and to find out more about our program.

Visitgymkidz.com.au for a FREE trial or for class availability and pricing

Regulated school, additional maths, piano, and swimming all in an afternoon. Sound familiar? Children are busy, busy, busy. With little unstructured time to themselves, children are loosing the ability to play, dream and innovate.

With constantly supervised, programmed lives, children have schedules that would rival that of any CEO. They are constantly told what to do, where to be and once they are alone, many are incapable of occupying themselves. Perhaps, this is fuelled by competitive parenting and fear over depriving our children of opportunities? Or anxiety over keeping children safe? Whatever the reason, solo play is vital to children’s fundamental development.

Solitary play develops creativity and innovation, problem solving, calmness and social independence. Not to mention that parents are given a much needed break. The play world is a child's opportunity to be strong and powerful, without an authority figure guiding them and ultimately, it is practise for adulthood.

"solo play is vital to children’s fundamental development."

It is important to note that organised sport or activities are good for children but not if this is their only play time. Play has become so scarce that for so many children they require an activity such as gymnastics to inspire and provoke self play. Although gymnastics is a structured lesson once a week, the biggest portion of learning doesn't take place in class. The repetition of new and interesting skills at home is how they get mastered.

Although every child has an inner voice on how to play, it is simultaneously a developed skill. It is possible to lose or have it entirely disabled through a lack of practice.

Here are my top tips to help your child play by themselves.

Inspire them.

Blocks, puzzles and play dough...Children have unlimited toys at their disposal and are usually able to select something to play with but often need a little inspiration to help them stick with it.

Spend a few minutes helping your child build that blanket fort, getting them involved with an activity before leaving them to carry on alone.

Respect their downtime.

When your child is managing to play by themselves, try as much as possible to leave them alone. Avoid commenting on what they are doing or asking them to do something.

"Play has become so scarce that for so many children they require an activity such as gymnastics to inspire and provoke self play."

Out of the way but nearby

It isn't independent play if you are constantly having to follow your child around to ensure that they aren't getting into some sort of trouble.

Create a boundary. This could be for example some quiet time in their cot accompanied by a book or a favourite toy.

Patience

If your child isn't used to playing by themselves, this is a skill that will take some time to develop. Start with a few minutes at a time and build from there. With practice, they will improve.

Screentime doesn't count

Screentime, although at times unavoidable and acceptable in moderation, is not a substitute for solo play. It is a passive activity that does not require much creativity or active movement of their bodies.

Sounds easy, right? Maybe easier said than done!

At Gymkidz we aim to inspire children to play, we teach them to move their bodies safely and promote movement in fun and exciting ways. Spider-man handstand in the cot, forward rolls on the bed and cartwheels in the yard. Gymnastics is a great activity to create the basic foundation for play and build resilient, gritty children who strive to do a little better after each fall.

Why not join us and see your child light up with gymnastics inspiration to play?

Contact us at Gymkidzau@gmail.com for a FREE trial or visit ourclasses and pricing to book online and see our full week availability.

Tears and tantrums one minute and overwhelming exuberance the next.

Pre-schoolers are a roller-coaster of intense and surprisingly sophisticated emotions.

Asking a child to get off a trampoline is tantamount to declaring war. Met with fierce objection and sometimes a red-faced tantrum. So how are we able to control these unpredictable, emotional tiny humans at Gymkidz? The simple answer is discipline.

Here are five simple tips for disciplining a young child, without the traumas of a tantrum:

1. Discipline does not mean punishment

Discipline is about fixing and learning from mistakes. It is corrective and instructional and focuses on the long term well-being of a child.

Our aim is to differentiate behaviors that are acceptable, from those that are not. The goal is self-regulation in our absence, rather than never-ending control. We need to develop children with principled characters that lead to a child building respect rather than fear of punishment.

2. You are in charge

Children need boundaries and consequences to function in society. It is our responsibility to be the ones in charge. Letting children do whatever they want does not educate them on how to behave in the real world. We need to teach them how to accept ‘no’ and to deal with their feelings when they don’t get what they want.

Be strong enough to say no with solid, principled boundaries.

"We need to develop children with principled characters that lead to a child building respect rather than fear of punishment."

3. You are their primary teacher

Discipline needs to be easily understood, fair and must contribute to your behavioral goal. It is important to recognise that children are a work in progress and that their development requires patience and thoughtful guidance.

Tackle their discipline in the same way that you would teaching a child to read, with persistence and patience throughout the process.

4. Consistency, Consistency, Consistency

This is one of the most important aspects of disciplining and raising a child. Consistency allows a child to easily work out what to expect from you, whatever the circumstance. If you keep changing the rules of engagement they will feel confused, distrusting and unsure of themselves.

Build behavioral routines and trust by being consistent. Consistency is one of the simplest, yet most under utilized behavioral technique.

"Letting children do whatever they want does not educate them on how to behave in the real world."

5. A sprinkle of tough love

As parents and teachers, our immediate instincts is to protect children from disappointment. It is however in these brief moments of frustration and failure that they will master and learn new skills. Your challenge as a parent is to have the resolve to let your child suffer the natural consequences of their own actions, of course provided these are safe.

Give them the space to make mistakes and learn from them.

A child's early emotional development progresses very similarly to their physical development. At Gymkidz we work through an increasingly complex progression of fun skills that build both their physical and emotional maturity and teach children the value of respect, responsibility, resilience and most importantly discipline.

Why not join us and see our principles in action?

Contact us at Gymkidzau@gmail.com for a FREE trial or visit our classes and pricing to book online and see our full week availability.

Do you find that it is always a debate with your child to put on their shoes, leave the park or pack their toys away? Only to find that they are little angels during their gymnastics class?

The question that many parents ask me is “What is your secret?”

Of course, the quick answer is that I have the advantage of not being their parent. Yes children are more inclined to behave for outsiders, especially teachers, however there are a few secrets from my world of gymnastics that you can use on your parenting paths to get the best from your child.

"The question that many parents ask me is “What is your secret?”"

Secret 1. Follow through

Success in gymnastics is very dependent upon the gymnasts ability to duplicate and execute difficult skills consistently. Consistency means that you always do what you say you will do. Rules don’t change based on your mood, and children rely on this structure and routine. When I say something, the children know that I mean it. I give gentle but firm warnings and announce instructions in a definite and matter-of-fact manner, which I consistently follow through on.

Secret 2. Support their autonomy

An interesting thing happens when we try and force children to do things. They don't like it and push back. Their autonomy is important to them. If you try to coerce them, it reduces their autonomy and makes them feel like their feelings don’t matter. I like to offer them choices, where all the outcomes are acceptable to me. They get to choose and become more responsive because they feel trusted and supported.

Secret 3. Encourage personal initiative

A big factor in the success of a gymnast is not only their grit but their passion to do better with each attempt. I don't cajole or hassle children to do necessary tasks, it's exhausting and counter-productive. Instead I work to develop and reward their personal initiative. Given some space, children will use their initiative, they will eventually do what is required. With some flexibility and without a biased interest in the process, you will be amazed at how effective this can be.

Secret 4. Emphasize accountability

In gymnastics each gymnasts progress is a personal journey. They will experience different fears, injuries and challenges along the way, no matter their talent. Once a gymnast has learned to take personal initiative, what naturally flows from this is accountability. I like to educate them as to why we do certain things, especially difficult or challenging tasks. Strength for example is not as fun as tumbling, but if the gymnast understands that in order to improve, they need to be strong, they replace the negative feeling towards the difficult task with their prospective goal.

"Use your praise judiciously and it will become valuable."

Secret 5. Have clear objectives

I have a clear lesson plan for each class which I use as a road map to get the children to where they need to be. I plan for each lesson and around each child's unique development. As a result, the children have an understanding of the work that they need to get through. Following a plan allows each child to individually flourish, rise to my expectations and take accountability for their personal improvement.

Secret 6. Catch them doing something right

Feedback needs to be positive and constructive but it also needs to be authentic, honest and sincere. The use of positive praise loses its effect if it is used regardless of work being done. Use your praise judiciously and it will become valuable. Children are eager to please and work hard to be recognized.

Secret 7. Know when to Listen

Gymnasts are not robots, each day, and in different contexts, they will have different feelings and motivations. I like to line them up before and after every lesson. I ask them how they are and check-in on their mental and physical condition. More often than not I can read their body language. I know when they are tired, upset or just trying their luck. It's important to listen. To push when appropriate and back off on their off days.

Secret 8. Immediately address misbehavior

Gymnastics is a dangerous sport and instructions are often there to protect children from getting injured. I need the children to listen, understand and intentionally engage with me on a given task. If a child is carelessly undertaking a skill or doing something which they were specifically instructed not to do, I immediately address the behavior in a calm manner. When a child is misbehaving it does not affect my feelings so I don't get angry or raise my voice. The behavior is corrected and boundaries are maintained.

Secret 9. Be fair

Getting children to share or wait patiently doesn't need to be a traumatizing experience. As adults we are comfortable waiting in line, as long as no-one cuts in front right? Children have the exact same expectation of fairness. I like to ensure that my system is fair and once I explain that they will get a chance, they generally calm down.

"excellence is an attitude...allowing us to embrace failure in our quest for improvement."

Secret 10. How you say things really matters

In different circumstances I alternate my verbal tactics. If I want the children to calm down or be quiet, I like to whisper or tell them to walk on their tippy-toes as quietly as a mouse. I also use visual cues to grab their attention, such as saying “put your finger on your elbow” to see who is listening. Then once I have their attention I keep my instructions clear, direct and short.

Secret 11. Strive for excellence

In a sport that is inherently difficult, perfection is unattainable, instead we strive for excellence. So what is the difference? Perfection is unforgiving and inflexible and in general someone else's perception, whereas excellence is an attitude. It is far more forgiving, allowing us to embrace failure in our quest for improvement. If we strive for excellence we prioritize progress over perfection. I commend children who get up after a fall or those who keep trying, even when their efforts are yielding little results. We need to teach our children to never give up and strive to be better.

At Gymkidz we aim to get the best from every child and maximize their learning experience, in a calm and gentle but structured environment.

We promote an attitude of excellence and encourage each gymnast to never give up.

Want to learn more about what we do? Why not contact us for a free trial session and to find out more about our program

If you would like to suggest a topic please send us an email

Follow us on Facebook or check back for the latest in the series and for news on our Newtown classes

Happy Rolling – Gymkidz | 0406 042 385 | 95 Lennox St Newtown | Gymkidzau@gmail.com

How often do you help tie your child's shoelaces or let them learn by trial and error? How often do you stop yourself from swooping in to catch them from falling from their bicycle? The answer is, probably not enough.

The fact is, our fast paced lives stop us from letting children complete tasks independently, in their own time or through the hard process of getting things wrong.

Whenever one of my gymnasts fall, Ialways ask them; what went wrong and what did you learn? With heartbreaking tears they are forced to pause and reflect on their failure. Whether your child is an elite or recreational gymnast, both have a fundamental lesson to learn; failure.

"We need to encourage our children to not fear failure but to learn from it and persevere."

In coaching gymnastics I have found that it is not always the most talented children who succeed, but rather the ones with grit; the ones who are able to get up and try again after every fall. A child's resilience when facing a challenge will help them to tackle true hardships later on in life.

Sure, some of my gymnasts are more gritty than others, but unlike talent, which is largely inherent, a child's grit and perseverance can be developed over time. Gymnastics is the one sport, well known for developing some truly gritty athletes.

Here are some great tips from the sport that can help develop your child's grit:

Overcoming the fear of failure

I am finding the removal of competition from sports to be an accelerating trend. We have begun to define success, not as the overcoming hurdles, but rather as the avoidance of failure at all costs.

In an attempt to cocoon our children from the disappointment of failure, we are preventing them from the valuable lessons that defeat provides. Their true achievement is not the activity but confronting challenges with courage and never giving up.

Gymnastics is a sport where falling and learning through trial and error is more often than not, unavoidable. The children learn that everyone in the class attempts challenging activities, fails and tries again. Their victory when they master a difficult task is made all the more sweeter, given their struggle to attain success.

We need to encourage our children to not fear failure but to learn from it and persevere. Through perseverance, children develop resilience. They develop the necessary self-confidence to know that when they fall, they can get back up.

Understanding failure as vital feedback

Part of my job as a gymnastics coach is to help athletes analyse where they went wrong and help them to improve on their next attempt. Our coaching process aims to re-frame failure, from something that is final and defeating to more of an iterative process. We channel failure as the fundamental source of healthy motivation in the process of personal improvement.

In gymnastics, we let children embrace failure. With each little defeat, gymnasts are helped to develop the necessary pattern of re-evaluation and re-trial. The gymnast approaches each new attempt more wisely, having used the opportunity of failure as feedback to learn from.

"...it takes tremendous strength and resolve as a parent to allow your children to suffer through their failings."

Letting your child fail, is not letting them down

It is the most natural instinct for a parent to want to protect their child, however children need independence to learn. Of course there needs to be a balance. However, it takes tremendous strength and resolve as a parent to allow your children to suffer through their failings. Take comfort in the knowledge that these failures will give them the strength of character to become well-rounded little individuals and in the future, successful and confident adults.

At Gymkidz we understand the inherent risks associated with gymnastics and create the safest environment possible to allow your child to explore their capabilities. We teach them how to try, fall, assess and jump up to try again.

At the heart of our program we aim to build resilient, gritty children who thrive to do a little better after each fall.

If you want your child to be successful, let them fail.

Want your child to be gritty, or just want to learn more about what we do? Why not contact us for a free trial session and to find out more about our program.

If you would like to suggest a topic please send us a mail

Follow us on Facebook or check back for the latest in the series and for news on our Newtown classes

Happy Rolling – Gymkidz | 0406 042 385 | 95 Lennox St Newtown | Gymkidzau@gmail.com

In our previous post we unpacked theforward roll and the various ways to develop confidence in rolling. Many have asked about the developmental importance that a child receives from this particular skill.

Forward rolls speed up the development of body awareness in children. This is linked to our proprioceptive system (the input our brain receives from our joints and muscles). Close your eyes and bring your finger to touch your nose. The ability to know where your nose is without physically seeing it is your proprioceptive sense in action. Children tend to have disorganised processing of these inputs while their brains are developing. To us as fully developed grown-ups, this under development appears as general clumsiness.

"Close your eyes and bring your finger to touch your nose. The ability to know where your nose is without physically seeing it is your proprioceptive sense in action."

Body awareness develops at different rates, however specific exercises can help to speed things up. The forward roll is one of these crucial exercises and although packaged as fun for your child, is the best way for them to understand their body as it moves through space.

Children who have poor body awareness may have difficulty functioning at their age appropriate level and subsequently struggle to learn new tasks as their attention stays focused on their body movements, rather than the task at hand. An example would be a child who writes with extreme force. The child is focused on the appropriate force required to make the pencil write as opposed to the actual content of what they are writing.

3 Signs of poor body awareness

1. Overly clumsy

Children who are constantly running into or tripping over objects like their own feet, do so as they don’t know where their body is in space and are unable to instinctively react to these proprioceptive inputs to steady themselves.

2. Difficulty mimicking movements

Children with poor body awareness struggle to imitate others who show them a movement, for example winking or licking their lips. They cannot understand how to move their body in the same way as they find it difficult to isolate the specific body parts and muscles required to move them.

3. Difficulty in perfecting gross motor activities

Gross motor skills such as rolling, jumping and throwing depend on very controlled inputs from muscles and joints. Children with poor body awareness struggle to process these seemingly instinctual feelings. They find it difficult to move the appropriate muscle groups to perfect the gross motor task. The long term effect of poor gross motor development can cause knock on delays in fine motor development (stacking, lacing, balancing), which will then start to affect a child's ability to write, read and learn later down the line.

"The long term effect of poor gross motor development can cause knock on delays in fine motor development..."

The above are only a few signs of poor body awareness. There are many other more subtle indicators such as biting and pulling on clothing, stomping rather than walking, using extreme force, a preference for sitting still and apprehension or avoidance to complete physical tasks. Body awareness is a skill which is strengthened when practiced. The goal is to find exercises which challenges each child's body awareness without them being consciously aware of the difficulty.

Gymnastics is just one of the many ways to improve and enhance body awareness. Sensory development is complicated and unique to every child.

At Gymkidz we are acutely aware of what to look out for at age appropriate levels and strive to focus on each child’s journey. We introduce special interactions and movements at a time which will have the deepest effect on your child’s overall development.

Want to enhance your child's body awareness, or just want to learn more about what we do? Why not contact us to join us for a trail session and to find out more about our program.

If you would like to suggest a topic or have any suggestion please send us a mail.

Follow us on Facebook or check back for the latest in the series and for news on our Newtown classes

Happy Rolling – Gymkidz | 0406 042 385 | 95 Lennox St Newtown | Gymkidzau@gmail.com

The forward roll is a fundamental gymnastic skill and a physical milestone for every child. It is also a great confidence builder and guaranteed fun!

"Many children that I have taught are very scared to roll forwards."

In order to perform this skill your child requires a reasonable degree of flexibility and coordination, as well as an awareness of their body is as it moves in space. Your child would need the basic understanding that in order to roll, they will need to tuck their head to their chest.

Many children that I have taught are very scared to roll forwards. It is a skill which involves taking their body weight over their heads. Self-preservation kicks in and I feel it is often underestimated how frightening this action can feel to those children who are a little more cautious.

4 Steps to build confidence in rolling

Generally, the best way to overcome this nervousness would be to start the rolling sensation at an earlier age. However, some children may be late to attempt this skill which amounts to the biggest factor in their fear. I start by teaching kids to rock backwards and forwards as well as side to side on an exercise ball. With trust, we slowly work on getting to the forward roll. More often than not, children want to stick their heads out, turn their head sideways or flip over instead of rolling – as trained gymnastics instructors we ‘spot’ or guide each child's neck and facilitate the rolling to ensure that the skill can be learned without any danger of injury.

1. Start young

Brain development in young children is rapid and brings with it certain time periods during which children are most receptive to learning certain skills. At Gymkidz our classes start from 3 years old, as this is when most children are able to better follow instructions and sequenced lessons.

2. Repetition, repetition, repetition

Like the alphabet, motor skills are best learned through guided repetition. At Gymkidz we assist children in learning how to safely perform gymnastics skills, to the point where performing the skill becomes automatic. Repetition gives a child more opportunities to experience success, build their confidence and develop strength and endurance required to perfect movements.

"However, some children may be late to attempt this skill which amounts to the biggest factor in their fear."

3. Challenge your child

It is healthy to present your child with regular new challenges and risks. At Gymkidz, movement challenges are presented with each child's individual progress in mind. By demonstrating the physical skill, creating excitement for it and providing positive motivation. It is not unusual for a child to not want to try something new. In this case we accept it and leave the window open for them to change their mind. In a group setting however their curiosity will generally take over and it won't be long until they join in.

4. Don’t mistake child development with training for the Olympics

Gymkidz primary focus is on each child's individual abilities. We establish a baseline for what each child can do and then build and develop, to grow beyond that point. We foster an environment of fun, positive activities in a disciplined environment and the life skills learned will last throughout a child's life.

Want to get your kid rolling, or just want to learn more about what we do? Why not contact us to join us for a trail session and to find out more about our program.

Follow us on Facebook or check back for the latest in the series and for news on our Newtown classes

Happy Rolling – Gymkidz | 0406 042 385 | 95 Lennox St Newtown | Gymkidzau@gmail.com

Over the coming weeks we will releasing a series of articles exploring the influence of gymnastics in children's lives. This first post is an introduction into the importance of gymnastics in your child's physical development.

"I've encountered children who are afraid to forward roll initially"

The most rewarding part of being a gymnastics instructor is being involved in the very unique physical development of each child that you teach. I have taught elite gymnastics to children with extraordinary natural talent, who at the age of six years old are training nine hours a week. At the same time I have 10 years experience teaching recreational gymnastics, where I've encountered children who are afraid to forward roll initially but once they do their confidence grows and so too does their physical literacy. Both are considered gymnastics but with a vastly different approach and goal and I am equally passionate about them both. Gymnastics builds the foundation of basic physical development used to create confident, well-rounded children.

Physical development is influenced by a number of factors; genetics, size at birth, body type, nutrition as well as culture. Each child will have strengths and weaknesses in their developmental achievements. Whether it be in their gross motor ability, fine motor skills, emotional and social behavior or listening skills. Gymnastics is one of the only sports which develops every aspect of a child's developmental phases. Children learn foundation gymnastics skills such as rolling, handstands and cartwheels. This can be categorised as their gross motor skills controlled by their large muscle groups. Motor development is the first step in the developmental process and can be described as the ability of children to use their bodies. It is the process through which a child attains movement patterns and skills.

"If one developmental milestone is lacking in development, it will be picked up by the process of learning gymnastics skills."

However, the development from gymnastics doesn't stop there. Fine motor skills, which involve the coordination of smaller muscles are also developed. Through muscle isolation, concentration, left and right brain integration and spacial awareness. Children are also placed in an environment where they are required to listen and follow instructions as well as memorising the circuit skills, teaching them pattern sequencing. They are also challenged and forced to problem solve. If one developmental milestone is lacking in development, it will be picked up by the process of learning gymnastics skills.

I have been teaching gymnastics using the Gymkidz program for over ten years and one thing I can tell you is that every child's physical development is different. I get to see each child progress over the weeks, their confidence building and their ability improving. Our intention at Gymkidz is to make each little person feel successful and capable.

With the Gymkidz program, children are tested twice throughout the year in accordance with their age appropriate movement development. Each test provides a detailed overview of your child's development with Skills taught with each child's unique progress in mind.

In our next article we will looks at some basic exercises and movements starting with the Forward Roll and how this assists in building a child spacial awareness and overall confidence.

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