Tumbling Toddlers

Good for the Body and Brain

By Gwen Morrison

Woodford believes tumbling programs help children understand that fitness can be fun if they start at an early age. "Our games, skill drills and exercises also help train their muscles to learn healthy patterns," says Woodford. "We teach kids that it is OK to make mistakes because that is how they learn. Our main mission is to build skills while building self-esteem."

As your child grows, the level of difficulty increases in the sport. At or around the age of 2, children ultimately have higher comprehension skills and are able to take direction from a coach. This is the point where the level of parental involvement slowly decreases to prepare a little tumbler for independent classes.

Scott's daughter takes her lessons at their local YMCA, and Scott believes a lot of what the children get out of a tumbling class depends on the instructor.

"The good ones are active and patient – call the kids by name," says Scott. "You can see a major difference in what she learns with a good, organized and firm instructor versus a tentative, poorly organized and weak instructor."

Yvette DeLuca of Glendale, Ariz., found many benefits to enrolling her daughter in a gymnastics program. "She really enjoyed the classes," says DeLuca. "It helped her to learn to deal with large groups of people."

As with any sport, there is some risk involved. There are many ways to prevent injuries in gymnastics, however, as outlined by the National Safe Kids Campaign. Here are a few:

• Before enrolling your toddler in a gymnastics program, be sure to have him assessed by a physician to rule out any special injury risks.
• Teach your child how to tell you if they are in pain, so they don't play through it.
• Make sure that there is a first aid kit available where the class is being held.
• Get to know the coaches and make sure they emphasize safety with the chldren.
• Make sure the floors are well padded and all equipment at the facility is in good condition.
• Above all else, keep it fun – at any age. Don't put pressure on little ones to perform.

Want to see more?

• Want Your Kids to Choose to be Active? Start Them Early!
• Parental Push-ups: Getting Through the Rugged Toddler Years
• Toddler Steps: Properly Fitting Toddlers with Shoes
• Talk about it!