My two year old is very active and I have been looking for the "perfect" mommy and me class for a few months now. If you live in Katy, you know that "gymnastics clubs" are a dime a dozen. I think there are five just on the stretch of Mason Road from I-10 to Westheimer Parkway. The place that I was most impressed with was Katy Kips.
Katy Kips is located in "old Katy" on Fifth Street. The location is not as close to my home as some of the others, but for me, it is worth the drive. The facility is an older building, but they've got great equipment (vault, uneven bars, parallel bars, balance beam, tumbling floor, and a training pit along with plenty of equipment for pre-schoolers) and it is well-maintained.
The thing that initially impressed me the most was the "hands on" approach taken by the management. I initially contacted them via e-mail to get information about their "mom & tot" classes and they invited me to come in and visit the facility and to participate in a class. The staff is all very friendly and the owners sit in on the classes and assist with the training, which I think is great. They have a reputation in the community as they have been in business for 28 years now and have a long list of accomplishments during that time period including many city and team titles.
Their prices are very reasonable when compared with other places that I visited. There is a $30 registration fee and then we pay $40/month for a weekly 45 minute class. They also provide discounts if you register more than one child. You can register at the facility, online, or over the phone.
They have a variety of classes to choose from including mom and tot classes (18 months - 2 1/2 years), classes for pre-schoolers (Mighty Mites - 3, Dyna Mites - 4/5, and Super Mites - 5/6), classes for older children (6.5-8 and 8 and up) and even classes for adults. The mom and tot and pre-school classes are co-ed and then the older classes are separated by gender ("Kippies" for girls and "Gladiators" for the boys). They offer quite a few classes both during the day and in the evenings which was another big "selling point" for me because I work full time during the day. You can access their entire schedule of classes online at: http://www.katykips.com/schedule.htm
The mom & tot class is very well organized. It is not easy to keep toddlers engaged for 45 minutes, but they do a great job! They have a variety of "rotations" that change from week to week, but which usually include "floor work" (learning to do various somersaults and head stands), "beam work" (on a small beam on the floor), and they even have them do modified activities on a small set of bars. Not only do the kids fine-tune their motor skills, but they also learn about things like colors and shapes in the process, and I have noticed that my daughter's ability to listen and follow directions has increased significantly in the short time we have been going. My daughter's favorite part of the class is at the end when they get to go to the "pit." The "pit" is basically a pit filled with foam blocks. They have to "climb" their way up an incline and then go through an obstacle course which usually involves climbing, crawling, and jumping. They use lots of praise and positive reinforcement (stamps). It has been a great experience!
Whether you're looking for a fun class for your toddler or a place to help your older child fine tune their gymnastics skills, Katy Kips is definitely worth checking out!
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