My Gym Children’s Fitness Center

We absolutely love it here. From the cleanliness, to the staff, to the smile on my 2.5 year old sons face — it’s all worth every cent. We started at Gymboree but switched when he was about 1 due to their repetitiveness with EVERY class. My Gym switches the layout of their gym, songs and activities every week. It has certainly helped with his development (and naps!!) and we can’t wait to go with baby #2.

My gym has had a huge impact on my children’s development. Starting as early at 1 ½ yrs old they learned structure and discipline. They learned to listen to the teachers and following the routine while getting one hour of physical activity. The teachers at my gym are fantastic! They are well trained, care for the kids and are full of energy. My kids just love going to my gym and love having their birthday parties there. I highly recommend this place!!!

My 2.5 year old son loves it here. We’ve been going since he was one. It takes him some time to warm up since he’s shy, but then he comes out of his she’ll due to help from the teachers.

Absolutely love this place! My daughter started when she was just 8 months old. The teachers are always active, happy and upbeat. It’s amazing that they all know our names even though the teachers switch from location to location. The facility is always kept clean and neat. Every class is always different but also has some elements that bring structure into the classroom.
Overall I really recommend this place for kids of any age.
Ps: They also do amazing with birthday parties!

I get happy just turning into the MyGym Parking Lot. Happy because in a matter of minutes two 40-​pound bundles of kinetic 3 year old boy energy will be free to run down ramps, climb ladders, and bound from a trampoline to a rolling vinyl donut.
Outside it’s rainy, snowy or cold. Confined in doors at home, these twin boys would be fighting, whining or destroying things. But at MyGym we can scamper, skip, hide in tunnels and swing from hanging bars.
That’s the wonder of open gym, the free-​play time when parents can drop in with their mostly toddlers and young kids. Yes, it can be crowded, but that gives Elias and Raymond opportunities for perspective taking when the little girl nicely points out that it is her turn to use the trampoline.
I get happy just seeing the staff. Ms. Kat and Ms. Melissa: so strong, athletic, competent, authoritative and child-​knowledgeable. At the end of one class a crowd of grown-​ups and toddlers were putting on shoes, socks and coats and Raymond was about to dart out the swung open front door — I was busy with Elias — Swoosh! Who was it? Ms Sarah? I don’t remember now, but she she had reached over and lifted Raymond out of the doorway danger and up into the air, into her arms for a hug and a smile, then twirled around, searched, made eye contact and a smile with me, and Raymond was put down to find mommy and his shoes.
There’s more than just running around at MyGym. There’s circle time, dancing, saying your name and your favorite drink, and learning a tumbling move. On entering their class, my boys weren’t disciplined enough to do circle time, and wanted to jump in the ball pit. But that’s just not allowed. Ms. Melanie went after Elias. She explained to him: «You have two choices. You can join the circle, or you can go wait and watch over there» (the low counter separating the play space from shoe-​and-​coat area). Elias thought. He went to the circle. «Good choice» said Ms. Melanie.
Wow, I thought. The «You have two choices» technique is exactly what child-​care experts recommend to «turn resistance into cooperation» (e.g., Becky Bailey’s book Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline). And these staffers know it.
After 30 minutes of class, the boys are then ready for the next circle time where now they are ready to mimic Ms Kat demonstrating all the fun things one can do with a toe and a line printed on the rug. Outside, inside… Oh and then: Stork stand! Yippee!
One more reason I’m looking forward to my next MyGym date — I want to see how they and reconfigure their diverse equipment into something I’ve never seen before. A hill for gentle sledding? A hanging log for in-​the-​air gliding? Tunnels configured into mazes? Bring your videocamera to catch your little ones singly along during the puppet show.
Thank you,
Catherine Caldwell-​Harris, mother of Elias and Raymond
(The author teaches developmental psychology at Boston University)