Okay now, I'm totally not starting with preschool summer activities because this is the age near and dear to my heart. It's simply the age when a parent first goes nuts about that long summer and how to keep junior adequately occupied.
Enter Edmond's amazing list of summer activities (see last year's lineup here).
Now you can trip on down to the zoo (the hyenas are especially creepy) or the science museum (kids can't get enough of that giant robot!), which are definitely family-fun gigs. But when it comes to week-long or weekly classes, there's plenty to choose from right here in town. Here are just some of the amazing opportunities for little ones this summer (and if you're a local business, I'm always happy to add more to this list!).
Camps for the budding artist or performer....Edmond has several great opportunities for preschoolers to try their hand at the arts. The Fine Arts Institute of Edmond offers their Little Artist Camp for those ages 3 to 6, which will include painting, making collages, and creating 3-D art. Also, Dance Phase offers a Princess Camp for those ages 3 through 7, which includes dance instruction as well as other engaging activities.
Weekly sports classes...Most of the sports places listed here offer classes all year long, but some offer special summer deals as a way to try something out. Several Edmond hotspots for preschool athletics are the Edmond YMCA, Oklahoma Gold Gymnastics, Arctic Edge Ice Arena, and Edmond Soccer Club.
Mothers Day Out...Nothing better prepares those little ones to get into the swing of preschool, pre-K, or kindergarten like a fun-filled mothers' day out program (see a list here--not all will have summer availability). Becky Scharf, Director of Stepping Stones Mothers Day Out, agreed, saying, "It is important for kids to remain on some sort of schedule during the summer to keep them active and engaged." That may be true for us parents too, huh?
Vacation Bible School...For a week of faith-inspired activities and socialization, check out this year's list of local VBS opportunities here...
Swimming...And, as always, a reminder that kids of any age, but this age in particular, have much to benefit from summer swimming lessons. Check for a list of local lessons here.
So, yes. It's time to start thinking about signing up. The problem is...what to choose? You know what? It's a good problem to have.
Stay tuned for grade school summer activities next week!
Showing posts with label swimming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label swimming. Show all posts
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Solving the energy crisis - Finding the right sport for your munchkin!
Have you ever witnessed a toddler trying to complete a forward somersault? Or a cartwheel? Have you ever watched a herd of little people chase a soccer ball, or seen a kid smack a plastic bat into a baseball tee?
Oh yeah, it's pretty funny.
These days we have the opportunity to see kids try their hands at sports earlier than ever, with many programs opening up to children as early as 18 months of age. For a parent who's still trying to get rid of bottles, pacifiers, and the high chair, the thought of starting a child in sports may be the last thing on your mind. However, with winter keeping those hyper kids cooped up, you may have also decided it's time for an energy outlet.
In the spirit of the Winter Olympics, and our society's crazy obsession with all things "athlete," I decided to lean on some local experts to discover which sports are suitable for the youngest of children, and why a parent might be persuaded to pay the cost of getting junior in a program that just organizes activities a kid does already. What I found is that Edmond has a lot to offer on the small fry scale, and that parents who start their children early in sports have nothing to be ashamed of.
Gymnastics. If your looking for a strong foundation of flexibility, coordination, and strength, gymnastics is a great start. Enter Edmond's Oklahoma Gold Gymnastics, owned by Steve Hoehner. Their toddler gym looks so fun, I'd like to play in it. "We help kids learn the fundamentals without them knowing it," said Hoehner, who added that sports programs for kids 5 and under should focus on having fun while learning. He said he designed a curriculum at Oklahoma Gold for kids 18 months to 5 years of age that emphasizes developing motor skills while having a great time.
Ice Skating. Another sport that develops flexibility and coordination, as well as muscles that support bilateral motion, is ice skating (popular now for obvious reasons--you know, the Olympics and all!). Although kids generally start this a little later (ages 3 to 4), Jackie Brenner, Director of Figure Skating at Arctic Edge in Edmond, says that the earlier kids start, the more comfortable they are and the easier it is, as their center of gravity is lower. She also emphasized that programs for young ages should build foundations while a child is having fun (by the way, I heard that word--fun--a lot).
Soccer. Another sport that emphasizes early coordination is soccer. In addition, the sport also concentrates on learning teamwork, which helps with social skills, says Yolanda Thomas, Lil Kickers Program Director at SoccerCity, an indoor facility in northwest Oklahoma City. "We start children in the program as early as 18 months, and focus quite a bit on balance and coordination, all in a fun-filled environment." Thomas adds that in the parent-and-me classes (for children 18 months to 3 years), parents will not only expend energy (like their kiddos), but will also find that they get to enjoy playing with their children as well.
T-Ball/Basketball/Flag football. Finally, kids can benefit from sports such at T-ball from age 3, basketball from age 4, and flag football from age 5 at the Edmond's YMCA. These types of sports help children develop relationships with other kids as well as a healthy understanding of competition as they continue through the program. Again, it's all about letting kids have fun while they discover these sports, says Chris Berry, Associate Executive at the Edmond YMCA.
And of course, swimming. According to Infant Swimming Resource, the best way to keep children safe from drowning is training them to handle themselves in the water. Several facilities, including the YMCA and The Key Health Institute of Edmond, offer swimming lessons, and even if a child never continues with the sport, he or she will have a lifetime of confidence and safety with the knowledge of swimming. And it is an activity people can do their whole lives.
I'm sure there are more sports out there for little ones, but the programs I did find and the people I talked to who run them certainly convinced me that Edmond has plenty to offer in the way of positive early athletic programs. So don't be counting any gold medals or college scholarships yet, but do get those kiddies active. Because that's a habit they can keep for a lifetime.
Oh yeah, it's pretty funny.
These days we have the opportunity to see kids try their hands at sports earlier than ever, with many programs opening up to children as early as 18 months of age. For a parent who's still trying to get rid of bottles, pacifiers, and the high chair, the thought of starting a child in sports may be the last thing on your mind. However, with winter keeping those hyper kids cooped up, you may have also decided it's time for an energy outlet.
In the spirit of the Winter Olympics, and our society's crazy obsession with all things "athlete," I decided to lean on some local experts to discover which sports are suitable for the youngest of children, and why a parent might be persuaded to pay the cost of getting junior in a program that just organizes activities a kid does already. What I found is that Edmond has a lot to offer on the small fry scale, and that parents who start their children early in sports have nothing to be ashamed of.
Gymnastics. If your looking for a strong foundation of flexibility, coordination, and strength, gymnastics is a great start. Enter Edmond's Oklahoma Gold Gymnastics, owned by Steve Hoehner. Their toddler gym looks so fun, I'd like to play in it. "We help kids learn the fundamentals without them knowing it," said Hoehner, who added that sports programs for kids 5 and under should focus on having fun while learning. He said he designed a curriculum at Oklahoma Gold for kids 18 months to 5 years of age that emphasizes developing motor skills while having a great time.
Ice Skating. Another sport that develops flexibility and coordination, as well as muscles that support bilateral motion, is ice skating (popular now for obvious reasons--you know, the Olympics and all!). Although kids generally start this a little later (ages 3 to 4), Jackie Brenner, Director of Figure Skating at Arctic Edge in Edmond, says that the earlier kids start, the more comfortable they are and the easier it is, as their center of gravity is lower. She also emphasized that programs for young ages should build foundations while a child is having fun (by the way, I heard that word--fun--a lot).
Soccer. Another sport that emphasizes early coordination is soccer. In addition, the sport also concentrates on learning teamwork, which helps with social skills, says Yolanda Thomas, Lil Kickers Program Director at SoccerCity, an indoor facility in northwest Oklahoma City. "We start children in the program as early as 18 months, and focus quite a bit on balance and coordination, all in a fun-filled environment." Thomas adds that in the parent-and-me classes (for children 18 months to 3 years), parents will not only expend energy (like their kiddos), but will also find that they get to enjoy playing with their children as well.
T-Ball/Basketball/Flag football. Finally, kids can benefit from sports such at T-ball from age 3, basketball from age 4, and flag football from age 5 at the Edmond's YMCA. These types of sports help children develop relationships with other kids as well as a healthy understanding of competition as they continue through the program. Again, it's all about letting kids have fun while they discover these sports, says Chris Berry, Associate Executive at the Edmond YMCA.
And of course, swimming. According to Infant Swimming Resource, the best way to keep children safe from drowning is training them to handle themselves in the water. Several facilities, including the YMCA and The Key Health Institute of Edmond, offer swimming lessons, and even if a child never continues with the sport, he or she will have a lifetime of confidence and safety with the knowledge of swimming. And it is an activity people can do their whole lives.
I'm sure there are more sports out there for little ones, but the programs I did find and the people I talked to who run them certainly convinced me that Edmond has plenty to offer in the way of positive early athletic programs. So don't be counting any gold medals or college scholarships yet, but do get those kiddies active. Because that's a habit they can keep for a lifetime.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)