Why toddler age is a great time to start gymnastics
The toddler and kindy age from 18 months to five years, is an important time for growth and development. Over these years children develop important physical and interpersonal life skills.
Why toddler age is a great time to start gymnastics
The toddler and kindy age from 18 months to five years, is an important time for growth and development. Over these years children develop important physical and interpersonal life skills.
Gymnastics has obvious physical benefits for your child, particularly during these developmental years. Think about these years as the test drive stage, where your child further develops balance, hand-eye coordination and muscle control. Along with a few crash landings you’ll witness some heart melting moments as your child grows stronger, more confident and more independent. Growth in social and interpersonal skills is an aspect of gymnastics that continues to pleasantly surprise parents and prove invaluable as children start kindy or pre-school.
Key factors which make the toddler age different to other stages of life,
Becoming more adventurous
From the time your child learns to walk they have a growing sense of adventure - these are their first steps towards independence. Toddlers are curious but often uncomfortable when exploring outside their comfort zone. It is common to see a toddler’s adventure quickly contrasted by the realisation that mum or dad is too far out of reach!
Kids just love gymnastics equipment. There is something about the bright colours, soft textures and bouncy features that appeal to them. On top of being exciting to explore, they also provide a safe environment and can reduce the stress around new movements and sensations which may initially seem dangerous. Becoming familiar with an environment like this encourages them to reach further, jump higher and run faster as they are introduced to balancing beams, bars and trampolines.
Learning to deal with new experiences
Gymnastics classes are a great place to learn independence and listening skills. Beginning with parental involvement and transitioning to individual activities after the toddler level will prepare your child for the separation at kindy or pre-school. Children who struggle with separation can be overwhelmed by new experiences, have trouble making new friends and taking direction from adults. This can add to the stress of starting kindy for both children and parents. Gymnastics will grow your child’s ease of comfort and confidence in participating in activities with others.
Building trust outside of the family
Meeting other toddlers and adults is important to develop your child’s social skills, but can be difficult for shy children. Fun gymnastics activities are a great way to break this barrier, with children quickly forgetting they were nervous. If your child is struggling, try to maintain their focus during activities you're involvement in until they are more comfortable.
Some children might be uncooperative when first receiving physical assistance from a new adult. It’s important to establish social trust with your instructor, trust during physical activities will follow easily after this. It’s amazing to see how much positive energy kids absorb from their parents. A lot of time children can mirror negative emotions. Make an effort to build relationships with other parents, kids and instructors so your child can get the most out of their experiences.
