Gymnastics

We enrolled Hannah in a gymnastics program that her "Help Me Grow" therapists recommended.  It's called Kidnetic Energy, and what is great about this program is that each child has a "helper" who goes around with them for the entire class.  The "helpers" are high school students who want community service hours, or college students enrolled in the pediatric therapy programs at OSU.  It's great for a kid like Hannah (or any 3-year old) who needs a little help staying on task.  Unfortunately, it is only for special-needs kids, so once Hannah is out of Help Me Grow (when she turns 3),  she won't be able to take the next session.  But for now, she's really enjoying it and it's nice to let her try something new.

During her hour-long class, the kids all warm up together with exercises designed by a pediatric therapist.  They do stretches and play with a parachute.  Then, the littler kids (us) head to the toddler gym for "circuits."  An instructor shows how each activity is to be done and the kids divide up into groups.  They rotate among trampoline, balance beam, bars, rings, basic tumbling (logs rolls, etc.), and other gross motor activities. 

For as small as she is, Hannah is really strong - she can hang on the bar all day!

See that rock wall behind Hannah?  Well, she just tried to climb OVER it.  The kids were climbing up and touching the top, but our Hannah attempted to go over.  She was so high up her helper only had a hand on her butt, so she was trying to coax her back down.... Only my child....

Walking on the bubbles

Rings!  More hanging for my monkey.

Darting to and fro .... the real reason a "helper" is great for Hannah.  Hannah had to be re-directed a number of times, both to stay on only the approved activities, and to stay in the "toddler" area.  She would just run anywhere (and all over) if we let her!

 

The trampoline - her favorite.  Hannah needs to be reminded to let others take a turn when she is on the trampoline.  There is also a "cheese pit" of foam blocks in the netted-off trampoline area that she especially loves.  Hannah has gotten really good at bear-crawling on two "crayons" and I think this is good for her to help learn how her body moves (and where her limbs are - she tends to just flail them about).

At the end of class, a kid-favorite - STAMPS.  The kids can even get them on their feet, which Hannah especially enjoys.  We may go back to swimming when gymnastics is done (it wore her out more), but we'll probably let her try something similar if she is still interested.  We just know we don't want to over-do it with activities.