I really wanted to be a gymnast. They had the most fun. Imagine being able to just nip onto a trampoline whenever you fancy and dive into a foam pit. I have dancer parents and was unusually flexible, so often felt like I wasn’t living up to my full potential. To make matters worse, our school had a gymnastic centre connected to it, so I was exposed to the fun I could have had, but rarely got the chance to participate. To make up for it, we had a 12×12’ trampoline in the back garden throughout my teen years, and I put in hours trying to master all kinds of aerial acrobatics.
I want better for my kids. I know those professional gymnastic classes are expensive, so we’re just going to test the waters and see how they get along first. To kick off the journey in exactly the way I did over 20 years ago, Cameo’s first class in Nottingham is at Tumble Tots.
For the uninitiated, Tumble Tots is a nationwide kids physical development programme. They get children learning how to make the most of all of their limbs. They go right down from 6-month-olds (around the time they start sitting up) right through to school age kids. Their facilities are like soft play with a purpose, advancing kids with their coordination, strength and all-round mobility.
We got Cameo in classes when he reached 20 months, as we could tell he was gagging to do more. We’ve got fun things to do in our garden – a slide, trike and a treehouse with a ladder. He was at the stage where he wanted to use all of these things in the most dangerous ways he could think of. He’d overcome fears of getting injured – as he’d amassed plenty of war wounds over the past 10 months – so it was all about seeing how far he could push himself.
Once he made it to his first lesson, kiddo got humbled. He thought he could do it all until he was faced with climbing frames, giant rollers and balance beams. The walking to 24 months group is a diverse one because they advance so much over that time period. Every week they mix up the setup and it’s a great challenge for someone of his size.
I know I enjoyed Tumble Tots as a little one, and I’ve been reconverted as a fanatic. I can’t recommend Tumble Tots enough. It’s a safe environment to get your child used to pushing their physical limits with helpers.