Kindygym Toddler Classes, Craigie Leisure Centre

Kindygym Toddler Classes – I took my 19m toddler to Kindygym for the first time last week, and she loved it from start to finish. I chose one of the classes on offer at Craigie Leisure Centre, which are 45 minutes each for varying age groups (1–2 yrs; 2–3 yrs and 3–5 yrs), every morning Monday–Friday.

Two friendly and welcoming ladies – Teresa and Michelle, lead the classes. They have a reassuring understanding of what each age group is capable of and the limited attention spans of the kids, especially in our 1–2yrs age group! So the class is very organic and informal, with a lot of free-play time for the toddlers to simply explore and enjoy themselves.

When you arrive, you can get started right away exploring the hall, which has already been set up with various apparatus. Classes are held in a big Sports Hall with two massive ceiling fans that do a great job of keeping it cool.

The ladies then bring everyone together (toddlers & mums/dads) to sit in a circle on circular coloured mats (which in themselves are of huge interest to the toddlers). After a quick introduction, the session officially begins with the Bear Song (from The Wiggles) complete with all the actions, which all the kids love, followed by some marching with ribbon shakers as a bouncy song plays.

Then it’s time to explore the apparatus. There are soft mats and low balancing beams and foam steps set up in a continuous course around the edges of the hall. You can start wherever your toddler wants to. At two stations, the ladies are waiting to help guide your kid with “Pencil Rolls” and “Bear Walks”. I am guessing that every week they change these basic moves to add variety. But again, there is no pressure if your child does not want to participate.

Other equipment scattered around includes small trampolines, tunnels, cups to step and balance on, rockers, cones with circles for placing over them, hoops and beanbags. My toddler enjoyed touching and playing with everything. They also have some vibey toddler tunes playing in the background while you explore, which makes for a good atmosphere.

Finally, after just enough time that your little one doesn’t get bored, the ladies invite you to come together again for some running and skipping and hopping across the width of the hall. Then it’s time for the Goodbye Song and each child gets a special sticker to mark the end of the session.