by Brooke Lorren

Created on: September 10, 2009   Last Updated: November 20, 2009

Gymnastics is a sport that can help children develop coordination, flexibility, muscles, and discipline. Gymnastics classes are offered throughout the country, and children as young as six months can participate in "mommy and me" classes. Many children enjoy gymnastics because they get to perform rolls, cartwheels, and jump, without being told to calm down. Although some children may wish to train hard and compete on a gymnastics team, many children just want to learn how to do cartwheels and somersaults. The best place to start is to find the right gym.

You and Your Child's Goals

Before you decide on a gym, you will want to decide on what your goals for gymnastics are. If your child is younger, your goal might be to help them have fun and retain their flexibility; your goal might be to spend some quality time bonding with your child. If these are your goals, you might want to look into a mommy and me class at a gym that promotes developmental skills and fun. If you have an older child that has a lot of energy and wants to have fun, many of these same gyms offer classes for older children without the mommy and me component. If your child is competitive, is always doing cartwheels around the house, and dreams of becoming the next Nastia Liukin, you may want to find a more competitive gym with a team that is recognized by the USA Olympic Gymnastics Organization (USAOG).

Finding a Gym

It is important to find the right gym, keeping your goals, gym location, and price in mind. Almost every gym will allow you to take a trial class before you have to start paying for classes. If there are several gyms in your area, try a few out. Your child might "click" with the teachers at one gym more than they do at another. You might find that one gym is more crowded than you would like. At your child's trial class, you can sit in the viewing area and watch in (or participate, if your child is trying a mommy and me class). In some cases, your child can take gymnastics classes without signing up at a formal gym. Many community centers offer classes in gymnastics and tumbling.

Gymnastics Purchases

Depending on the gym that you choose for your child, you may need to buy special clothes for them to participate. Some gyms require that girls wear leotards during gymnastics classes; even if they do not require it, your daughter might want to get one in order to fit in. These can be found fairly inexpensively at stores like Target and Wal-Mart. Boys generally wear shorts and a t-shirt to practice. You may want to buy a foam mat for your child to do cartwheels on at home, especially if you have a hard floor. If you need to buy anything else later, your child's gymnastics teacher or coach will let them know.

Learn more about this author, Brooke Lorren.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.