My kid has gone ziplining. Already! It’s the newest fitness craze to sweep the state, and Olivia’s tried it before me. And she’s only one year old!
It happened at MyGym in Kailua, a new facility that opened last summer. The first thing you notice when you walk into MyGym is the bright, primary colors on each wall. And the amazing gym equipment. Ropes, ladders, slides, trampolines, ball pits, swings, and more. It looks like kid heaven.
“My Gym has been in business for over 25 years so all this equipment is tried and true. It’s all custom-made for MyGym. It’s age appropriate and safe – as you can see, it’s padded. It’s also bright and colorful so it stimulates children to climb and want to try things out,” explains owner Emily Tam, who opened the facility in July 2008 with husband Tom Pick.
Here’s how it works: for a monthly fee, you can bring your child to one 60 minute structured class and three “free plays” a week. The gym caters to children from six weeks old to 13 years old. Up until age three and a half, a parent has to participate in the class as well.
Tam says, “We incorporate not only the physical development but the emotional and cognitive development as well. It’s not a space where they can run amok and meet other kids. We have structure so the kids are challenged. There’s an opportunity to really succeed and learn.”
Child experts agree. Clinical psychologist Dr. Steven Choy, who has been working with young children for a quarter century, says places like MyGym are “ideal” because they let children play and learn. “Studies show movement, drama, and music stimulate cognitive development. Scientists aren’t sure why, but they have found that physical exercise helps building childrens’ brains.”
Parenting consultant Kathy Bentley of Kathy’s Parenting Solutions echos Choy’s sentiments. “Children learn through movement and interaction. And, I like that they tell the parents what each exercise is developing; for instance, that putting out this tunnel will help with spatial development.” She adds, “It’s also a good place for parents to meet other parents. You get to talk, share ideas, and learn as a parent.”
In the structured class, perpetually cheerful staffers have a routine they run the kids through. Olivia’s class starts with “Circle Time” in which all the parents sit with their child around the perimeter of a big red circle on the carpet.
“We have an unparalleled student to teacher ratio,” points out Tam. “We never allow more than 18 children per class, and we always have two teachers on the floor. Any time there are more than 15 kids, we have three teachers on the floor. We make sure each kid gets individual attention and that we maintain a safe and fun environment.”
After we all introduce ourselves, the teachers sing songs that help the kids learn about, say, their body parts. We dance and swing our babies above our heads. Most of the children sit obediently on their parents’ laps, except mine, who runs off each time. She’s always fascinated by the equipment or the other kids.
After this brief hello, the teachers put on some perky music and set the kids free to play for a bit. I feel compelled to mention that the music is actually cool adult stuff, like Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, and Feist, interspersed with MyGym Enterprises’ own kiddy singalong stuff. It’s very pleasant and not at all making me want to rip my ears off after the hour is over.
While the kids play on their own, teachers set up a game for the children to explore. It varies each time, but they’re all designed to teach the kids something. For instance, they once put a stuffed animal at the top rung of the built-in wall ladders, and encouraged the children to climb to the top to get the prize. This, announced the teachers at the start of the game, taught motor skills and strength.
In the next segment of the class, they bring out toys in a big turtle shaped bin. It’s called Turtle Time, and the teachers encourage the parents to sit away from the children to foster independence. After this is over, they put on the Clean Up Song and teach the kids to help put away the toys. I’m sure all the parents appreciate that!
Finally, they end with a song and a kiss from a hand puppet. It’s wonderful theater for the children. Sometimes Tam herself teaches a class, which is a treat because she is a trained thespian. She has a degree in fine arts from Carnegie Mellon University, and worked for years in Honolulu Theater for Youth. To keep her skills fresh, she sings with dance band Paradise & Company.
The facility is ever changing. “We reset all the equipment weekly so every time the kids come in it’s an entirely new place. With childrens’ attention spans being short, it keeps them engaged and stimulated. And, it’s fun!” says Tam.
Olivia loves to go there. She tries out all the equipment, so it’s great that it changes weekly. She can always discover something “new.” But Tam reminds me that kids’ play is, well, much more than just kids’ play. “The kids learn socialization skills. They learn how to feel fantastic about themselves- that’s the most important one. They learn about fine and gross motor coordination, about strength, balance, imagination and creative play.”
That’s just for the toddler class. “The older kids learn how the body works; nutrition, skeletal and muscular system, and how a healthy lifestyle can enhance your quality of life. We really lay the groundwork for living a healthy lifestyle,” says Tam.
Right now, I accompany Olivia to all her classes because she is too young. But at age three-and-a-half, the children attend classes alone. Tam elaborates, “We want to start encouraging kids at that age to develop a sense of independence and to feel like they’re doing it themselves. It’s also helping get them ready for school.” If parents want to, they can watch from the lobby.
Currently, 250 children are signed up at MyGym, which makes a parent wonder about hygiene. Tam anticipates this common question. “If we aren’t teaching, we’re cleaning. We use non-toxic cleaning products. In fact MyGym Enterprises has just partnered with a cleaning products company called BabyGanics that’s completely environmentally friendly and green so we’re incorporating that into the gym.
Every morning when we come in, we deep clean. In between classes we sanitize. At the end of the day we deep clean. Once a week we take apart the whole gym and everything gets really scrubbed down top to bottom- the bathroom, lobby, everything.”
Tam and her staff of eight spend – get this – three hours a day cleaning. She can come to my house any time! “Everyone knows their job. We put music on. We make it fun. It goes by pretty quickly. It just becomes part of your day.”
FAMILY FUN
MyGym gave me and my husband our Date Nights back. Our sitter usually works in the day, so when I read MyGym offers Parent’s Night Out for a very reasonable price, I got excited.
For 30 dollars per child, you can drop off your kid for three whole hours and have an evening to yourselves. “They get dinner, snack, and structured activities all evening long,” says Tam. “It’s a great time for Mom and Dad to have time alone, even if all they’re doing is going back home!”
Emily Tam and husband
They also host birthday parties on weekends. Three hundred seventy five dollars (or 325 dollars for members) buys you 90 minutes of gym time for 20 children. If the children are over two and a half years old, you can leave them alone and let the staffers do all the work. You bring the food and drinks, and they’ll serve it and supervise the action.
WORKING WITH CHILDREN
Tam says she always knew she would make children her life’s work. After college, she got married and moved to Virginia Beach. That’s where she found MyGym. “I walked in and immediately fell in love. I just found the non-competitive atmosphere as well as the level of professionalism and fun to be inspiring, and I wanted to be part of it.
Growing up in performing arts, I experienced how competitive it can be, and I love that MyGym offers a place where kids can try new things without worrying about being the best one or worrying if they can’t do it. The point is to explore, learn, and have fun. To feel good about yourself.”
Tam is the teacher, but she says she often finds herself the student, too. “Everyday, I’m astounded by the things they say and do. I am inspired by their courage; their willingness to try something completely new. And their trust, that if they fall someone’s going to be there to help them. It’s refreshing to see.”
Being around children, she says, offers a critical and constant reminder of what is important in life. “I love their ability to play. It’s so healthy and beautiful. Adults too often let their own insecurities get in the way of that. I find it liberating to be around young people who are 100 percent transparent in their play time.”
She hopes to expand to Honolulu and Kapolei, with the goal of opening her second gym in a year.
*Prices are accurate as of press time, but rates may change in the future. Please check with MyGym for current prices.
www.mygym.com/honoluluEnchanted Lake Shopping Center
1020 Keolu Drive, Suite C-7A
(808) 537-1900
