LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Many parents are looking for ways to keep their kids active and engaged during stay at home orders. A Lexington business, The Little Gym, is known for keeping kids moving and is still doing that right now.
"We are a recreational gymnastics facility, so we aren't competitive and we offer classes all the way form 4 months to 12 years old," said director Nicole Bingham.
The Little Gym in Lexington opened ten years ago. Bingham says after closing in mid-March, they found ways to still help families by releasing videos of classes online.
"We have adaptive lesson plans that we are able to bring online," Bingham said. "So we are offering free virtual classes, and they are just adaptations of what we do here, but at home. That way they can do it in the safety of their own home."
She hopes it's helping to keep little ones moving and learning.
"So each week we do a warm-up and we do a movement activity to work on gross motor skills. We always do balls and we always do bubbles," said Bingham.
Most people aren't going to have a balance beam or a bar at home, but it's easy to improvise.
"For instance, we're working on grip strength for the bar with broom sticks," Bingham says.
And you can use tape or a string to mimic work on a balance beam. The free classes are geared toward certain age groups, from babies, to pre-school, to grade school. Even though it's not in person, Bingham says they still can connect with the kids.
"People are welcome to comment and interact with us. So we're interacting with people through the live videos," she said.
"I know being stuck in houses all day, kids just want to get energy out. So we are bringing them 20 to 30 minutes where they can get that energy out in a facilitated way," said Bingham.
And hopefully that will bring a little bit of normal to families whose typical routine seems distant.
