Home » Premier Athletics of Johnson City, TN » Little Explorers- Ages 5 and Under

 

Self Confidence

One of the greatest things that we can give to a 3-5 year old is more self confidence. Gymnastics and dance, with the many small challenges in each class, builds the confidence in themselves for every preschool student. Forget the cartwheels and pirouettes, building self confidence can affect every child in a major way for all of the other activities in their life. Do you want a more self confident preschooler? Is this going to help as they get ready for kindergarten? Does being more self confident open doors for the children? Do they learn more because they ask more questions? Do they learn more because they are confident in their abilities? Yes, yes, yes. Gymnastics and dance open an entirely different world of opportunities for a confident young student.

 

Listening and Following Directions

Oh so important. Teaching the little ones to stop, listen and learn is unbelievably important. To get them to “stop” is a challenge. To get them to look us in the eye and focus is a challenge. To teach them to listen to our words without being distracted with everything around them is a job in itself. Then to help them use our words and comprehend them, gymnastics and dance gives us so many chances to practice these things with your preschooler. Listening and following directions starts the process of thinking before acting. There is a right way to act and to do things. Preschool gymnastics and dance activities create situations where listening, learning and following directions can be practiced.

 

Discipline

Do all preschoolers need to have activities in their lives where discipline and control are important? Learning and being involved with rules? Learning what is allowed and what isn’t acceptable? All children need to have their basic discipline training at home reinforced with similar rules and regulations outside the home. The structured, and yet fun, preschool gymnastics and dance classes teach discipline and control. Your gymnastics and dance teachers will also teach how actions affect others. Discipline isn’t just about rules and the 3 year old. It is about rules, the 3 year old and all of the other people around the 3 year old. Gymnastics and dance allows us to “practice” situations and help the preschoolers learn what acceptable behavior is and what isn’t.

Motor Skills and Coordination

The vast majority of the life of a preschooler is physical rather than mental. So “their physical world” can be made easier, through gymnastics and dance instruction, as we teach them what their body is like, what their body can do and better ways to do physical things. It is an easy thought for us as adults to understand that a coordinated child is going to have an easier way to go. Teach them to run properly. Teach them balance so they don’t fall down as much as others. Gymnastics and dance allows us to work on their coordination every minute of every class. Do we want our preschoolers to be better runners? Better at walking backwards? Better at skipping and leaping? Better at all of the physical activities that make up so much of their lives? Do you think that it will make them feel better to be more coordinated? You have done a great job parenting them by having them in gymnastics and dance.

 

Strength and Fitness

Stronger 3 - 5 year olds? More fit? Good things? Is there a better activity for fitness and flexibility than gymnastics? Or dance? The children are learning to handle their bodies and their body weight through gymnastics and dance activities. So much is going on in every preschool gymnastics and dance class. A lot of people think we are just teaching forward rolls and leaps. Far from it. Exercise is important.

 

Bottom Line

Somewhere between their first steps and their first bike is their first gymnastics and/or dance class. Listed on this page were only a few of the vast benefits of preschool gymnastics and dance. Not only will it lay the foundation for any future sport your child may participate in, it also better prepares them to handle situations in life. Preschool gymnastics and dance can build a better foundation of skills and attitudes so they have a greater chance of being successful. The benefits of gymnastics and dance are so far beyond forward rolls and turns. Preschool gymnastics and dance helps the child be more aggressive, more confident and happier in their journey as they grow. We want each of them to feel comfortable with their body and what they can do with it. We want to help them be successful now and in the future.

 

 

Below is a list of the Little Explorers Program Class Levels and a brief description of each. All Classes are Co-Ed.

Parent – Tot:

¨Ages 18 months to 3 yrs

¨45 minute class;

¨Student / teacher ratio is 6 to 1;

¨Each toddler is accompanied by a parent or guardian who participates and shares in the excitement of learning.  Fine and Gross motor skills and gymnastic basics are emphasized. Toddlers will begin to approximate skills such as cartwheels, handstands, variations of rolls on different pieces of equipment. Parents help their child on the equipment as well as with social interaction with classmates.

 

Super Tots:

¨Ages 3 year old

¨45 minute class;

¨Student / teacher ratio is 6 to 1;

¨This level acquaints the young child to safety in the gym and basic gymnastic skills, and overall movement education. Strength, balance, and flexibility are developed through the learning of primary tumbling skills: forward rolls, handstands, and cartwheels. Basic skills on the uneven bars, balance beam, vault horse, rings, parallel bars, and trampoline are also introduced.

 

Mighty Tots:

¨Ages 4 year old

¨45 minute class;

¨Student / teacher ratio is 6 to 1;

¨In this age group children are building on skills learned and learning skills that include back rolls, skip to cartwheel, pullovers and casting, and movement education through music and games.  Skills on bars, balance beam, vault, rings, floor, and trampoline are developed in this class primarily using the preschool equipment in the Preschool Gym along with the trampolines.

 

High 5’s:

¨Ages 5 year old

¨55 minute class;

¨Student / teacher ratio is 8 to 1;

¨The child is mastering the basics, and is being introduced to the next progression of skills that include Dive Rolls, Back walkovers, Round-Offs, Cartwheels, and Pullovers, and their respective variations. Also look for fun lessons in movement education through the use of music and games. Strength, flexibility, and body awareness are developed to the point now that more difficult skills may be learned safely. This class will use a mixture of the Full Sized Equipment along with the Preschool Gym when needed. This class is designed to be a transition from traditional preschool into the recreational programs offered.

 

Hot Tots:  By Invitation Only- Advanced Preschool for ages 3 to 5

 

Twinkle Toes:  Ages 3 to 5 skipping, jumping, galloping/ Ballet Positions/ Rhythm, Timing, and Musicality- More dance classes to come!

Hey Dads! Coming in March 2012 Sports FUNdamentals classes for 3, 4, and 5 year olds! Your tiny super star in the making can learn the basics of baseball, football, basketball, volleyball, soccer, and golf! Call us for more information or to sign up! And the best part is, if you are already in a class, you can take a Sports class FREE of charge for the month of March!!!!! Put me in, coach!!!!