Tumble Tots Review

Not long after I had Oliver I had a very restless 2 year old Jessica. She coped really well with having a new baby brother but I had to change her routine somewhat which then led me to having mum guilt. Once Oliver settled into a routine (can you tell I like routines!) I started looking around for suitable local activities that could also accommodate a baby. 

I came across Tumble Tots. I had seen them advertising at a local playgroup and decided to do some research. We already went to a music/creative group so I was definitely interested in something more physical. There are different classes available for different age groups, 6 months to walking, walking to 2 years,  2 to 3 years and 3 years to school age. Each age range is structured to suit the abilities of the children in that class.

I arranged a trial very easily through my local groups Facebook page and off we went. On arrival I was greeted by a lovely lady called Jacky who told me what to expect from the session. In the 2 to 3 years class children start by sitting down in a circle with their grown up and participate in a warm up song. They are then divided up into smaller groups and each group sent to a different station along with each tumble tots grown up. Each station is set up differently, allowing children the chance to experience a different activity to improve and develop their balance, climbing, hand-eye-foot control and agility. Once the children have had time on one station they are then told to form a train to move onto the next station with one child being the train driver. After completing each station the session finishes with all children returning to the circle to sing another song followed by each child receiving a sticker. 

Our first session did not go very well. Jessica was too over excited and didn't understand the structure. She just wanted to climb on all the equipment whenever she saw it. She did not take direction or instruction well so it was a battle to get her to follow the structure. We struggled through the class and I was so thankful when it was finished so I could run away and never come back! Fortunately for me Jacky came over to talk to me about how well Jessica's ability on the equipment had been. She reassured me that it was not uncommon for new 2 year olds to be overwhelmed. Jacky encouraged me to return the following week to see how Jessica would get on. 

I debated about going back the whole week but after talking through the structure with Jessica I decided to go back and I'm so thankful that I did. Jessica was a completely different child, she instantly got it. She sat down nicely during circle time, waited her turn patiently at each station and followed instructions from the grown ups. It was such a turnaround! We continued to go every week during term time and she thoroughly enjoyed it. Her ability got better every session and it was brilliant watching not only her physical skills improving but also her confidence and social skills. 

Just before she was 3 she progressed to the 3 years to school age class. The structure in this class is the same but with one big difference, you no longer accompany your child. This is great preparation to help with the transition of starting school. Jessica coped extremely well with this change and I was thankful not to lug a 5 month old Oliver around in a baby carrier! Jessica was in this class for a year and a half and it really made a massive difference to her physical ability. She is much more agile than her cousin who is a year older. She can confidently climb and balance without adult intervention. She shows no hesitation in her ability. Her social skills have also thrived. While in this class she had to listen, follow instructions, respect other tumble tots, work as part of a team and support other tumble tots when they needed help. Being at tumble tots has definitely enhanced her confidence. 

Jessica has thoroughly enjoyed her time at tumble tots and I'm quite sad that it has come to an end. So while she will be busy at school come September it will be the perfect time to commence Oliver's tumble tots experience! 

Please check out www.tumbletots.com for more information and to find your local class.

To receive our blog posts, latest news and offers straight into your inbox please click here to sign up to our newsletter.