Tumble Time

This morning I took my little rocker Mia to something new - something that was NOT a music class! We went to Jump Ahead Academy at 2260 N. Clark St., a relatively new fitness center for kids that introduces them to gymnastics and a variety of athletic activities.

Unfortunately for us, Mia started the day earlier than normal and in a pretty grumpy mood. She wasn't her usual happy self, but she perked up when we first entered the place and was excited to check everything out.

Our class started in a room with various gymnastics stations. There were tumbling mats and apparatus like trampolines, a balance beam, a mini climbing wall and other padded pieces for jumping and climbing. Our instructor was Katy, one of the owners, and she was awesome. The class was mostly open play, with Katy providing one-on-one time to each child and also gathering them 'round for quick activities like races, trampoline jumping and balance beam walks. This was all new to Mia, and Katy explained the different options and let Mia try things out at her own pace.

Overall, it was a lot of fun... at least until we went into the next room to play with different sports equipment. That's when Mia entered meltdown phase, and our play time was done. After a good 5 minutes of this, Katy saved me with a lollipop for Mia, which was like a magic pill.

I'm deciding if this is a class that Mia will enjoy, since she still seems extremely interested in music and dance, but I would absolutely recommend it. It was a nice, clean facility with fun activities, and even if it's not for Mia right now, I can see us trying it again.

You can visit the web site here: www.jumpaheadacademy.com.