Has anyone enrolled their child in tumbling classes? How often did they attend, and what did they learn in the first year? How much did it cost, and at what age/height is it just too late to start?
THank you everyone for the insight you provided. Riley - I found the details and personal experience especially helpful, knowing that you can still do some of the tricks at your height. That's what I'm looking for here. DS is still pretty small (4ft 4in) at the age of 10, and he wants to add some tumbling to his karate training. I had no idea if you have to learn those back flips and stuff while you are still really little. Based upon all this, I think I will start searching for a local tumbling class. Thanks!
My 4 year old goes to gymnastics 1-2 times a week. Once with her coach and once with open gym where they can play group games and free play in certain areas.
It's never too late to start, unless you expect your kiddo to become an Olympic gymnast. And I would not encourage any parent to enroll their kiddo in gymnastics with that intention. That needs to be self-determined by the kiddo.
We've done gymnastics since age 3.
Took 2 years off between 8 & 10.
In a rec league... it's never too late to start / you're never too tall. For competition? That's a different matter. I got too tall at age 10 to be competitive (prior to that training at an olympic gym) at my level (couldn't get the rotations needed) although I could have done local competitions I'd reached my ceiling. There was no higher "up" I could go than state. Bella TOLD me to quit growing, now, and he meant it... but I just kept growing! There were times I was growing so fast I couldn't even do a BASIC move... because my porportions were off! (I'd have to relearn tricks with my longer body that I'd mastered ages ago). Switched to skating and diving where height really don't matter so much.
I'm 6'1 now... I can still do MOST of my old tricks (I was floor/ beam/ vault)... but same thing applies: ex: I can do singles or doubles, when to be competitive one needs doubles and triples.
Some of my friends that went on to nationals didn't start until middle school. Some girls I know who went to college on gymnastics scholarships didn't even start until highschool.
At my son's gym (1/2 comp, 1/2 rec) there are adults every year who are learning gymnastics for the first time.
There's really no age / height/ weight that DQ's you for doing it for FUN. Just if you're into serious competition.
Cost varies an awful lot between areas and gyms.
My son's it's (per every 3 months)
$231 for 1 hour p/ week
$330 for 2 hours
$417 for 3 hours
$544 for 4 hours
$580 for 5 hours
or (roughly)
#2 +100
#3 + 85
#4 + 100
#5 + 36
Over 13 weeks... 1 hour breaks down to $17 per class
Over 13 weeks... 5 hours breaks down to $9 per class
It all depends on how old your child is and how fast or slow they learn. I think were my son goes a one night a week for the month is like $50 some dollars but not positive. I know they typically go with the pace of the student. They learn cart wheels and then back hand springs. And depending one how well they do with those determine on what else they learn.
Yes, at age 3 I put my kids in gymnastics. I like it in winter, especially. Balance, coordination, flexibility, etc. All good stuff! Plus, it's fun! Ours is about $10 a lesson, and it's a park district with a full, professional gymnastics gym. It's never too late to start. Have fun with it!
Most places won't let kids enroll in the real tumbling classes until the are 7. If they are really trying and fearless they might allow them a little earlier than that. Their bodies are just not ready for the high impact of tumbling. The flips and bouncing on the tumble trak can hurt their ligaments and tendons terribly if they don't wait until their bodies are ready.
If your child is under 6 or 7 do a gymnastics class instead. It should teach them the basics of tumbling, the pre-skills needed to be ready. Tumbling is only floor exercises and the tumble trak, not the bars or beams or any other skill areas. Gymnastics covers all the areas and they should do about 10-15 minutes in each section.
We did tumbling as a summer activity last year (DD was 5 at the time). Golly, I don't even remember the schedule. Most of what they learned was coordination-type stuff. Balance (a stripe on the floor), a little actual tumbling (forward rolls, intro to cartwheels, that sort of thing), some stretching. But, this was mostly as a "summer-filler" type activity, and not a "real" class, I think.
This summer, the dance studio near our house had an "all-class pass" that allowed the kids to take all of the classes offered for their ages over the summer. We got one for DD, and the class she got most out of was tumbling. Since this IS a dance studio, the focus is going to be more for cheer, but I am pleased with what we got out of it. She is continuing it over the school year. My understanding is that the school-year classes are much more goal-oriented than the summer.
We do gymnastics, not tumbling, but they are similar. I've seen tumbling classes listed for littler kids, like 2-3 maybe 4, or so, and I really think they are just beginning gymnastics but they call it tumbling. My daughter started this past January (she'll be 5 next month) and loves it. She goes 1x/week. Our gym has two schedules, one for the school year and one for the summer, but regardless of the time of year, students can always enroll. I do feel like ours is a little pricier than I'd like, but they do a great job. My daughter is learning cartwheels, splits, handstands, how to use the low bar on the uneven bars, balance beam and different kinds of jumps. She has really gained a lot of strength in her arms and core.
My son (will be 3 in Sept.) started in June and he also loves it. His class is much more low key. They work on taking turns and following directions along with actual gymnastics! ;) He's doing forward rolls, trampeline, they slide, balance beam, etc. I would imagine a tumbling class would be more like this b/c they don't work much with the apparatuses yet. His class is mostly games or obstacle course type things that actually practice real tumbling moves and build the right muscles.
At our gym they have beginning gymnastics classes all the way up to I think 8-9 beginners...not sure exactly but I think so. If your child is interested then absolutely sign them up! A lot of gyms will have one class free as a trial and they can help guide you too based on your child's age and skill level.
my daughter was in a tumbling/gymnastics class when she was in preschool. She's 10 now and is still taking gymnastics. It helps with balance and coordination. At first, especially when they are really young, it is more sommersaults, rolls, stretching, etc. The gym my DD is at now has younger recreation classes - they need to be potty trained and at least 3. I think this gym might be about $50 the month and practice is once a week for about an hour. She had also taken a community class through a local college and that class was maybe $40 or so.
It's never too late to start! usually there are a range of classes for amount of experience and the age of a child.
