The temperatures may be dropping in the winter, but kids’ energy levels are not.
I love a good lounging-around-the-house, taking-it-easy day as much as the next person. (Honestly, those days are some of my favorites.) If we have too many of those days in a row though – watch out!
Being cooped up for a long time, with nowhere to go, can turn the sweetest member of my household into a cranky mess.
We need to get out. The kids’ energy levels demand it. They need to be able to do what kids do – run, jump, play and get their wiggles out (without me telling them “no running in the house!” and “stop jumping on the furniture!”)
Wright’s FUNdamentals Gymnastics & Ninja Zone recognizes the importance of letting kids be kids. According to Michael McElhany (Director of the Ninja Zone Program at Wright’s North) a saying they have is, “Turning energy into ambition, one awesome kid at a time.”
I took my four-year old to open gym at this kid-loving, energy-turned-ambition establishment last week and he loved it. I mean, loved it. He asked me if we can go back every single day, forever. That’s how much he loved it.
And I see why he feels this way. It’s a kid’s dream come true. It’s like a gigantic American Ninja Warrior play space. It has trampolines, balance beams, a giant slide that spits you out into a pit of brightly-colored balls, ropes to swing on, things to climb, monkey bars, and on….and on….and on…..
And parents, get this – they don’t want you on the floor. Unless your child is really young and requires you being out there, they actually tell parents not to go on the floor. They have bleachers where parents can sit back and watch the fun unfold. My friend who I was with actually painted her nails while we were there. It’s a win-win. The kids have a blast and you can bring a book and relax a little bit – or paint your nails, or whatever suits your fancy. Awesomesauce.
You may be thinking, not my kid. My kid needs my help. The minute little Joey sees a monkey bar he yells, “Mom! Dad! Help! I need to get across!” I know. Me too. I didn’t believe it would work either. But it did, and here is why –
They have someone who is on the floor with the kids helping them on the equipment. This person does all the things mom and dad would be doing if they were out there.
McElhany was on the floor helping the kids to embrace their inner-ninja. He would throw them into the styrofoam pits, help them across the monkey bars and generally just have an awesome time with them. He even helped my son by letting him know he would do better on the equipment without his socks. Bare feet are better for gripping, you know.
When I asked him a little about himself he told me he teaches 27 classes a week and he realizes kids feed off your energy. He said, “If you aren’t energetic, the kids aren’t going to have fun. Show them it’s okay to have energy. Here is it okay to use your energy.”
At Wrights, they embrace letting kids be kids. It is loud. And crazy. And awesome. And fun. Like I said – my son wants to go back every single day, forever. I would say they made a good first impression on him – and on me. The next time we are feeling cooped up, we are piling into the car and heading to Wright’s to get the wiggles out – ninja style.
Wright’s has three different locations around Indianapolis:
- Wright’s North: 1021 Kendall Court, Westfield, Phone: 317-750-8394
- Wright’s Southeast: 1064 Greenwood Springs Blvd #G, Greenwood, Phone: 317-888-4805
- Wright’s Center Grove:Â 1012 North Bluff Road, Greenwood, Phone: 317-888-4805
Wright’s offers Ninja Zone classes where the focus is on teaching the kids both athletic skills and character development. Their website states, “For success in school, sport and life, a child that learns to channel their impulse and energy towards a focused goal will succeed in all endeavors.”
They also offer Gymnastics classes (including Wright’s Gymnastics Academy – a competitive team) and Gymnastics & Ninja Camps.
In addition to the open gym, they host Parent’s Night Out, Birthday parties and more. Please visit their website for more information on classes, scheduling and prices.
Jennifer Thompson is a stay-at-home mom of four spunky, sweet, kind and sometimes a bit wild children. She has a passion for the written word and thinks that libraries and bookstores are the coolest places ever. When not hanging out with family or writing, she can be found enjoying a good cup of coffee, running, spending quality time with friends, working on some type of project around the house, planning the family’s next trip to her favorite destination – Walloon Lake, Michigan, or very possibly – reading a book.
Jennifer enjoys writing about her parenting experience and outings with her children for Indy’s Child as a freelance writer and blogger and also keeps a personal blog, www.trulyyoursjen.com, that she has fun writing when time allows.
