It doesn’t matter whether you have a baby, a toddler or a young child – kids of all ages need somewhere to crawl, run, jump and climb. I’ve written before about some of my favourite spots to let the kids run wild, but here is another one to add to the list – My Gym Ottawa. My Gym is a great space in Barrhaven that offers programs and drop-in play times for infants 6 weeks of age to children 11 years old. 

My Gym Ottawa was kind enough to invite the kids and I out to try a few of their different classes, and their drop-in playtime. We had previously attended a friend’s birthday party there, but it was awesome to return and really get to see all they have to offer.

Both Lucas and Rowan loved running around the space and trying out all of the different equipment. The gym has a wide variety of equipment such as monkey bars, a ball-pit, a climbing wall, balance beams, swings, rings, a zipline and much more. My Gym is constantly changing the layout and design of the space to keep it vibrant and different for children who keep coming back to classes. I was especially impressed by the cleanliness of the area. I would have no reservation letting my baby crawl around on all fours.

My Gym Membership

In order to use My Gym you must sign up for a family membership which costs $75 and provides you with a lifetime membership. That gives you access to classes, discounts on Birthday Parties, Events and other services. The membership also travels with you, as My Gym is a global franchise you can attend drop-ins and classes at any other location.

Classes

There are a variety of classes offered for different age groups. The classes are offered on both weekdays, evenings and weekends. The drop-in playtimes are also only open to families who have purchased a membership and because of that you can expect smaller class sizes and you won’t run into any maximum capacity problems (which can happen at many other popular drop-ins).

My Gym classes are curriculum based, but do not have a set beginning and ending point so children can join at any time. Classes include opening and closing circle time, warm up and stretching, gymnastics skills stations, free play, songs and more. Every new family can enjoy a complimentary trial class for their child. 

My five year old son Lucas had a lot of fun trying out My Gym’s Ninja Training class. The class worked on developing strength and agility through relays, conditioning exercises, games, and obstacle courses. Lucas especially liked the obstacle courses – we just need to work on his listening skills (he was flossing pretty much every time the instructor was talking…enough with the FLOSSING!)

If your kids are a little older you may want to consider the Cardio Kids. The class is designed for children 9-11 years who are becoming more interested in health and fitness. It aims to build healthy habits that they can take with them into their teen and adult years. Each participant is given a Fitness Journal to help them keep track of their goals and components learned in class each week.

Events

In addition to drop-in times and classes, My Gym is also hosts kid’s birthday parties and offers summer, march break and PD Day camps. My Gym also runs a Parents Night Out on occasional Friday nights from 5:30-8:30 pm. Parents can enjoy a night out while their children get to run, climb, play and eat pizza. I haven’t got a chance to try a Parents Night Out yet, but I’m definitely planning on trying it out, at $25 a child it’s not a bad deal at all.