The Little Gym's best tips to parents of toddlers

MANILA, Philippines - Imagine a place where your child sees endless possibilities in learning, becomes confident in what he can do, and gives his best shot each school day with all of his three-foot-tall might. Terrific, isn’t it? The Little Gym’s Terrific Tots Program won’t have it any other way.

Built on The Little Gym’s motor development and developmental gymnastics program, the Terrific Tots provides opportunities for older toddlers (ages two and three) and young preschoolers (ages three and four) to develop strength, flexibility, balance, rhythm, motor skills, and muscle tone through gymnastics by allotting 25 percent of class time inside the Gym.

Aside from this signature formula, the success of the program is also largely due to a roster of highly qualified, trained, and dynamic teachers who are committed to creating a secure environment filled with love, patience, respect, and a whole lot of fun, to help kids get an early start on a healthy and active life.

An-Marie Bartolome-Villarin (Ed. M., Psychological Counselling, Teachers College Columbia University, USA), managing director of the program, says the team of teachers who lead by example deserves a lot of credit. Not only do they keep up-to-date with the latest in child development and movement analysis, they also possess a number of remarkable traits.  

“The instructors we have now have been with us from three to six years. They are genuinely concerned about the children’s well-being and development, have great camaraderie with parents and caregivers, are great team players, and are very hard workers,” she points out. “Most of all, they have big hearts and are truly dedicated to helping the kids discover life’s infinite possibilities.”

Engaging in gym activities is the perfect way to start a school day, according to Ann Louise Diokno (BS Degree in Family Life and Child Development,, UP Diliman). “All their stored energy can be transferred to creative movement and structured play, which gets them prepared for the ‘calmer’ classroom activities, ready to pay attention, focus, and follow instructions.”

Sarah Patricia Gil (MA in Child Development and Education, University of Asia and the Pacific) adds, “Children learn little by little through the motor skills they develop as they become comfortable with their bodies and, therefore, themselves.”

Students are carefully guided as they explore age-appropriate materials that help them learn concepts and skills in reading readiness, writing readiness, number readiness, science, and arts and crafts. An endless supply of creativity and imagination flows from the gym to the classroom every day.

“Creative materials catch our kids’ attention so they get very excited to play in the centers we prepare. We incorporate the theme through imaginative play to make learning fun!” says Rosette Robles-Palmario (MA Candidate in Special Education, De La Salle University).

Of equal importance to Terrific Tots teachers are respect for a child’s space, readiness to learn, and unique abilities. Bartolome-Villarin emphasizes how important this is: “The most salient thing that my training has taught me is to treat children with respect, to make them feel that they are significant, and to listen to whatever they have to say, no matter how trivial it seems.”

In a child-centered program where kids are allowed to take the lead, teachers should have a good idea of what activities arouse the interest and curiosity of each child. Moira Bulan-Bunyi (MA in Family Life and Child Development, UP Diliman) notes, “Because we’re play-based, most of our activities are enjoyable for our students. I like doing arts and crafts because when the kids are in this center, you can really see and observe what type of personalities they have.”

The non-competitive environment, where specific praise and encouragement are given consistently, certainly helps children gain confidence and learn to make choices based on their knowledge of their capabilities. “On any day with the Terrific Tots Program, a child makes plenty of decisions on his own. Even for a child who is shy or scared at the beginning of the term, there is an unfolding that takes place,” says Sara Marie Manguiat (AB Psychology, Ateneo de Manila University).

Through learning and with the guidance of their teachers, the children of The Little Gym’s Terrific Tots Program soon discover the infinite possibilities that will help them take those tiny steps closer to building a lifetime of success.

For more information on the Terrific Tots program, call The Little Gym of Pasig at 637-2463, The Little Gym of Alabang at 850-4060, or The Little Gym of Makati at 815-1735.