Beach Blast Play Date at The Little Gym {Event Recap!}

Please Note :: This play date would not be possible without our wonderful event sponsor! Thank you to The Little Gym of Columbia, SC for hosting such a fun class and to the businesses mentioned below who helped make the morning extra special for all the guests who attended!

There are three things we absolutely love — getting moms and kids together in our community, introducing you to awesome local businesses and PLAY DATES! That’s why we were especially excited about our recent Beach Blast Play Date at The Little Gym!

The Little Gym is KNOWN for their super fun, interactive classes. Not only do kids have a great time playing and meeting new friends, but each class is structured to encourage learning concepts that are perfect for their age. It’s just the right mix of “play and learn!”

For our Beach Blast Play Date, the instructors and staff added in lots of extra activities to bring the fun of the beach and summer into their already amazing classes! Think beach balls, pirate songs, under the sea and much more!

The teachers were so helpful and encouraging as our little ones got to know the layout of the gym and became acquainted with all of the equipment, and we love how it was the perfect combination of structured activities and free exploration all class long. Come to think of it – there wasn’t one, single moment where the kids were not actively engaged and nurturing some type of developmental skill {motor, cognitive, sensory … the list goes on!}. It was so neat to watch all of the little ones come together to learn a new skill, and then venture off to try it all on their own. And while the kids just saw this as a PLAY date, the learning and growing going on is what made it so special for all of us moms!

The kids were divided into two groups — one for 4 months to 3 years, and another for 3 years to 5 years. This allowed the instructors to customize each class based on the learning concepts and play activities appropriate for those ages. While one group was enjoying their class, the other group (and moms!) were enjoying delicious (and healthy) fresh fruit smoothies from Smoothie King. As each child sipped on a flavorful drink, everyone decorated their own “ocean-themed” cupcake from ally & eloise bakeshop. These tasty cupcakes were topped with blue frosting (just like the ocean) and decorated with fish-shaped graham crackers and blue sprinkles (so cute and so much fun for the kids)!

Also during this time, guests had the opportunity mix and mingle with a live mermaid and pirate from Wings and Whimsies! Children laughed and giggled as these friends from the sea handed out gold coins, “pearls” from an oyster, blew bubbles and listened to the magical sounds of the flute played by the mermaid. And as if this wasn’t enough fun, the staff at The Little Gym brought out tons of legos to encourage active play and building.

As the morning worn on, we had an awesome giveaway for a beach prize pack of everything a child would need during a day at the beach from Be Beep a toy shop! Each mom was eagerly holding their ticket, hoping their name would be called as the lucky winner.

When it was finally time to leave, every guest left with a goody bag from The Little Gym, along with a voucher for a free meal and/or mikshake from PDQ, a free smoothie from Smoothie King, lots of discounts from local businesses and a super cute pair of sunglasses and beach ball from The Little Gym! It was truly a morning to remember, and everyone left with a smile on their face!

We were so excited to have Heather McClairre Photography there to capture all of these ADORABLE pictures! We just love how creative she is with her camera and how many special moments she manages to steal without us even taking notice. She took so many amazing photos, we couldn’t include them all in our recap, so be sure to check out the entire album (password is sping2015).

A Little More About The Little Gym

There is nothing like falling in love with something – only to realize that you will soon be searching for a new one because your child is on the verge of outgrowing it. {Baby clothes, anyone?} Thankfully, our friends at The Little Gym have programs and classes starting as young as 4 months old … and go all the way up to 12 years old!!! We just love that you can start with the parent/child class to allow you and your kiddo to warm up to the program and get to know the ropes, and then once they hit 3 – off they go on their own! There’s gymnastics and sports skills and dance and more. The Little Gym really encourages your children to find what interests them and helps them continue to grow. The fun is endless and the classes are catered specifically to each age group, so check it out no matter how old your children are!

To find The Little Gym closest to you, please reference our list below…