The theme for June 7th and 8th is: At the Circus.

The theme for June 21st and 22nd is: Hide and Seek.

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We have half day and full day camps running for 10 weeks through the summer. Each day has a theme that we incorporate into the crafts, outing (for full day campers) and gymnastics as much as possible. We will also be featuring a number of guest speakers in the afternoon on nine days throughout our camps: learn about whales, how to start your own worm composter, or play fun drama games!

For more information visit our camps page, check out our summer camp brochure, or read all about the different classes we offer!

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For the second year we are asking for parent experts (and we use this term very, very loosely!) to join us at Jump Summer Camps and host a one hour workshop for our campers.

Last summer guest workshops included: pet first aid, nutrition, music, seeds, composting, photography & health and body care. The workshops were a huge success and many kids (and coaches) are still talking about them today!

Now it’s your turn!
Do you play an instrument, love physics, have a passion for knitting? Can you juggle, throw a fast ball or play the spoons? Are you a mad scientist, backyard bee keeper or green smoothie aficionado? Then we need you!

Your commitment: one hour for one day in July or August
Our thank you: for your time we offer a $75 credit towards any of our classes or programs.

Interested? Just send us a quick email with your idea and we will send you the details.

For more information about our camps:
Check out our camps here!

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Although I don’t encourage building a ball pit in your living room or installing a trampoline along your hallway… there are some simple (and safe!) activities and games you can do at home.

I suggest taking a simple movement that your child can do independently- like walking or jumping. And then add what we call ‘super challenges’ as a way to encourage your child to explore this movement skill.

For example, walking can be modified by going backwards, stepping over bean bags (or spoons or rolled up socks or magazines or…), doing it to music, carrying a ball above the head, clapping at the same time, taking small steps or large steps, adding a pattern (step, step, kick, step, step, kick), placing your feet wide or narrow, on your tippy toes… the list could go on and on.

Ask your child questions to get them to try new ways of movement:

Great walking! Do you thing you can walk and clap at the same time? Can you walk teeny tiny like a mouse? How about huge and heavy like an elephant? Can you step over the books? Can you walk backwards?

Whenever possible, once children have mastered the basic movements encourage them to create their own challenges:

Can you show me a fancy way to walk? Can you use words to describe what you are doing? Can you teach your sister your special walk?

There are an infinite number of ways that you can modify basic movement skills to make them new and challenging for young children. It is the mastery of these skills- along with the confidence that comes from challenging themselves- that builds physical literacy.

Have fun- and I would love to hear what movements your child creates!

J

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Effort: C, Attainment: D my report card read.

Thankfully since I was at school more thinking has been done on ways to teach kids the fundamental skills they need in order to fully participate (and enjoy) sports and an active life. That thinking is expressed as Physical Literacy. I’ve come to understand Physical Literacy to be the combination of fundamental movement skills and fundamental sport skills.

Physical Literacy has its own page on the new site and a video that explains everything. I think after you do a little research on the topic and understand the principals behind what Jen and her team are teaching at Jump you’ll seize the opportunity to give that knowledge to a child that’s close to you.

Jen has been teaching gymnastics across Canada for more than 20 years, too late for me, but I’m grateful that I have done my part in helping share Jump’s story through this new website. My hope is that more kids are exposed to Physical Literacy and have a better start to an active life. It took me a decade or two to get back into sports but now I love skiing, yoga and tennis.

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Jennifer Hood of Jump Gymnastics

Running a successful business while raising three kids under the age of nine is hard work, I think we can all agree. So these parents can probably be excused if when asked about their future goals, the answer is probably more sleep for “more than four hours at a stretch” than Well, “I’d like to revitalize the Canadian sports system from the ground up.”

Jennifer Hood is the mother-of-three and author of the latter quote, as well as being the owner and director of Jump! Gymnastics, a Yaletown studio that “offers children from six months to eight years old the opportunity to explore movement through activities that enhance balance, strength, flexibility, coordination and agility. Jump! is about much that gymnastics, despite the name. “We teach kids physical literacy,” Jennifer explains, “the confidence, and capability, to move your body in a variety of environments, like land, ice, snow and water.” The program aims to distill out the core components required for any number of spots, like jumping or throwing into a fundamental movement pattern that kids can apply to whatever sport they enjoy, from swimming to skiing to soccer. “Teach kids movement skulls really gives them the confidence to pickup any sport they choose”, says Jennifer, about skills they can put towards being healthy and active for a lifetime.

Jennifer’s vision of creating a studio where she could promote her ambition to improve the physical fitness of children has become a reality, and a resounding success – with 12 coaches with varied physical education and coaching backgrounds and classes consistently running at capacity. Though Jennifer’s passion for physical literacy began when she was just 15, she had more than saving Canada’s kids for X-boxes and obesity on her mind when she decided to build her business from the ground up.

“When my middle daughter was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, I immediately knew my life was going to play out differently than I thought. I decided to build a business doing something I loved, but that would also give me the flexibility to be with my daughter and the rest of my family while she is getting her hospital treatments. I’m investing time up front, that will hopefully pay off in the future, because as she grows up there may be challenges that require me to have extended periods of time away from work to care for her. Jump! will hopefully be at a point where it can sustain our family financially while I’m where I need to be.”

Aided by enrolling in Langara College’s Self-Employment program, and with two young children to look after, in 2007 Jennifer spent two years overall; from the development of her business plan, to creating the curriculum, training staff and designing and building the warm, attractive and functional space that Jump! calls home. On September 2,2008 Jump! opened its doors and almost immediately became a destination for kids and parents across Vancouver.

That plans are to bring the Jump! Gymnastics physical literacy program to as many kids as possible in the future, by opening new locations, as well as expanding the curriculum to include older kids and even adults. Says Jennifer, “There’s a real lack of comprehensive multi-age platforms in the community, ones that teach quality sports skills in a non-competitive environment.” As this plan progresses , she can already appreciate the positive effects of all her efforts. “It is so incredibly rewarding watching something you’ve dreamed of come to reality. It seems unbelievable.”

With her ambition, expertise, and energy focused on extending physical literacy skills to children everywhere, this WestCoast Mom’s success will be measured by not only her family’s happiness and financial stability, by by the legions of lifelong healthy people who have benefited from having the necessary foundation to be active for life.

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Read on, sister—we’ve got some great options that will make date night a reality for you.

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Read the full article at Yoyomama

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