The Little Gym Upper Westside
Overview
Expert Summary
Detailed Insights
The Little Gym Upper Westside offers a highly supportive and engaging environment for children to develop tumbling skills and 'get their wiggles out', with a strong focus on individual progress and a child-centered approach. It's particularly lauded for its exceptionally well-organized birthday parties, even for large groups, and for its committed, patient, and enthusiastic staff in classes. While generally offering a safe and loving atmosphere, a recent concern about potential employee mistreatment has been raised, which one parent felt could create a hostile environment.
Key Highlights
- ✓Birthday parties (e.g., a 6th birthday party) are run exceptionally smoothly, even for very large groups (up to 35 kids for a drop-off party).
- ✓The party planning process is excellent, characterized by a responsive and easy-to-work-with director (Sarah).
- ✓Creates an explicitly 'safe, loving, and open environment' for children.
- ✓Staff demonstrate 'unrivaled commitment and patience', actively getting to know children individually.
- ✓Staff excel at recognizing children's progress against their own benchmarks, embodying a truly child-centered philosophy.
- ✓Classes offer an effective combination of structured activities and free play.
- ✓Specific instructors (e.g., Jordan) are highly praised for their enthusiasm, excellent lesson plan execution, and wonderful rapport with children.
- ✓Kids are consistently 'so excited to come to class and twirl around'.
- ✓Provides a great opportunity for caregivers and 'little ones' to enjoy fun and 'get the wiggles out' together.
Standout Features
- ⭐The responsiveness and ease of working with Director Sarah for party planning.
- ⭐The staff's exceptional commitment, patience, and individualized attention to children.
- ⭐A child-centered approach that prioritizes individual progress and allows kids to 'make mistakes, tumble, grow, and thrive'.
- ⭐Class structure that effectively blends structured activities with free play for engaging learning.
- ⭐Highly enthusiastic, effective, and child-friendly instructors (e.g., Jordan).
Perfect For
Ideal For
💡Pro Tips from Reviews
- →Consider booking for birthday parties, especially if you anticipate a large guest list (can smoothly handle 35 kids for drop-off parties).
- →When planning a party, communicate directly with Director Sarah for a smooth and responsive experience.
- →If the reported concern about employee mistreatment impacts your decision, you might observe staff interactions during your visit or inquire about management practices.
Things to Consider
- ⚠One parent reported observing an employee being mistreated, specifically overhearing management or a coworker reprimanding her in a 'belittling' way.
- ⚠The same concerned parent expressed worry that if employee mistreatment continues, it could foster a 'hostile environment' and make them question the safety of leaving their children there.
Price & Value
Specific pricing information is not provided in the reviews. However, the consistent high praise for birthday party experiences (even for large groups) and ongoing class quality, coupled with detailed positive feedback on staff engagement and individualized attention, suggests a high perceived value for the cost.
♿Accessibility & Special Needs
- •No specific accessibility accommodations are mentioned in the reviews.
🍎Food & Drink Policy
- •A 'dropoff party' is mentioned, which typically implies no parent-provided food, but no explicit rules regarding outside food or snack policies for classes or parties are detailed in the reviews.
🚗Parking Info
- •No information regarding parking availability, ease, or cost is mentioned in the reviews.
👥Crowd Levels
- •Demonstrated ability to smoothly manage a 'very big group (35 kids)' for a birthday party, indicating good capacity handling for events. No general crowd level information for regular classes or open play is available.
🛡️Safety Features
- •Explicitly described as creating a 'safe, loving, and open environment' for children.
- •Staff ensured a 'very big group' birthday event ran 'so smoothly', implying strong supervision and event management.
- •The staff's commitment and patience are noted to contribute to a nurturing and secure atmosphere.
- •A concern was raised by one parent that a 'hostile environment' (due to perceived employee mistreatment) could potentially compromise the feeling of safety, although no direct child safety incidents were reported.
⏰When to Avoid
- • No specific times or situations to avoid are mentioned directly in the reviews, beyond the general caution regarding a potentially hostile work environment raised in one review.
Pricing/Package/Events
Pricing & Packages
Monthly Membership
$210.00/mo.Duration: Monthly
Includes 1 class per week.
Includes:
- •1 class per week
- •Complimentary Member Events
- •10% off Gym Programs (Camps and Parent Survival Nights)
- •10% off Birthday Parties
12-Month Membership
$189.00/mo.Duration: 12-Month Commitment
Includes 1 class per week.
Includes:
- •1 class per week
- •Complimentary Member Events
- •10% off Gym Programs (Camps and Parent Survival Nights)
- •10% off Birthday Parties
Premium Monthly Membership
$399.00/mo.Duration: Monthly
Includes 2 classes per week.
Includes:
- •2 classes per week
- •Complimentary Member Events
- •10% off Gym Programs (Camps and Parent Survival Nights)
- •10% off Birthday Parties
Events & Schedule
Special Events(Last 2 months - Next 6 months)
Birthday Parties
Contact for booking
Members get 10% off
Mix of free-flowing fun and planned activities. Named Best Gym Party by Parents Magazine.
Complimentary Member Events
Regularly scheduled
Free for members
Members-only events filled with fun for parents and kids.
Camps
Refer to 'Gym Programs'
Members get 10% off
Enrichment and playtime for kids.
Parent Survival Nights Event
Refer to 'Gym Programs'
Members get 10% off
Enrichment and playtime for kids.
🛡️Safety Policy
- • Waiver required before visit.
📅Booking Policy
- • Enrollment system to select classes.
- • Contact team for waitlist options if class has no current availability.
- • Gym is open to registered members and party guests only.
- • Schedule a tour or introductory class by contacting the gym.
What People Say
What's Great
- Safe environment for children (mentioned in 2 reviews)
- Fun and entertaining activities (mentioned in 4 reviews)
- Great for birthday parties (mentioned in 3 reviews)
Recent Reviews
Rebecca Greif
2 years agoMy daughter just had her 6th birthday party at the Little Gym and it was wonderful! It was a very big group (35 kids for a dropoff party) and the staff ran the whole event so smoothly! It was so much fun! The planning process was also great - Sarah (the director) is so responsive and easy to work with. I highly recommend. It!
Candy Seeks
a year agoI’ve been taking my children to the little gym for a very long time & I usually have nothing but amazing things to say but recently I noticed an employee there getting mistreated. This girl is so sweet with my kids. They love her, yet every time I pick my kids up I see the same employee getting treated unfairly, I overheard management or a coworker reprimanding her in a way I thought was belittling & I was so shocked. This isn’t the little gym I’ve grown to know & love. Things are different now & I actually love all of you but the mistreatment of your employees that actually really love their job is simply unacceptable. I hope this doesn’t cause trouble for the girl but I really just wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t speak up. Please change the way you are treating your employees. I love taking my kids to the gym but if this continues to go on I don’t think I’d feel safe leaving my children around a hostile environment. ~ A concerned parent.
Karen White
2 years agoThe entire team at Little Gym UWS has created a safe, loving, and open environment for our children. The commitment and patience they demonstrate is unrivaled. This is a fun place for kids to be kids, make mistakes, tumble, grow, and thrive. Little Gym staff take the time to get to know our children, meet them where they are and recognize their progress against their own benchmarks. I am eternally grateful for their ability to see my child as a child and an individual in a world that is often filled with those who talk the talk but don't walk the walk on being child-centered.
Yehuda Kirschenbaum
8 months agoThe little gym is perfect for tumblers of all ages. The staff here are great and my kids are so excited to come to class and twirl around.
Erica Wanis
8 years agoThe Little Gym UWS offers a great opportunity for caregivers and little ones to enjoy some fun and get the wiggles out. The classes offer a great combination of structured activities and free play, and the lead instructor, Jordan, is full of enthusiasm, excellent at executing his lesson plan, and simply wonderful with children. My daughter and I have really enjoyed our experience and plan to continue attending.