DAILY VACATIONER: Daily Vacationer Jr: Kid Fit Preview at the Garden State Discovery Museum

The Garden State Discovery Museum has recently been partnering with more and more local companies and organizations to bring exclusive experiences and classes to their already amazing facility. This summer they hosted a variety of programs for different ages and interests (can't WAIT to see what they offer next summer and during the year). We had the chance to check out one of the KidVenture classes run by Brian Hurley of Kid Fit. We LOVED it and were thrilled to learn that Kid Fit is actually opening its own gym RIGHT NEXT TO THE GARDEN STATE DISCOVERY MUSEUM THIS FALL!!

As adults who go to a lot of children's events and locations, we see first hand the importance of starting kids as early as possible in the pattern of a healthy lifestyle. Little ones have a lot more energy than the rest of us, so instilling in them a love of moving and physically doing while it's still simple and fun is very, very important. And Kid Fit is all about making things fun. We attended the Toddle and Tumble class for ages 2-4 and got to see children attempt gymnastic basics like different kinds of rolls, the high bar, and the balance beam (which was super exciting after these past Summer Olympics!), but they also got to run around with active games like "Clean Up the Yard" and just shooting hoops with whatever sized ball came their way. Everyone broke a sweat at some point but not one kid noticed.

Something we especially love about Kid Fit is how Brian doesn't just give attention to being active and getting physical exercise, but he also gives kids a place to gain confidence in themselves while discovering what their body is capable of. The instructors were all very encouraging (we liked how they addressed the participants instead of their caregivers) and any attempt was deemed a success. The whole group observed and cheered on each other in turn teaching patience and empathy, and then toward the end they got to interact more with their peers during a couple of team activities.

The Garden State Discovery Museum is extending its preview classes for Kid Fit into September. Four cool programs are being offered on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays (Tiny Tumblers, Junior Gym, Superhero Academy, and Ninja Training - seriously, how fun are these??) with overlapping age ranges to best fit your child's own personal skill level. We cannot wait to see what Brian Hurley does with Kid Fit once the new facility opens since just the preview in the Museum's Sport Zone gets a big two thumbs up from Daily Vacationer Jr!