What is GymbaROO?

"Well to be honest, when you strip it all down, when you take away the fun children are having, when you take away the development benefits for the children - GymbaROO is really about parent/carer education."(Margaret Sasse: Founder of GymbaROO)

There is a direct relationship between activities and the stimulation children receive when they are babies and very young children and their ability to do well at school. This is supported and borne out by extensive research. It has been shown that children's neuro physiological development is vital for their ability to read and learn, and GymbaROO provides a fun filled platform for parents and carers to gain greater knowledge of what this entails in order to maximise their childs development.

"Children are developing 24 x 7" not just for 45 minutes a week at GymbaROO, so what we really try to do is provide parents/carers with activities that can be done at home for the rest of the week. It is not just about providing activities, but also the "how and why" those activities help the brain develop. We have a different handout every week for every different development group. All teachers must be tertiary qualified (vs. gym or swimming instructors) before even being accepted for GymbaROO training - they need to learn and understand all about neuro physiological development and then be able to communicate this to you little by little - as you need it. We also explore important issues such as, balance, posture and motor development, as well as their importance to overall development.

Gymbaroo’s equipment is specifically designed by GymbaROO (where designs have evolved over 23 years of experience), and built to Gymbaroo’s specifications, to maximize the neuro-physiological developmental benefits of 0-5 year olds in the Gymbaroo environment.

Having said all this, we understand that it does not matter how good it is for the children, we know you will not come back if little Johnny/Emily does not demand to come back - so layered over the top of the parental information backbone is a weekly theme with games and fun for children. Each week an object from the theme is discussed and activities performed to customised music.

 GymbaROO is NOT!

A playgroup/ mother's group/ day-care facility etc, where children are left to their own devices, under a somewhat controlled environment.

It is a time where you as a parent/carer have one-on-one time together with your child doing activities and learning new skills, it just happens to be that other parents/carers and their children are in the same environment and learning with you.

 Who should attend GymbaROO?

All parents/carers wishing to maximise the neuro physiological development of their children. GymbaROO Classes have been professionally designed and structured to cater for babies from as young as 6 weeks, right up to children around 5 years old.

 How many people attend GymbaROO?

Australia wide 10,000 children attend a GymbaROO class every week".

"Australiasia wide 11,000 children attend every week" (this includes N.Z. and other international territories such as Hong Kong & China, Hungary, Korea and Turkey). Australia's' population is about 20 Million, so when you consider that parents/carers attend as well, this really means that one in every thousand people in Australia attend a GymbaROO class every week......and we are still growing after 24 years.

 How long are the classes?

Typically 45Mins - but they can vary from centre to centre and vary with development stage.

 How much does it cost?

It varies from centre to centre. Please contact your local centre to find out.

 What does this include?

Fees include a visualisation , weekly handouts, and the use of specially designed equipment, hall rental, public liability insurance and most importantly parent/carer education and knowledge of neuro physiological development.

 What happens during a class?

Half the class is spent with music, dance, instruments and parachutes, featuring strength exercises and gross or fine motor development. The remainder of the class is "free-time" for the children to practise their "motor" skills on specially designed equipment.

 Can anyone join in?

No, only children who have enrolled may participate.

Parents/Carers are encouraged to make alternate arrangements for siblings, as the classes are age/development appropriate and the program is designed for 45 minutes of one-on-one time between you and your child. This is however a child friendly environment and if alternate arrangements cannot be made please discuss this with us and we will do our best to accommodate everyone's needs.

 What happens if I miss a class?

There are many valid reasons for which people miss a class, and therefore there is a system in place whereby you can do a make-up class. We would be happy to facilitate rescheduling your time, but please be aware that make-up classes do have some conditions:

Make-ups can only be done:

• "in the term that you are booked in, and are not transferable to other terms for insurance and logistics reasons.

• "if there is space available in other classes.

• "on a maximum of 2 occasions in any one term.

 Do I have wait for the start of a term?

No, the program has been designed so that you can join at anytime and you will not lose out on any information as repetition occurs in the form of differing activities and themes.

 How do I enrol?

Contact your local centre and they will tell you how to enrol with them.

 How many children in a class?

It depends on the centre. It ranges from 12 - 18..

 What qualifications does the teacher have?

Gymbaroo requires teachers to have completed a three year tertiary qualifaction before being accepted to study neuro-physiological development and be trained as a Gymbaroo teacher. Teachers are expected to participate in regular professional development evenings and undertake ongoing study in neuro-physiological development of children.' Assistants are also expected to understand the fundamental rationale underpinning Gymbaroo's program and have sufficient understanding of neuro-physiological development to be able to contribute meaningfully to the session.

 How long has GymbaROO been operating?

GymbaROO has been operating as a business for 24 years.

 How many centres are there?

In Australia alone there are currently 69 Centres.

 What if I have other Questions?

If you have any other questions you may have these answered by e-mailing office@gymbaroo.com.au or calling 1800 559 426.