The Little Gym

We attended a trial class for 15 KD, and it was completely chaotic. There were over 40 people in the room; children, parents, and nannies. This far exceeded the number of available equipment, so many kids couldn’t participate properly. The instructor tried her best during “circle time,” but with such an overcrowded room, it was nearly impossible to manage. When I raised my concerns after the lesson, I was told that the maximum class size is 18 children plus adults, meaning it could have been even more crowded than this!!

⚠️ Our Disappointing Experience with Little Gym.. A Warning for Parents 🤘🏼We decided to enroll our 4.5-year-old daughter to Little Gym because it seemed close to home, colorful, and professional. Their social media showed experienced teachers, smiling children, and well-structured sessions. At first, everything looked promising.. However, after six visits, we realized the reality was very different and unfortunately unsafe for daughter..First of all, children are not grouped by age. In the same class, there are 2-year-olds and 10-year-olds together. From a pedagogical and safety perspective, this is simply wrong. The physical and emotional needs of a toddler cannot be compared to those of an older child. In sports like gymnastics, swimming, or boxing, this lack of age separation creates chaos, confusion, and potential danger. One teacher is often left alone with around 20 children, which is impossible to manage safely. For comparison, at my daughter’s regular school, a class of 15 children has a teacher, an assistant, and two helpers.. At Little Gym, the ratio and system were completely unprofessional..Secondly, the program is advertised as structured and educational, but in reality, it is more of an entertainment facility to keep children occupied for four hours. Swimming lessons, for example, do not teach swimming – children are given floaties and allowed to play in shallow water with slides. While fun is important, the professional sports education is misleading..The most concerning issue happened during our daughter’s 6th visit. She was given a “time out” during class. While we accept that time outs can sometimes be used as a teaching tool, the way it was applied here was completely inappropriate. Instead of guiding her within the class, she was removed to a reception area with no security, no receptionist, and no staff supervision, just a few nannies waiting for other children. If her nanny had not been present, our daughter could have easily walked out of the building unnoticed. This is a serious safety risk.Later, when her nanny tried to return her to the class, the male teacher waved dismissively with a hand gesture instead of communicating respectfully in English. Eventually, she was denied re-entry with the explanation that she was still “punished.” Our daughter was excluded twice from classes that day, not because of any clear aggression, but because she was said to be “pushing” smaller children. We do not deny that she may have pushed another child, but we strongly believe it was not intentional harm – rather an instinctive way to protect her personal space when younger children crowded her. She is a very social child, with many younger friends, and in her school she has never received any negative feedback such as biting or intentional hitting.The way this “time out” was handled at Little Gym was not educational, it was exclusionary and unsafe. Moreover, when we asked for clarification, the female teacher raised her voice at us on the phone, accusing our daughter of behaviors that we know are untrue (such as biting). This defensive and aggressive communication showed a complete lack of professionalism.Lastly, during enrollment, Little Gym strongly emphasized that “no refunds” would ever be possible. At the time, we did not question it. Now, after our experience, we believe this strict policy exists because other families have faced similar problems in the past and withdrew their children. Instead of listening to parents and improving their system, they prefer to protect themselves financially.We are not writing this to ask for money back. Our only purpose is to warn other families so they do not experience the same disappointment. What we witnessed at Little Gym was unsafe, pedagogically incorrect, and far from what was advertised.Children deserve a secure and respectful environment – unfortunately, Little Gym failed to provide that.I hope this helps other parents make an informed decision before enrolling their children.