Mommy and me classes, also known as parent and me classes, are family-friendly activities that promote bonding between a parent and a child (or two). You can typically find these classes at your local community center, library, or park as well as activity and learning destinations for kids. In the Ellisville area, there are many fun parent-and-me activities you can do with your children, no matter how young they are or what interests you both have. Here are five awesome places to take a parent and me class in and around Ellisville, Missouri.

Parkway-Rockwood Community Ed

“Family Swim” licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Flickr by Stephanie Riddell

The Parkway-Rockwood Community Education organization partners with local schools to host fun and educational events for kids of all ages and parents, too! This organization provides regular family events where kids and parents get together to bake treats, do crafts, build LEGO sculptures, paint beautiful art from different cultures, make homemade pizza, and more. You and your kids can even attend a parent-and-me pajama party where you’ll play board games, eat ice cream sundaes, and make new friends. 

In addition to one-off activities, Parkway-Rockwood Community Ed also offers swimming lessons for kids of all ages. To get in the water with your tots, sign up for the multi-week parent-child swim classes that have you both learning proper kids’ swimming techniques and water safety tips, singing songs, and playing games in the water together.

To attend any of these events, you can register online and head to the local school where the event is being held.

GymStars

GymStars is a gymnastics and tumbling gym that offers classes, camps, and special events to kids of all ages. And while you can sign your children up for tumbling and gymnastics lessons, you can join in the fun by attending a parent-tot preschool class. There are two levels based on age group, and each level teaches young gymnasts introductory moves that improve strength, balance, flexibility, and more. 

The Tumble Bear Gymnastics I class is for kids ages 2 to 3 years old, and it emphasizes parent and child cooperation to learn basic gymnastics moves and skills. The class also focuses on helping children develop skills in listening, cooperation, and patience. On the other hand, Tumble Bear Gymnastics II is for kids ages 4 to 5 years old, and this class focuses on slightly more advanced gymnastics moves while building confidence, agility, coordination, and sportsmanship skills.

Once you sign up for a class, you can head to 210 Weiss Ave. in nearby St. Louis for your parent-and-me class!

KidsWorld Gymnastics

North of Ellisville in Hazelwood is KidsWorld Gymnastics, a local gymnastics gym that also offers parent-and-me classes for kids. Preschool-aged children up to 3 years old will love spending time tumbling, jumping, and climbing alongside you in the You & Me class. Help your little gymnast complete the different high-energy circuits of rolls, tucks, jumps, and hangs. Most of the class is guided, where instructors and coaches lead you and your kid through the moves. But then, you and your kiddo get free gym time where you can practice what you’ve just learned. 

After taking a few You & Me classes, your little gymnast might be ready to do classes all on their own to learn more advanced movements and improve their skills. You can find KidsWorld Gymnastics at 8701 Dunn Road in nearby Hazelwood.

Miss Kelly’s Gym

Miss Kelly’s Gym is another local gymnastics gym that offers parent-and-child classes for you and your kid to take part in alongside other families. This class is 45 minutes of learning how to perform elementary gymnastics moves, doing aerobics, singing songs, and completing activities and games as a group. Some classes even incorporate bubbles to make running and jumping that much more fun.

What’s special about Miss Kelly’s Gym classes is that groups are broken up into age groups, and even tots as young as 10 months old can participate in these simple yet fun bonding experiences. The Cubs class is for gymnasts 10 to 18 months old. Little Bears is for kids 18 months old to 2.5 years old. Kids 2.5 years old to 3 years old are Super Bears. Getting your kids involved in simple gymnastics at a young age can promote flexibility, strength, balance, and more physical qualities that are important for growing children.

Classes are available throughout the day, including morning and evening classes, so you can find a class that fits your family’s schedule. Miss Kelly’s Gym is located at 12802 Olive Blvd., Bellerive Plaza, in nearby Creve Coeur.

Laumeier Sculpture Park

Show your artistic side during a family workshop at Laumeier Sculpture Park. In these classes, you and your kiddo can explore nature and practice different types of art at the same time. Plus, there is a wide variety of activities to choose from, so you can find one that suits both of your interests.

This park often hosts a joint hike-and-art project event where you go on a guided hike, learn about the native fauna and flora, and collect materials like berries, twigs, and leaves. After the hike, you and your child use the natural materials to create an awesome and unique piece of natural art. Other activities include making a family tree, creating wall art, trimming trees in cool shapes, and much more. The park also hosts other educational events, like clay classes to learn the basics of sculpting, which you can also attend with your little artist.

All of the events are affordable and perfect for a variety of ages. And after you complete an event, consider sticking around the park to explore the outdoor sculptures and hike around the park to see some truly interesting artworks. You can find Laumeier Sculpture Park at 12580 Rott Road in nearby St. Louis. 

So there you have it, five local places to take a parent and me class with your kiddos. Did we miss your favorite parent and me class that you love to take your children to? If so, let us know, and we’ll be sure to add it to our growing list!