STORE AROUND THE CORNER: Kids Activity Center

After getting laid off from his job as a mechanical engineer a little more than a year ago, Robert Bain decided to reinvent himself.

With the help of his daughter, Christen Wolfinger, and his son, Rob, Bain opened Kids Activity Center, located at 8440 Cooper Creek Blvd., Suite 102, University Park, last August.

Kids Activity Center offers activity and development classes for children ages one month to 8 years old. The majority of the classes focus on teaching motor, social and other skills through gymnastics. 

“This is the most satisfying job I’ve ever had,” Bain said. “Even the smaller ages … at the end of a 10-week class you notice a difference in their skill level and capabilities. It’s amazingly rewarding. Not that my other (career) wasn’t rewarding, but this is rewarding in a different way.”

Gymnastics classes range in age from the Baby Balooga class, which is a mommy and me class designed for children ages 1 to 12 months, to school-age gymnastics, which is a non-competitive gymnastics class that focuses on teaching gymnastics skills while making sure the kids have fun.

However, while the Kids Activity Center isn’t a competitive gymnastics facility, each of its instructors are certified in tumbling and follow the same terms, forms and guidelines as a competitive gymnastics facility.

“We basically are not a play center,” Bain said. “We are actually using real gymnastics and skills. We are not competitive, but we use the same terms and forms. We just don’t push the child harder that he or she wants to be pushed.

“We focus on motor skill and creative skill development,” he added.

In addition to its gymnastics classes, the Kids Activity Center also offers a sports skills class for children ages 3 to 8, which teaches three sports skills every session, an arts and music class and a cheerleading class, among others. Each of the structured classes, which have a specific written curriculum and skill set, is held once a week for an hour.

The Kids Activity Center also offers two-hour open play sessions twice a week and Kids Night Out events the first and third Saturday of the month during which parents can drop off their children for an evening of gymnastics, art projects, pizza and other activities.

“We basically become a babysitting service,” Bain said. “It’s a good alternative to traditional babysitting because the children aren’t just sitting in front of the TV set with junk food.”

Those interested in learning more about the Kids Activity Center can sign up for one of the business’ free trial classes. For more information visit www.KidsActivityCenter.com or call 355-7800.

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].

BASICS
Kids Activity Center
Owner: Robert Bain
Address: 8440 Cooper Creek Blvd., Suite 102, University Park
Phone: 355-7800
Hours: 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday through Friday; 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., Saturday
Website: www.KidsActivityCenter.com
What makes the business unique: The family-operated business focuses on motor and creative skill development through the use of non-competitive gymnastics.