Great Play of Fairfax invited me to bring my three year old in for a trial class, which was brave of them, since he’s a hoodlum. I said I’d be delighted to do a review. (If you’d like to do a free trial class too, you can contact them to set one up. I was not in any way compensated for this review, and what follows is a completely honest and probably overly long assessment of our experience, because we had so much fun it’s hard to get it all on one page.) My little man was ON THE JOB and ready to let us all know what he thought. He’s a very thorough and enthusiastic activity tester. He’s available for loan. FYI.
Once inside, the place is bright, decorated in fun colors, and extremely clean. The entry way is big enough to prevent bottlenecks at class time. (If you’ve ever been carrying a baby while your other kid takes off running away from you, then you understand my enthusiasm for good entry/exit layouts.) The shoe cubby and “waiting” area is also spacious and well laid out. There are seats and a table, so if you have siblings along there is space for them to color or do a quiet play activity, and plenty of room for you to pay bills or get a little work done if you’re not needed in the class with your kid. (This depends on their age- check the schedule for more information.)
When we went to check out the play area itself, I was delighted to discover that it is arranged in activity stations! If you don’t think that’s wonderful news, then you’ve never had the misfortune of taking an active, inquisitive kiddo to a class or activity where there was no prepared space plan. Activity stations provide flexibility and a way to subtly direct learning that also lets kids explore at their own pace. I am a huge, huge, HUGE fan of this type of class, and Great Play of Fairfax did not disappoint. The class time is a combination of structured time and self directed participation in the activity stations- a perfect introduction to the “class” environment for a kiddo who, as I say, has never done one before.
I need, at this point, to give a HUGE shout out to the Great Play staff AND whoever has trained them. They did an outstanding job. They were good at managing the class and showing the children the activities. More importantly, their expectations of the children were very much developmentally appropriate. They were unfailingly bright, enthusiastic, positive, and gentle. I say this as the mom of the “Always Getting Out Of Line” kid. (I did say he is a very THOROUGH companion.)
The class opened and closed with circle time, and in addition to the activity stations time, they also played several games that had them all dashing around the room and laughing happily. Before the closing circle, there was a completely brilliant wind down activity: Building with blocks and Pop-Ems.
This class was an excellent opportunity, not only for my little guy to have a good time, but also to practice turn taking, following directions, and following simple rules. It also offered lots of opportunities for developing interactive play and exploring physical skills in a safe, friendly environment. (He’d have been perfectly happy to ride the little car down the ramp for the rest of the day! And I didn’t worry that we’d need the first aid kit even one time… which was a nice change!)
We had no trouble finding the location or parking (for free) in the garage. That meant our entire experience, from start to finish, was friction free. We both had a fantastic time, and after all that fun, naptime was a breeze. In addition to classes for various age groups up to 5th grade, they also offer summer camps, open play, and birthday parties. For more information or a schedule of their offerings, be sure to visit their website.
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