"All activities are specifically

designed to stimulate the development of a child's gross motor skills,

fine motor skills and pre-reading skills." Moller said. "Brightly

colored balls and lambskin rugs stimulate a newborn's senses. Toddlers

develop their gross motor skills by running, jumping, and climbing, and

preschoolers explore the world of make-believe with songs, stories and

puppets."

One newcomer, 11-month-old

Spencer Turner, was dubious about crawling through a short, brightly colored

tunnel, even as his mom and grandma took turns beckoning on the other

side. Spencer perked up later, though, laughing gleefully as his mother

donned ladybug finger puppets and sang to him while the ladybug creeped

up the "tall grass" (Spencer's leg) and tickled him behind

his ear. Two-year-old Bryce Jankowski, a repeat customer, is a bold conqueror

of egg tunnels and an enthusiastic bubble popper.

"He loves it," his

mother, Dawn, said as she watched her son through a dizzying barrage of

bubbles. "He was really excited when I told him we were coming today."

"Popping bubbles helps

develop visual tracking, hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills,"

Moller stated as she showered each child in turn with her bubble gun.

"Plus, it's just plain fun!"

The idea is to give babies

lots of sensory stimulation, according to M�ller. Babies are flooded with

sights and sounds, but in a structured way and with parents present, to

avoid frightening them. "After a couple of weeks, they get familiar

with the routine and know what to expect."

And parents learn, as well.

Each class includes a brief discussion on issues arising at various developmental

stages.

"Talking about our experiences

with establishing bedtime routines, encouraging a picky toddler to try

new foods, or handling temper tantrums allows parents to learn from one

another, and often share a laugh", M�ller says. "It's nice

to hear someone else's tale of the earth-shaking meltdown at the

crowded grocery store, or that you weren't the only one up at 3 a.m.,

convincing your toddler that play time is still a few hours away!"

M�ller invites all interested

parents to bring their child to kidFun Gym for a free introductory class.

Contact 678-662-4281, or visit www.kidfungym.com.