Without exercise, children will never build the strength to cut their own sandwich crusts or tear geometry books in half with their bare hands. Foster childhood vigor with today’s Groupon: for $49, you get eight weeks of swim lessons for one child at Twigs Kids in West Carrollton (a $100 value).
At Twigs Kids, children ages 3–18 learn aquatic skills, practice basic technique, and hone advanced swim strokes in eight-week sessions through the Dolphin Cove Swim School. Gleeful shrieks fill the indoor pool in the weekly sessions under the watchful eye of instructors, who illustrate four distinct competition strokes and two strokes aimed to bolster survival skills. Five classes cater to all levels of paddler, pairing youngsters starting from scratch with their peers, and moving all the way up to experienced children whose bodies are composed more than 90% of water.
The pool is heated to a comfortable 88 degrees, and the glittering waters range in depth from 3 to 4 feet, making it less intimidating than its full-size cousins. Kickboards and other gear leap into lessons to keep them from becoming dull, and each instructor is in charge of no more than five slippery pupils, allowing them to respond quickly during emergency sightings of Marco Polo.
TWIGS Kids
Founded in 1972 as a gymnastics club, TWIGS Kids now resides in a sprawling 20,000-square-foot facility staffed by enthused staffers. The gym’s name, which stands for True Winners in God’s Service, reflects its mission of providing gymnastics, swimming, and cheer activities and instruction for kids ages 3–18 in a Christian environment. Cheer and gymnastics lessons simultaneously bolster students’ flexibility, coordination, confidence, and ability to best invisible friends in monkey-bar competitions. Amid the heated waters of Dolphin Cove, teachers and pupils soak their feet while lifting floating barbells and riding noodle floats during swimming lessons. An in-house café welcomes visitors to recharge their empty fuel tanks with refreshing snacks, while a gift shop displays colorful gym attire from designers including GK Elite Sportswear and Melody Leotards.
