My First Gym, Hawthorne

Around the 7-12~ month mark, you might notice that your little one starts to show signs of needing to burn off some serious energy, and My First Gym is the perfect place to do just that. There are various My First Gyms across the country, but my experiences have been at the Bulimba location in QLD and the Hume location in ACT, where we participated in the Baby Explorers session. During the trials, I appreciated that the setup changes with each class, keeping things interesting. The environments are bright, modern, and comfortable, and the staff are super friendly. Just a heads up—expect a diligent follow-up call from their sales team! Classes typically start with kids and caregivers (depending on age) sitting in a circle to do a couple of activities before the music comes on, signalling the time to explore the soft play circuits.

If your little one is walking, they’ll have a blast navigating all the soft equipment. In Bulimba, there’s also a free play area near the reception, which is great for less structured play. The gym is conveniently located close to ovals, coffee shops, and parks, making it easy to make the most of your morning. Here are two key things I want to share with Ants Pants readers about My First Gym:

1. If you can sign up for a term, that's fantastic! But if you can't commit, don’t write it off. You can visit the venue for casual play, although it comes at a premium. This is a great backup plan for a rainy day or if you want a tamer alternative to MiniBounce.

2. My First Gym also offers a Drop & Run program. With great restaurants in the Bulimba area, I can’t wait for my little one to be a bit older so my husband and I can go on a date night and embrace this offering!

I wasn't able to sign up for a term myself at the time due to my busy pool-hopping schedule, but I would consider it in the future if I’m looking for an easy-going, stress-free weekly activity.