For the past 25 years, North Shore children between the ages of 2 and 6 have been waking up and asking, “Is it Kid-Motion Day?”
Mary Rogers and Kate Shapiro founded Kid-Motion in 1986. At that time they worked out of the Winnetka Community House as a subset of Pam Phillips Fitness. After 15 years, they moved to their own space at 732 Elm Street in Winnetka, where they’ve been having fun playing with children for the last 10 years.
Kate Shapiro, who along with Mary Rogers teaches the majority of classes at Kid-Motion, says, “Children learn through movement and should have planned opportunities to develop physical skills. We believe that presenting children with age-appropriate movement challenges in a constructive, positive way begins to lay a foundation for more complex skill development and academic learning.”
Kid-Motion has been offering 23 classes per week for the last 10 years. A typical class begins with free play based on the theme of the week, followed by circle time, which further reinforces the theme and might include songs, musical instruments, the parachute, a game, or a piece of new equipment. An important component of the afternoon classes is the obstacle course, which is led by a chosen leader each week. The obstacle course helps develop skills on each piece of equipment as well as creating a magical adventure through the room. Some classes move to another room for fine motor activities with blocks, cars, and puzzles and enjoy exploring their creativity through various art activities.
Kate Shapiro adds, “Kid-Motion teaches readiness skills such as sequencing and patterning, which will help with their social and cognitive development. We provide a safe place where children can try new things and then try again. Safety is our only rule.” Mary Rogers states, “It has been an amazing experience to have created a program that has been loved by so many children. It is a pleasure watching children master a new skill and see the pure joy on their faces.”
Kid-Motion staff is known for their long-term commitment. Many have been with the program 10 to 20 years. Each teacher must train for 1 year with either Mrs. Shapiro or Mrs. Rogers.
The week of April 25 was “Birthday Week” at Kid-Motion. The children celebrated 25 years of fun and learning with traditional birthday party games and a birthday snack. For more information, including details about Kid-Motion’s annual fall registration at the Winnetka Bible Church on May 14th, go to www.kidmotion.biz or call 847-251-8984.