therapy

Stefanie Harrington a local Mom of three, a personal friend and incredibly talented maternity, birth, newborn and family photographer recently visited MOCO Movement with her toddler and joined the Kids in Motion class.

This month, my daughter and I felt lucky to participate in the Kids in Motion class at the MOCO Movement Center located at 5268A Nicholson Lane, Rockville, MD. I wasn’t familiar with MOCO Movement Center so, in a nutshell, it offers engaging movement classes for children ages 6 months to 12 years, along with occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech therapy by licensed therapists. They offer world class therapy services in a fully inclusive environment, alongside a sibling or peer taking a sports or movement class.

When we walked in, we found lots of books and toys at the entrance, which were a fun distraction for my two-year-old as we took off our shoes and socks (adults may leave their socks on). Ms. Taffany, one of the enthusiastic class instructors, welcomed us into the large gym space, where we could start with some free play. The other kids seem to attend class regularly so they were familiar with the space and already happily playing with toys, sliding or jumping on the trampolines, while we settled in.

After free play, the kids followed along as Ms. Taffany led them through songs and different movements that were fun and age appropriate for the group. The instructors were really great about gently encouraging kids to participate – my daughter was a little unsure of herself while she explored, but Ms. Taffany quickly engaged her by showing her a small slide. My daughter also really enjoyed the music toys and the bubble dance at the end of class – so much so that she didn’t want to go home when the class was over… I was finally able to convince her to leave with me as the next class was starting by promising her that we would be back! Luckily there are several classes and times to choose from.

Classes offered at MOCO Movement:

MOCO Motion (Ages 3-12)
Participants use strength and balance on giant obstacle courses designed with over-sized blocks, tightrope-style lines, trampoline and suspension equipment to find novel and innovative ways to strengthen their bodies and push their limits. Trained instructors tailor classes to each child and help them acquire foundational skills such as jumping, skipping, climbing and running necessary to safely participate in a wide variety of physical activities in their daily lives.

Sports Fundamentals (Ages 3-12)
Prepping your child to get on the right track with a variety of sports. Each class focuses on the fundamental movement skills of each sport.

Move & Groove (Under age 5)
Music and movement class designed to encourage a child’s natural musical abilities in a safe, fun and supportive environment while exercising. Classes are divided into a class for children under two years of age and children ages two to five years old. Children, along with a parent or guardian, will be encouraged to sing, dance, climb on oversized blocks, roll down inclined mats, shake shakers, bang drums and toss scarves around. Instruments provided including castanets, triangles, guitar, boomwhackers, electric guitars, a drum kit, keyboard and many more.

Kids in Motion (Ages 6 months-5 years)
Children and caregivers participate in early learning and preschool activities while having fun in our obstacle course inspired gym. From circle time to the big adventure, our weekly themes incorporate movement, toy exploration and learning. Infants, toddlers, and preschoolers participate in strength and balance activates to acquire functional skills such as crawling, walking, jumping and climbing and dancing.

Sporty Tots (Ages 2-5)
A movement class that focuses on foundational sports skills for toddlers. Introduction to ball skills (throwing, catching, kicking..), stick handling within context of baseball, basketball, and soccer.

MOCO Movement Center offers world class therapy services in a fully inclusive environment, alongside a sibling or peer taking a sports or movement class. The center was founded by Dr. Andrea Santman because, “After years of providing therapy services for kids, I saw a huge need to offer classes to prep young kids for all of their physical activities ahead. Before throwing them into a sport like soccer, let’s show them the correct way to kick and handle a ball, allowing them to get comfortable before diving in full force.”

The center is equipped with everything from a synthetic ice rink, where kids can put on real ice skates and get acquainted with the skill, before trying it out on a full blown ice rink to a 15 foot climbing wall, allowing kids to test out rock climbing in a less intimidating atmosphere. The space also boasts a a basketball court, exciting obstacle course and simulated playground, where a child has endless opportunities to reach his or her goals. Class sizes range from 2-4 children allowing personalized attention and the freedom of a choose-your-own-adventure style class.

MOCO Movement Center’s Early Intervention program focuses on children at the development critical ages of 0 – 3 years. MOCO understands the importance of working with your child on a daily basis to accomplish their milestone goals. Their early intervention trained pediatric therapists have years of experience in development, childhood skills/occupations, language development and social interactions that impact growth and learning.

At MOCO, they use their expert knowledge of development in conjunction with the natural environment to encourage play and engage children to reach their developmental milestones. They work closely with parents and caregivers to develop goals, create plans of care and collaborate on strategies that support family and child-centered objectives, which encourage continued therapy even at home. They utilize a variety of environments including playgrounds, home and other community settings to encourage participation and support generalization of skills across all areas and settings.Their goal is to help children reach their developmental milestones so that they can move and play more independently, build social relationships through play and communication, and successfully transition and participate in school activities with peers.

Classes at MOCO are offered for babies through age 12. Children use thought, strength, and balance on MOCO’s giant obstacle courses designed with oversized blocks, tight-rope-style lines, trampolines, and suspension equipment to acquire foundational skills, including self-confidence and social interaction, and build sport and fitness skills. Classes provide a unique structured, child-driven curriculum guided by highly-trained staff including expert athletes, medical and educational specialists.

Summer Camp is offered to babies-age 10, half day as well as full day. The summer camp includes movement, music, arts & crafts, science, sports, state-of-the-art equipment, and an inclusive environment. Camps are non-therapeutic and do not have therapeutic goals, however, throughout the day they incorporate a variety of fine and gross motor skills and activities that encourage cooperative group environments. Birthday Parties are also a hit at MOCO Movement!

My children have taken a few classes here; Kids in Motion and Sports Fundamentals. The students/teacher ratio is unbelievable, the facility has a plethora of equipment and the fact that my 7 & 3 year old can take a class together is priceless. My kids leave the building and before we are in the car they are asking when they can come back. The teachers are extremely hands-on and take great care in having children go through movements and skills the appropriate and safe way. I don’t know of any other facility like this that welcomes all children to work alongside one another, no matter their need or skill level.

Location: 5268A Nicholson Lane Kensington, MD 20895

Giveaway: MOCO Movement is giving away one month of classes to a Bambino who is age 3 months to 10 years old (only one child per family). Enter on Beltway Bambinos Facebook page and Like MOCO Movement’s Facebook page– Bonus entry for commenting on Instagram. Winner will be announced May 30, 2018.

Review of MOCO Movement Kids in Motion Class

MOCO Movement offers therapy services in a fully inclusive environment + GIVEAWAY