Moving with mommy
Moms and kids workout together during creative movement class
By Libby McNamee CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Kristie Sivells and her three-year-old daughter, Megan, get in a workout during a "Creative Movement with Mommy and Me" class.

For Karen Brady, the "Creative Movement with Mommy and Me" class offered by Chesterfield Parks and Recreation Department is a hidden gem.

"I hate to tell you how great the class is because I'm afraid it will become overcrowded," Brady reluctantly confessed with a chuckle. "The kids have an absolute field day, and the parents are as into it as the kids. We just love it."

Located in a roomy gymnasium, the 45-minute class for moms and kids ages 18 months to four years old follows an established weekly pattern with both parent and child participating equally. Class begins with a warm-up followed by a familiar repetition of singing, dancing, jumping, marching and clapping.

Every week, the class sings a favorite song about animals in which participants have fun acting and sounding out various animals. It gives parents a break from the seriousness of adulthood. After all, where else can an adult act like a frog, dinosaur, elephant, snake and bumblebee all in a row?

Pagel

Then the instructor, Kelly Pagel, brings out an assortment of scarves to foster the children's creativity and imagination. The children drape them over their faces and bodies for a fanciful session of peek-a-boo. The class ends on a positive note with each exhausted child receiving a sticker.

In the future, Pagel plans to incorporate several children's yoga postures into the program, including sitting quietly and working on breathing techniques.

"It is a great chance for kids to connect with other kids, learn to share and develop a sense of where they are in space. At the same time, they are improving their motor skills," explained Pagel.

"It is a great opportunity for moms to interact," she continued. "It is as much social for the moms as it is physical for the kids. And the kids get all tired out and take a good nap afterwards! As a parent, you get to be a kid again and relive your childhood."

Pagel brings with her a wealth of experience in fitness training as well as a remarkably friendly and outgoing personality. She has an undergraduate degree in exercise science and a master's degree in health education. In addition, she is a certified fitness instructor through the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America as well as a certified pilates and yoga instructor.

Pagel even has a volunteer "helper," her precocious three-year-old daughter, Sarah, who is an active participant. "Sometimes she thinks she's the teacher too," Pagel chuckled.

Get moving with mommy

The Chesterfield Parks and Recreation Department has already scheduled three upcoming "Mommy and Me" sessions including Jan. 11-Feb. 15, Feb. 22-Mar. 22 and Mar. 29-Apr. 26. All classes are held on Thursdays from 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. at the Bensley Community Building, 2900 Drewry's Bluff Road off Route 1. Maximum class size is 15 children and their mothers. There is a small fee for the course. To register, call 275-5321. For more information, visit www.chesterfield. gov/humanservices/ parksandrecreation/bensleycc.asp.