Tag Archives: We Rock the Spectrum Kid’s Gym

Why Our Zip Line Rocks (Plus Sofia’s Other Favorites)

Blog, Franchise Opportunities, Media, New Owners, Our Friends, Resources Team, , , ,

Even if you haven’t been to We Rock the Spectrum, you might have heard that we have one particularly popular piece of equipment—the zip line!

It’s not hard to figure out that there are many adults who love to zip line—just go to an amusement park, cruise ship, or an outdoor adventure camp.  Unfortunately, there are a lot of restrictions on these zip lines that don’t allow kids to ride—especially not if they have special needs. That’s probably why it’s such an exciting part of the We Rock gym.

Why Kids Love The Zip Line

To get a better perspective of why kids love the zip line, we asked Sofia about it.  Sofia is our six year old daughter who gets to play in the gym almost every day!  The zip line is undoubtedly her favorite, but as you can see, she has more than one favorite.

When we asked what her favorite part about the zip line was, she said, “When you get to ride it, and ride and wait until it’s done.” It’s pretty simple—the best part about the zip line is that it is exciting!

We Rock the Spectrum Oklahoma City Zip Line

Benefits of the Zip Line

Let’s face it, some kids love adventure and adrenaline rushes more than other kids.  This is definitely true of kids with extra sensory needs!  In fact, some kids with autism or ADHD are adrenaline junkies.  Flying through the air and feeling the speed and the feeling of falling can be like therapy.  Playing on the zip line encourages upper body strength and active play.  It’s just like going on a park ride or doing something fun helps adults relieve stress.

Something else that Sofia is probably referring to is the two pieces of equipment that accompany the actual zip line: The zip box and the crash pit.

 

Zip Box

The zip box includes a set of padded stairs and a slide.  To get on the zip line, kids can either climb up the stairs or up the slide.  Usually, kids who love the actual zip line don’t spend much extra time on the zip box.  However, young kids and toddlers love climbing the stairs and going up and down the slide.  It helps kids with gross motor coordination, climbing, planning, and even socialization. The zip box is usually a place where kids come in contact with others—even if it’s unwillingly! It gives them great opportunities to learn to take turns and to make friends.

 

Crash Pit

There are lots of We Rock kids who find the crash pit even more exciting than the zip line, and many who like both of them combined.

The crash pit is an extremely safe landing area at the end of the zip line for kids to safely fall.  If you have a kid with sensory needs, you probably already know how this is great for kids who seek vestibular input.  Some kids even skip the zip line completely so they can stand on the edge of the crash pit and fall into it.

 

Sofia’s Other Favorites

Even though Sofia said the zip line was her first favorite, she also couldn’t decide between the donut swing and the bumpy slide, which are new pieces of equipment at the gym.  Watch her talk about both pieces in this adorable “commercial.”

In her words, the bumpy slide “feels like, when you go down it, you shiver.  And that’s the fun part!”

We Rock The Spectrum Oklahoma City Donut Swing

For more kid spotlights, check out:
4 Ways Play Tunnels Rock (And Why They’re Olivia’s Favorite)
Kid Spotlight: Growing Up Around Down Syndrome

4 Ways Play Tunnels Rock (And Why They’re Olivia’s Favorite)

Blog, Our Friends, Social Skills Groups, We Recommend, , ,

When you come to We Rock the Spectrum Oklahoma City for open play or a birthday party, you might get a chance to meet Olivia.  She is kind of our mascot!  Olivia is our sweet 17-month-old daughter who has down syndrome.  She is also the reason we get to run the gym and help other kids and families with special or regular needs grow and have fun.

Play Tunnels: Olivia’s Story

Out of all of the equipment and toys at the gym, Olivia’s favorite is definitely the tunnel—and she’s not alone!  Many of the kids love both sizes of tunnels… maybe even the adults, too.

 

Something about the tunnel fascinated Olivia from the first moment she was in the gym. That was the first thing she ever played with, and she loves it just as much today.

 

In fact, the tunnel is what caused her to learn to crawl.  She would start at one end and crawl through the tunnel to reach one of her parents or siblings–nothing else motivated her nearly as much!  And since we have a small, colorful tunnel and a large, blue one, we have even more play options.  Sometimes we will even crawl through the big one with Olivia on our back!

 

Reasons To Love The Tunnels

An Enclosed Space to Imagine

One reason Olivia loves the tunnels is that they give her an enclosed space.  Many kids love the feeling of having a space like this—just think of all the forts you made as a kid!  Having a tunnel also makes that space colorful and full of all kind of different textures.

 

Kids can pretend the tunnel is a rocketship, a cave, a castle, a secret hideout… anything. There is no limit to the ways our tunnels encourage kids of absolutely all sizes, ages, and abilities to use their imagination.

 

A Safe Place

When adults get overstimulated, they need a second away from all the chaos to close their eyes and breathe for a minute.  It’s no different for kids.  The tunnel provides a perfect place for them to sit for a minute without being stimulated by everything going on outside.  It’s almost like a bubble—which is a dream come true for some of us!

 

Proprioception

That might sound like a crazy science term, but it basically means “the body’s ability to sense itself.” (From Brain Balance) Kids with academic, social, behavioral or sensory disorders sometimes have a difficult time understanding where their body is.  Being in the tunnel is known to help kids grow their body awareness.  In fact, occupational therapists often use tunnels for this exact reason.

 

Muscle Coordination And Balance

For kids working on proprioception, the activities in the tunnel will also encourage their large muscle coordination too.  It’s hard to not make a game out of the tunnel.  And you can’t play in a tunnel without using your muscles!

 

Olivia learning to crawl was a perfect example of how the right equipment can help kids grow.  Getting to watching kids at We Rock The Spectrum have fun and reach milestones through play is amazing.  We can’t wait to see what else you can do!

7 Reasons To Have Your Birthday Party At We Rock The Spectrum

Blog, Camps, Media, New Owners, Resources Team, , , , , ,
Birthday parties at We Rock the Spectrum OKC

Planning for your kid’s birthday party can be so stressful.  You might have a lot of ideas, but why does it have to be so hard to plan one party for all your friends and family that doesn’t completely stress you out?

You shouldn’t be stressed–you should be able to enjoy giving your child the best birthday party ever. If you don’t already know how we can do that for you, here are 7 reasons you will love your birthday party at We Rock the Spectrum.

1. Privacy

Having a birthday party means that you rent out the entire space at WRTS for your kids. You don’t have to worry about watching your kids or their friends around a bunch of strangers. That means your kids and all of their friends have complete freedom to play with:

  • All the sensory equipment in the gym, including the zipline, crash pad, trampoline, hammock swing, donut swing, tunnels, climbing mats, and so many more.
  • All of the toys and imaginative play areas, including: the store, magnet table, puppets, doll houses, and others
  • The calming room.  This is especially useful for your friends with sensory needs, but it’s also popular with all of the We Rock kids—and adults.

2. Safety

So you won’t have to worry about strangers, but you might not have to worry about your kids at all.  Since our gym has toys and equipment for kids of all abilities, you’ll see that everything is padded.  There isn’t one spot in our gym where the parents or staff have to say, “Oh no! Be careful!”


In fact, every day we have infants, toddlers, kids, and teenagers come to the Oklahoma City We Rock gym to play.  If you have young kids, you’ll be able to see them anywhere in the gym.

Bonus: Since it’s indoors, you don’t have to be checking the weather every five minutes. 

3. Inclusion

As a parent of a child with a disability, it can be really hard when we have to turn down an invitation just because of a stressful scenario. If you or your child has a friend with any kind of disability, this is the absolute best way to include them. 

And since this is such a large, open, and safe gym, you can invite up to 20 kids for the same price. No more worrying about how to tell the parents that only one of their kids can come!

4. Stress Free

One of the most stressful parts about throwing a birthday party can be the last minute errands—picking up balloons, the rentals, the food, setting everything up before everyone arrives.  Instead of spending your time running all over town, you can do it all here. Here are just a few ways We Rock the Spectrum can make the birthday party even more special:

  • Balloons
  • Face Painting
  • Arts and Crafts
  • Themed Birthdays
  • Cupcake Decorating
  • Party Favors

5. Budget Friendly

Having a birthday party at WRTS is a great option for all budgets and party preferences.  If you like to plan parties with activities and themes and everything on the list, we’ll make it all stress free!  And if you want to have a simple birthday party with as little planning as possible, you can rent our space and let the kids free play.  They will still leave saying, “That was awesome!”

Birthday parties at We Rock the Spectrum OKC

Giveaway

Ready to book your party?  If you book it before the end of June 2019, you will be entered into a drawing to win an entire month of membership for free!  You can book in advance or up to one day before.

To book, call us at 405-657-1108 or email info@werockthespectrumoklahomacity.com. For more info on parties, go to https://bit.ly/2xeVXH4