Let Them Fly! The Extracurricular That Sends Kids Soaring

After the long winter we’ve had, there’s a good chance your kids are scrambling up the walls and hanging from the light fixtures. If your house has been transformed into a circus tent, why not put that acrobatic energy to good use and give your little ones a shot at some real big-top action? The Trapeze School New York (TSNY) of Washington, D.C. is a gold mine of swinging, tumbling, and jumping fun. Kids (4 and up) can exercise, learn teamwork, and increase their confidence…all while being completely silly. Here are three ways your bambino can get swinging.

One-Day Circus Experience
Pint-sized acrobats over the age of six can sample all the big-top arts and athletics, from silks to tumbling, at this 8 am-4 pm extravaganza held on national holidays like Columbus Day, Veteran’s Day, and President’s Day (when many public schools are closed).

Weekly Workshop Classes
These aerial and ground acrobatics five-week, mini-workshops provide intensive training for kids 6-14 who are ready to take circus seriously. The aerial acrobatics workshop lets kids practice skills on the static trapeze (hanging bar), lyra (hanging circle), Spanish web (spinning rope), and silks (hanging fabrics). The ground acrobatics workshop involves tumbling, trampoline, and partner balancing. Acrobats who take more than one workshop can work toward performing in a TSNY show!

Circus Summer Camp
The popular week-long summer camps for kids 7-14 offers the chance to try out various aerial arts and acrobatics, including the big kahuna…the flying trapeze. Kids then focus on one activity, honing their newfound skills for the end-of-week show.

Cost: $15 (juggling)-$55 (flying trapeze)/class; $20/registration fee

Corner of 4th and Tingey Sts., SE (Navy Yard)
410-459-6839
Online: washingtondc.trapezeschool.com

Would you let your kid try trapeze? Dish in the comments section below.

—Katherine Gustafson

Photos courtesy of TSNY Washington DC via Facebook