Granite City Gymnastics in the St. Cloud, MN metropolitan area is a fun indoor winter activity! Children and parents alike can run, jump, bounce and cartwheel to their hearts content in this fun winter destination!
Address: 806 Sundial Drive, Waite Park, MN 56387
Website: Granite City Gymnastics
Open Gym Hours: Monday, Tuesday & Thursday (school months only) 10:00 am – 11:00 am
Cost: $5 per child (age 1+), Under 1 is free.
Bathrooms: There are two single stall bathrooms by the bleachers in the waiting area. A changing table is in the girls, there is not a changing table in the boys. There are also 3 stalls in the gymnastics area. Toilets are manual flush, sink and paper towels are manual as well.
Note: This is a LONG DETAILED post. The short version is that Granite City Gymnastics Open Gym is an awesome place to go in the winter! Children and adults both love to play and the foam pit must be experienced by everyone! My Children BEG to go here and yours will too!
When my daughter was 5 years old, we looked around for a beginner gymnastics class for her. Granite city was highly recommended to us by several friends as a great place for gymnastics. We did a year of gymnastics here and felt our teachers and the staff were top notch and worth the investment.
Sadly, as happens to many children, my daughter decided after a year that she was done. She enjoyed her classes but really just wanted to play there during open gym instead.
I really can’t blame her. As an adult, I have to say open gym is really a child’s paradise! Generally, the entire gym is open range for children to play as they like, with one exception. The toddler zone is always off limits.
The toddler zone is behind the waiting area by the benches and the classes that go on in there are SO MUCH FUN! My daughter LOVED her classes in this section. However because they always have it set up ready for a class, they ask that non class students not enter.
Don’t worry, this is not a big deal. There is SO MUCH area to run around a play in main gym that you wont miss the small toddler section.
Granite City Gymnastics Open Gym is available to the public during the school year. Sadly, during the summer they have classes all day and all night that they do not offer open gym. That’s ok though.
Because during the summer you and your children will be hitting up the local parks and enjoying the great outdoors. It’s the winter that you have to worry about! Fun INDOOR things to do with stir crazy children is an important aspect to any adults sanity!
I have plenty of toys in my home to keep a slew of children busy for hours, if not days. However, that’s not always enough. Sometimes children just need to RUN, climb and chase each other around!
This is where Granite City Gymnastics Open Gym because of life saver! Open space for children to be children is just what the winter doctor ordered!
Let me walk you through what a typical open gym visit will be like. It’s understandable to be nervous on your first visit. We’ve all been there. Not sure what door to enter through, where to pay or what toys and equipment is off limits can be intimidating.
My goal is to help you and your children have the best first time (and future) experience possible!
Where to park at Granite City Gymnastics:
I suggest you start by parking on the left side of the building. You’ll immediately see a Granite City Gymnastics sign above the door! If you see this, then you know you’re in the right place! Once you are parked, walk in through the door under the sign.
If there isn’t any parking you can certainly park on the opposite side of the building. You’ll then enter through the waiting area. If you enter from this door, you’ll need to snake around to the “front desk” to pay and get checked in.
Where do I pay for Open Gym?
You’ll find a kind face waiting to greet you behind the desk. This is where you’ll pay your $5 fee per child over the age of 1 as well as fill out a quick form with your child’s names and basic information as a way to check in.
Once paid it’s time to get your hand stamped! Children love the hand stamp! Mine always have a sense of pride about their cool hand stamp and like to show it off once we leave. Once your children’s hands are stamped, its time to follow the hallway down past the vending machines, through the shoe room and to the main waiting area.
You can either leave you stuff in one of the shoe cubicles or on a chair or bench in the waiting area. Don’t worry, everything should be safe while you have fun.
My biggest tip before entering the gym!
Now here’s an odd tip that might take you by surprise. Take your socks off! You can certainly play with them on, but playing without socks is 100% normal and even recommended. Strange? Yes.
However, the reasoning behind it makes complete sense once your child gets going. The main foam pit which is filled with thousands of foam blocks will suck a child’s socks off after a few jumps if you aren’t careful. It will also suck in just about everything else. Toys, phones, pony tails – you get the picture.
I myself made the mistake once of jumping in (on a dare from my child) and out popped my phone , which instantly sank to the bottom. I was also there when a little girl lost a small toy she insisted on keeping with her at all times that vanished into the foam pit.
What is under all the foam blocks?
It’s been twice now in the last several years that I’ve had to remove a good portion of the foam blocks to retrieve items (see above). And at the bottom of the foam pit is … A trampoline.
Perhaps they call it something else, but in a nutshell, it’s a trampoline. A trampoline burred in the ground and then topped with a few thousand foam blocks. Crazy right?!
So if you do lose something, you CAN get it back. Depending on how far down your lost item goes, it may take you a half hour to retrieve it and return the blocks to the pit. Don’t worry though, children LOVE to help.
What can you do during open gym?
What you do during your one hour of open gym will depend on how creative you and your children are, as well as how busy the place is. We’ve had days where we were the only people there, and other days that were SO busy!
Let me see if I can remember all that open gym offers to you and your children.
2 Foam jumping pits. Yep you read that right. TWO. Despite all that Granite City has to offer children, the foam pits is where the cool kids hang out. It is THE attraction. There is the large one that you can’t miss towards the front of the gym.
And a second smaller one at the back of the main gym. I’ll warn you though, you’ll find a lot of chalk around this one. If you don’t care about a little chalk on the bottom of your feet and possibly clothing, then this is a great find when the other pit is busy.
Children love to create mini slides with mats into the pit as well as practice their jumping skills. The one main rule is feet first. No belly flops, back flops or head first dives. Despite the soft landing, each of these can cause serious injuries.
The main goal is to have fun while staying safe! Children can jump from the floor into the pit or try something a little higher. There is a stand which most children use to jump or a balance beam for the more confident children.
However if you want something a little lower to the ground but still higher than the ground, then drag a few mat blocks over to create your own jumping spot.
The other thing to be aware of is that if your child is jumping into the pit you’ll need to pay attention. Some children don’t have great spatial recognition and lack patience. They’ll need your help to direct them WHERE to jump and WHEN to jump.
I say this mainly because I’ve seen children get excited and jump without giving the person who went before them a chance to get out first. Two or three children jumping into the pit is fine. Just make sure to jump in different sections of the pit instead of on top of each other.
I should also mention that the foam pits aren’t just for children. I myself have jumped in a few times! Just beware that the more you weigh, the further you sink. And the further you sink, the harder it is to get out!
2 trampolines. You’ll find a long trampoline which is great for running, jumping, cartwheels and flips. I like to race my children on these. I run on the ground and they run on the trampoline. It’s a great way for them to burn some energy and for me to burn some calories!
The second trampoline does have a weight limit and is in the side gym. It’s smaller and rectangular and offers a little more bounce that then long one.
Floor Mats, Balls and Blocks. If you want to be a rock star mom, then this is the area to shine! Using all the equipment you can create an obstacle course for your little ones! Don’t be shy about moving the mats around and creating something! My children love when I create a “house” or “fort” to hide in.
Rope Swing. At the back right of the gym you’ll find a rope swing. There isn’t a comfortable seat on it, but if your children are good at griping a rope they can handle the swing!
Balance Beams. You’ll find PLENTY of balance beams at all levels for your children. This is a great way for them to practice their balancing skills as well as anything they’ve learned in class. Balance beams are in the main gym behind the foam pit as well as in the gym off to the left.
Gymnastics Bars: For younger children, they can practicing doing a flips on bars to the left of the main gym. This of course would be something you’ll want to help them with so they don’t injure themselves. These come in various heights and are a fun way for your child to try something new and exciting!
2 Open Floor Spaces: The main open floor space is immediately when you enter. The second is in the left gym behind the half wall. Both are usually open for free range fun. Be fun and creative and dance, do cartwheels or somersaults with your children.
Create obstacle courses or just run! I have been known to “challenge” my children to see how fast they can run and touch the wall. And then encourage them to do it again and again to see if they can beat their time.
The other thing you can do with the open space is to create your own workout routine! DO NOT BE SHY! There have been plenty of parents who opt to work out while their children play!
A nice soft large area is a great place to get in some crunches, yoga or squats. Trust me, as soon as you start everyone else will wish they were doing it too!
Monkey Bars: There is a small set of monkey bars that are quite high off the ground (for small children). Don’t let the height fool you though. Children LOVE these. Older children feel like a champ when they get across. Younger children will need help. Despite that, monkey bars are ALWAYS cool.
How do I know when Open Gym is over?
There is a clock on the wall by the bleachers. Just keep an eye on the clock. You’ll start to see other people trickling out 5 till. At 11:00 the person who checked you in will come in and flick off one of the main lights (don’t worry it’s not dark) to let children know it’s time to “close”.
My trick that seems to work well with my children is that at 5 till, I tell them they can do 5 more things and to pick their last 5 things to do. Each item usually takes a minute or less and so it works perfect for leaving on time.
Plus they don’t feel like the end was sprung on them. Instead they are able to mentally prepare themselves for closing time and get in any last minute item they wanted to do again.
Why do I need quarters?
Children will always beg for quarters, but they are NOT required. And this will 100% reflect my parenting skills. However there are a few quarter candy machines in the waiting area that children are ALWAYS attracted to.
Gumballs, M&M’s and Mike & Ikes are usually available for a quarter. My children love to get a gumball AFTER open gym as a bribe for getting their shoes and coat on faster. Again, not required, but available.
Are there drinking fountains?
There are two drinking fountains. One leaks under it so if you have socks on they may get wet. However it still works. Both work great, and offer a stepping stool for younger children. There is also a faucet at the drinking fountain for water bottles.
Can we bring food and drinks into the gym?
Unfortunately no. Water bottles are fine but juice, pop or any sticky liquids are not allowed. Snack are also not allowed. My children always get hungry during open gym so I pack a granola bar or crackers for them. We usually take a 3 minute break halfway through to eat our snack in the waiting area before going back into the gym.
Will my husband feel awkward going?
If your husband feels awkward, then it’s because he’s being awkward. Though prominently moms and nanny’s with children, there are plenty of men who go too. I tend to see men there at least half the time we visit. It’s not uncommon.
If he feels weird going, then tell him to invite a guy friend and his children for a dad date. I will say from observation that men are ROCK STARS when it comes to open gym. They tend to be the most fun people in the entire gym. They play more with the children and we women talk more. Go figure!
What else should I know before going?
On occasion you’ll find the left gym closed. This is not a usual occurrence. It’s only happened to us a few times over the last 4 years.
This happens when they have the gym set up for a birthday party or for classes that evening and do not want things moved. There is no discount when this part of the gym is closed. However there is still plenty of space to run around in and play in.
Granite City Gymnastics Open Gym is a hot spot for playgroups. Invite a friend or two to join you and spend the time catching up and let your children develop their friendships! Playing with friends is always more fun!
Check their website before going! Open gym dates and hours have been known to change as well as be cancelled during holiday weeks. So check the website or call before going just to make sure they are open!
They do birthday parties!! This will be a future post. However you can find more information about it here: Birthday Parties!
Overall my children love coming to Granite City Gymnastics Open Gym. It’s one of the activities they always request when we play hooky from school.
The gym is clean, orderly and encourages children to use their imaginations and bodies to jump, skip, tumble, cartwheel and burn energy!
It’s also a great way to play indoors during the winter when your children are anxious and going stir crazy! As one of the less expensive indoor activities found in the St. Cloud, MN metropolitan area, this place isn’t one you’re going to want to miss! My children and I both give Granite City Gymnastics Open Gym two thumbs up!