This story is brought to you by Kids Gym Berkeley.
By Barbara Brodrick / Kids Gym Berkeley
Kids Gym Berkeley on Seventh Street offers, Monday through Friday, a co-workspace with onsite childcare.
Parents take advantage of a beautifully appointed private space to get their work done, while trained staff play and take care of your little ones in a super fun indoor playground. The 10,000-square-foot facility is the crème de la crème for indoor play when you’ve got a kid who needs to get moving, and parents who needs a break!
We opened our doors in September 2014, so are approaching our three- year anniversary. We offer open gym/play, birthday parties, summer camp, private events, meeting venue, premium co-workspace with onsite childcare, X-Fit kids, X-Fit bootcamps for parents, circle time, kids’ yoga, field trips, and a multi-sensory activity center. The full-inclusion facility benefits all kids, those who are developing typically, highly spirited kiddos and those with special needs, such as on the autism spectrum, or with ADHD, or sensory processing disorder.
The inspiration for opening Kids Gym Berkeley was my now almost 7-year-old son Grant who is on the high-functioning autism spectrum, and has sensory processing, ADHD and hyperlexia. All the playgrounds we visited did not meet the needs — the active, safe, large and socialization environment — of what my active-spectrum child needed. I told Grant’s dad, Brian, about what I want to do for Grant, and we built one for him.
We opened with the word “spectrum” in the name of the gym. I’ve always wanted to have a more inclusive brand name, though, so when we had the opportunity to completely rebrand, in August 2016, we named our place Kids Gym Berkeley. We want a clearer, really inclusive name that makes it clear the gym is truly for all kids.
I designed this playground to meet the needs of ALL kids and parents and it’s how Grant and I function best — both of us have ADHD/OCD. The play areas are separate, individual rooms, not one huge open space where it could get overwhelming. Our goal is to create a beneficial community center for all.
The work area is furnished with desks, chairs, a leather sofa, printer, shredder, smart TV with wireless headphones, complimentary coffee and tea, the facility offers three hours of childcare — and an awesome massage chair. Session times are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.; 1 p.m. to 4 .pm.; and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The pricing breakdown is all online.
X-Fit training boot camp for parents/adults on Fridays: Every Friday at 10 a.m., the gym offers Boot camp, at a drop-in rate of $20, which includes childcare for one child for 55 minutes (additional child for childcare at $8 for 55 minutes (class duration). A 10-pack series for $180 includes childcare for one child for 55 minutes as well.
Classes are lead by professional master trainers.
X-Fit family bootcamp is a 50-minute inspiring (and exhausting!) group fitness workout designed to benefit all fitness backgrounds for your family. Let X-Fit training help you build the skills you need to create a foundation of fitness. Our goal is to help you and your family continue living a healthy life.
This story was written and paid for by Kids Gym Berkeley. Kids Gym Berkeley is at 2920 Seventh St., Berkeley 94710. Tel: 510-845-9787. Open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visit Kids Gym Berkeley’s website, and connect with them on Facebook and Instagram.
