The popular Queen Village kids’ gymnastics and movement facility Philly InMovement has expanded westward with its new space InMovement Bella Vista. This new gym, located at 610 S. Percy St., is much smaller than its original counterpart, and skews somewhat younger in its appeal, but is a welcome addition to the neighborhood, especially for little ones and their parents.

If you and your kids used to attend Philly Kids Gym, you’ll recognize the address, as well as much about the space. The gym is still in the same room, with much of the same equipment—cleaned, enhanced, and updated where needed.

You’ll find the ball pit, trampoline, and Tumbl Trak you remember from before, as well as plenty of basic equipment you’d expect in any kids’ gymnastics space. A nice little addition is a baby toy bin, in case the littlest gymnasts need a quiet break from the movement. And of course, there’s plenty of music and bubbles.

Like its original space in Queen Village, you can come for classes or open gym time, but there’s a bit of a twist. You’re probably used to a typical “open gym” session which is basically a kids’ free-for-all where they go nuts for 45 minutes in a padded room. And don’t worry, InMovement has got that too! It’s called Open Play, and it’s on the schedule most mornings for toddlers and preschoolers, as well as Monday evenings for the whole family (and will run you $15 per kid, with multi-visit passes available).

But InMovement has added what they call “Specialty Open Gym,” which has a bit more structure and instructors there teaching tricks and skills. Think of it as a middle ground between a formal session-long class (which requires a certain level of discipline and commitment to the schedule) and the completely structure-free Open Play.

We’re especially excited for what they call “Drop and Shop,” for kids ages 3-6, which is a drop-off hour that gives you just enough time to run errands (for example, at the Whole Foods right across the street!) while kids learn some new gym tricks! These specialty gyms are $20 per child, with discounts if you buy a membership or pass.

The classes range in age from 10 months all the way through school age (Open Workouts go all the way up to eighth grade), though the current schedule is definitely heavy on offerings for toddlers and preschoolers, as befits the space. There is a nice assortment of afternoon and evening classes for those ages, which can be hard to find and is very welcome for kids who are in preschool full time and can never do the abundance of morning classes that so many other places offer for little ones.

The Bella Vista space also plans to add Saturday classes and birthday parties in the future, and will adjust their schedule as they see the ages and needs of the kids who frequent the gym.

New to both InMovement locations is their membership program, which is by the month and allows members (either individual for $40, or $60 families) access to unlimited Open Play at both locations, as well as discounted classes and parties. The premium membership ($60 for individual, $90 for families) adds unlimited Specialty Open Gyms and gets a higher discount.

For its opening week, InMovement Bella Vista will be hosting a full schedule of Open Play at different age groups so you can come to check out the space and get out some excess energy! And if you plan to come more than once this week, they have a flat rate for unlimited play this week.

InMovement Bella Vista is located at 610 S. Percy St. (down the alley across the street from the Whole Foods at Ninth and South), and is currently open Mondays through Fridays with a full class schedule starting next week.

Photographs by Laura Swartz.