Riverside Gymnastics Academy — Local services in The Dalles

I took my 2.5 year old son and 6 year old daughter to Kindergym, as I used to take my now 4 year old son and 6 year old daughter there prior to covid. My daughter was ecstatic to hear they had reopened! She knew she was too old for open play, but she expected to be able to help my 2.5 year old son when needed, the way parents are able to. Not the case. They really did a great job making her feel completely unwelcome! My daughter was heartbroken and left in tears when she was told she could not even be on the floor! She was expected to be banished to a chair against the wall for 45 minutes! They made an exception today and let her walk alongside me (gee thanks), but she was not able to help my 2.5 year old son in any way or be on any equipment, despite parents jumping in the foam pit and trampoline left and right to help their kids. Where's the logic in that? Rather than banish older kids, I feel it would be better for everyone, including their business, if they just watched for the minority of kids (as they put it) that are too rough and cause accidents to happen and asked those few kids to leave. They said themselves that most kids are totally fine, which I have witnessed at Chalk in Hood River during their open gym. I was told more than 3 times that I could sign my daughter up for gymnastics, which she is 100% not interested in. She just wanted to play. I homeschool my kids and have them with me at all times, their ages ranging from 6 months to 6 years old. This is not a friendly place for this situation. The Dalles doesn't have many resources for homeschooled kids, and this just adds to that fact.

The prices are totally unreasonable too, $10 per child for 45 minutes! Chalk is $12 per child for 2 hours. Wippersnappers is $16 per child for 2 hours. If you're in the gorge and want your kids to have some open play, save yourself the grief over these strict ridiculous rules and prices and just go to Chalk, where it's...

Hi Cassandra,

We are very sorry to hear that Riverside’s Kindergym program did not meet your family’s expectations. Our goal is to provide a fun and safe environment for children under three years of age. As stated on our website and communicated to you, we do not allow siblings over the age of three to participate in Kindergym. The program is designed for parents and their babies/toddlers to enjoy open-gym play and socialize. Based on our experience, the presence of older siblings playing in the same area poses a risk of injury and other hazards for program participants. More importantly, older siblings have not signed a liability waiver which is required for all students.

Riverside takes safety very seriously and has strict rules which all program participants must follow for liability reasons. The families of our students enrolled in gymnastics classes and competitive teams must abide by the same rules. If siblings are not participating in the class or practice, they are not permitted to be on the floor or use the gym equipment.

Of course, we are more than happy to have siblings sit in the gym and watch practice from the designated seating area or rec deck. This is quite common during classes and the siblings usually bring toys, read books, or work on an art project.

The Riverside Board of Directors is very proud of the opportunities offered to the community and try to make it affordable for all as a non-profit organization. We also value the hard work and dedication of Riverside’s staff members.

We appreciate your feedback and hope you find a better fit for your family.

Jamie Carbone Member, Riverside Board...

Riverside gymnastics is the best place in the Gorge for both recreation and competition gymnastics. My daughter has been going here since she was 3 years old. Starting off in beginner classes to now being 10 years old and on the competition team. I love that all the coach's she has had over the years are mostly still coaching at the gym and have helped mold and shape her into a great little gymnast over the years. It also gives me piece of mind that the gym is USAG certified and that all staff are required to have extensive training to work with the kids. Riverside is definitely a second family for us and the friendships my daughter has made here will...