It is increasingly being confirmed by university research and expert studies that the pre-school years of life are a period of intense learning which provides the blueprint for the type of adults we become.

So when a child is playing with a toy on the floor or learning to crawl, as well as being cute they are also activating and reinforcing the neuro-physiological pathways we are all born with and which enable us to deal competently with our world as adults. The important thing for parents is to encourage the developmental stages in their child to occur naturally, and in the correct sequence. But how do we know if we’re getting it right?

Margaret Sasse is the founder of the GymbaROO network of early childhood development centres, which specialize in short sessions of fun, structured activities designed to enhance the natural brain pathways.

Margaret was a trained nurse and teacher of remedial English who became interested in USA research that pointed to the links between activity and learning in children.

In 1982, she began teaching in Kew, and the demand for her approach was such that there are now more than seventy locations in Australia and overseas where the GymbaROO method is taught.

Only tertiary – qualified staff are selected to be teachers, and the emphasis is on kids participating in groups of up to fifteen, with their parent, on a weekly basis.

As Margaret Sasse says, "every song sung, every game played is designed to improve the child’s ability to learn."

Without doubt, the modern lifestyle has created a better understanding of children’s needs and a greater capacity to give them individual attention.

Yet there are some things, such as learning to crawl, coordinating hand and eye and developing physical skills that kids still need to learn in the ancient, natural way.

GymbaROO exercises are designed to assist this process by encouraging both child and parent to allow skills to develop in the expected order, and at the right stages of life.

It’s like learning to walk properly before you run. The cornerstone of GymbaROO’s success is that the kids have a great time doing this, and parents know that it’s good for the child.

GymbaROO teachers and assistants are chosen for their ability to relate to parents as well as children, so a welcoming and warm environment is created. Weekly 45 minute classes are determined by age-group and are structured to build on each other and progressively introduce new skills.

Each session has an accompanying handout for parents which contains exercises for home, and reference books and videos are available. Each ten-week term costs approximately $165, which is good value in anyone’s language.