Math, reading, science, and social studies — all hugely important and things we’re seeing on our childrens’, and ninjas’, homework, no doubt. But what about the other stuff — communication, relating with others, and self-discipline. You know, the soft stuff. How important is it that our kids be introduced to and surrounded by challenges that flex those muscles? Here at NinjaZone, there are fundamental skills we’re instilling and developing in your kids far beyond physical toughness. Here are just a few of them: Social Skills — We encourage all ninjas to root each other on! Through regular interaction with their peers, your ninja is learning how to relate to people their own age, as well as how to greet and interact with their coaches and people outside of their immediate family, peers, and adults. Manners — We believe the best ninjas have the kindest manners. It’s something we encourage and recognize each time a young person flexes that kind of muscle, whether with their peer or coach. Communication — Through regular interaction with their coaches, your ninja is learning how to get their point across clearly and concisely. We’re helping curb or eliminate things like mumbling, hands in or over the mouth, slouched posture, and averted eyes. Listening — A large part of the NinjaZone curriculum requires listening. That’s time without electronics or other distractions, where your ninja is tuned in and their listening caps are on. Empathy — When your ninja sees another facing a challenge, they’re building their empathy. Whether it's your child or another that skill may not come so easily to, our kids are quick to give each other a boost, offer words of encouragement, and boost each other to the point of conquering! Here are more ways you can work on this important life skill at home! Self Control — Isn’t this a skill we could all actively work on improving? When involved in NinjaZone, your kids are actively monitoring and utilizing self-control, whether it be through limiting their level of distraction, using their body and mind to achieve the task at hand, or otherwise. Self-Esteem/Self-Confidence — No one is born with esteem coming out of their ears, it’s developed over time. Our ninjas learn to take pride in their accomplishments and realize their level of worth and ability. Need more help on building self-confidence? Here are 12 more ways ! Want to help us develop these skills even more? If you’re a parent, ask your ninja or their coach how they’re doing in these areas. Recognize and verbalize when you’re seeing them positively empathize with others or demonstrate great listening skills. Offer praise when they seem proud about an accomplishment or when you know they’ve worked hard and practiced at something. Having happy, healthy, well-rounded kids is in everyone’s best interest and something we stand behind you on achieving.

Raise your hand if your kid needs more toys. No? Oh come on, how about a few dozen more plastic things cluttering up your house and then getting forgotten in a closet a few weeks later? Don’t call us a Scrooge yet – we’re not anti-gift, we’re just pro-experiences as gifts, instead. Experience gifts can check the box in several different ways. An experience can be used now or later, or even throughout the year (if it’s a membership, for example). Experience-based gifts open the door to invite friends and family along with you, too, bringing everyone together for fun. So, this holiday season, think outside the box and consider giving an experience instead of a thing. Here’s our list of the seven best experience gifts to consider for Hanukkah, Christmas, or other winter gift-giving celebrations. Explore Your Favorite Museums Do you have a favorite spot in your city or a nearby city that offers a membership? Consider adding it to your list and then making it a priority to make it there more often in the coming year. Memberships are more cost-effective than buying individual entrance passes, particularly for larger families, and can make the dreary days of winter more tolerable! Look for museums that participate in national reciprocal membership programs for an even greater bang for your buck. Too pricey to add to your list? Add day passes or punch cards to your list instead. Opt Outside Getting outside into nature more often is a great way to de-stress and connect with the planet we live on. Many state parks are home to great hiking trails, playgrounds, and nature centers just waiting to be explored. Park entrance fees vary but are often between $7-15 per visit, and with a state park pass, you have an excuse to see them all. Try Something New Are your kids getting tired of swim lessons and soccer practices? Give them an experience that is different from traditional sports – NinjaZone. NinjaZone classes combine gymnastics, martial arts, parkour, and obstacle training to instill confidence in children ages 18 months - 11 years old. Many NinjaZone locations offer trial classes and gift certificates for classes, and with over 300 locations, you’re sure to have one near you. Get Creative Do you have a local art studio or paint your own pottery location in the area? What about a tie-dye shop or cooking school that you’ve been meaning to check out? Encourage your child to get creative and make something they normally wouldn’t with a gift card to a crafty spot. The Tickets You Wanted to Buy Anyway Admit it – you saw that touring Broadway show was coming to your area next year and was contemplating tickets anyway…say yes, and give them as a gift! Check out your go-to ticketing site to get an idea of what’s coming to your area in the coming months or poke around on Facebook to see which events your friends are responding to. Plays, musicals, Disney on Ice , Monster Truck Jam , and local high school and college productions are all possibilities! Take Me Out to the Ball Game This goes along with the previous category, but sporting events are fun opportunities to try something new and experience a big crowd cheering for the home team. Tickets to professional sporting events can be expensive, so unless you have a child who is a big fan of a specific team, look around for tickets to smaller, more affordable events instead. Minor league baseball and soccer, or college football or basketball games can be just as fun as professional team games at a fraction of the cost. Take It On the Road When was the last time you took a family vacation? Travel as a family builds lasting memories for years to come…and doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. Check out State Park Inns, VRBO, Airbnb, and Groupon for deals. Consider even just a weekend trip to a hotel in your closest major city (or downtown in your current one!) Children don’t need a lot of bells and whistles to make a vacation fun. A hotel with a pool, vending machine, and a late bedtime can make for a great family vacation!

“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, and one for helping others.” -Audrey Hepburn Here at NinjaZone, we believe in the Ninja Creed . Our Creed represents the character development portion of NinjaZone and we feel very strongly that it’s nothin’ to sneeze at! At the core of our program, we believe in the power of building children up, from the inside out. Their mental and physical strength is built through a sport that uses techniques to leverage kids’ fire and enthusiasm into an activity they truly love. The character pillars of our program are just as important. We teach manners, respect, responsibility, and work ethic, to name a few. We also teach compassion. Throughout the months of November and December, we launched a #NinjasGiveBack campaign. We asked clubs to share their stories and photos of their Ninjas giving back to the community. We heard from clubs that did everything from a “Giving Tree” to a canned food and toy drive. We are so proud of our clubs, our trainers, our Ninja parents, and our kids! If you haven’t seen our Kindness Calendar, it has been wildly popular! Feel free to use it (see below)! It’s never too late to start!

THE NINJA CREED An important staple of the NinjaZone curriculum is the Ninja Creed. Not only will your child be challenged physically in class, but they will also be challenged to practice what it means to embrace their best self. The Ninja Creed encourages responsibility, respect, manners, kindness, personal growth, impulse restraint, health in both mind and body, conflict resolution, and much more. The Creed is discussed at the beginning and end of each class, and ninjas are encouraged to take the lessons they learn in class and apply them to everyday life at home, school, and with friends.

It’s a great time for self-reflection, introspection, and goal setting with the new year coming up… unfortunately it also tends to be one of the busiest months of the year for many families! Instead of getting caught up in the hustle and bustle, choose instead to slow down and focus on something I like to call “intentional kindness”. In general, as parents, we strive to fill our children up with the right character traits to move them through life as successful, happy, engaged citizens. Sometimes it’s important to make the act of showing kindness to others a priority and with this calendar, you can! Print off this kindness calendar and make a goal to check off 5, 10, 15 (or all!) of the kind activities during the month. If you enjoy doing this with your children, consider incorporating it into your New Year’s goals as well! We’d love to hear feedback from you — which activities did your children enjoy the most? What activities would you suggest that we missed? #ninjasgiveback

“A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees.” With Thanksgiving upon us and the end of the year in sight, there’s no better time to remind our ninjas of the importance of kindness. Not only that, but every NinjaZone participant agrees to live and operate by the Ninja Creed, which places importance on qualities like respecting and honoring parents, using proper manners, taking self-responsibility, helping others grow to the next level, using ninja powers for good, and beyond. Just as we do every year, we encourage Ninja Parents to get their children involved in the #NinjasGiveBack initiative. Here are some things your family can do to get involved in your household: Donate books to a local library Be sure to check with your library first to see what their drop-off and donation regulations are. Collect soda can tabs for Ronald McDonald House Charities For more information, go to rmhc.org. Donate blankets, newspapers, cleaning supplies, old towels, hand sanitizer, or food to an animal shelter Check with the shelter first – their greatest needs can differ from day-to-day! Organize a neighborhood clean-up initiative Have everyone bring their own trash bags, and don’t forget the masks and gloves! Distribute leaf bags or help neighbors rake fallen leaves Many older citizens need help blowing leaves, raking, bagging, and general yard clean up before winter strikes! Buy gift cards from local businesses or restaurants and give them to those in need Local restaurants and shops need our support now more than ever, and if you pay the purchase forward to someone in need, it’s the gift that keeps on giving! Volunteer to virtually read books to seniors in a local nursing home Many residents in nursing homes are not able to accept in-person visitors right now, and a surprise book reading or other fun interaction with your family would certainly create a bright spot in their day! Deliver doorstep meals to new parents and other homebound individuals Be sure to check for potential allergies ahead of time, and to set up a time for the drop-off that is both socially distant and well-timed for perishable foods. Donate birthday party decorations to youth shelters or children’s hospitals Every kid deserves to have a magical birthday. Think outside the box, and help these kids have a birthday they won’t soon forget! Share your ninjas giving back by using our #ninjasgiveback on any social media platform! We are so excited to see these ninjas throw themselves into acts of kindness and goodness and appreciate the example parents provide these amazing kids we get to help shape and mold.

Today’s children have so many choices of activities to fill their days, but some of those options can lead to serious negative health impacts. A sedentary lifestyle of sitting in front of a screen while munching on processed snacks can really affect a child’s physical and mental health! A sedentary life can lead to future health problems like obesity, heart disease, and an increased risk for anxiety and depression, but how do we make fitness more fun?  There are so many obstacles that can stand in the way of getting your little ninjas up and active. Organized sports for elementary students are not typically run through schools, and knowing which ones to choose can be a hard decision! Plus if you add in the scheduling nightmare of different locations and activities for children of different ages it can quickly become overwhelming for parents. But it doesn’t have to be! Here are 3 simple ways to help build a foundation of wellness and fun for your young children. 1. Make it Fun Gamify fitness time by creating goals and challenges for your ninja. You can involve the yard toys you already have or head to the park and use the equipment there as an obstacle course! Get involved in playgroups in your area. Being in playgroups can help with a ninja’s confidence, communication, and gets them active with their peers. Social time for your kids is essential for their development into strong, outgoing ninjas! 2. Be Active Together Being active together helps model healthy behaviors for your ninja! It can be a planned activity together like a hike, bike ride, or walk around your neighborhood. Or it can be impromptu play like a game of tag after mowing the lawn or a dance party while cooking dinner! Use tools like pedometers or activity trackers to challenge each other to move more throughout the day. You might find that your child is setting an example of how you can get active too! 3. Find What They Love There are so many ways to get active! Introduce new toys into your fitness play, or come up with new games and concepts to challenge your child. Start with activities your child already loves and make connections between those and new activities your ninja is trying. Does your ninja love football? Show them how dance can make them even lighter on their feet! Does your ninja swing around the monkey bars with too much ease? Try something new like a ninja gym to challenge them. Don’t put fences on their fun – let them try and fail. It will build grit and help them find their passions, something we believe in at NinjaZone. By making a commitment to a more active lifestyle as a family, you’re showing your children that healthy living isn’t just important – it’s fun too! The behaviors and habits that you teach your ninjas will carry them forward into young adulthood and beyond. It’s a great opportunity for bonding and ensuring you all will live longer & healthier lives.

It can be a challenge to tie fitness and fun together in a way that will hold a child’s attention. Distractors like television, tablets, video games, and social media, combined with an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, can result in shorter attention spans, making it even more challenging. Staying physically active with limited options and seasonal availability of sports can be a struggle. Solving this, however, can be as easy as heading to your nearest NinjaZone. Think about the fun of jungle gyms and playground/park equipment – the appeal is the fluidity and variance of movement. The popularity of Ninja obstacle courses on television and in gyms around the country proves obstacle courses aren’t just for fun, they’re great for fitness for kids and adults too. Here’s why: Obstacle Courses are Fun Obstacle courses give your Ninja a way to get out of the everyday routine and do something out of the ordinary. The fun of being challenged by obstacle courses doesn’t wear off after they make it through the first time either! Each time your Ninja takes on the obstacle courses they are challenging themselves to perfect their performance while overcoming each challenge the course has in store for them. Add in the competitive aspect of racing their peers and improving their personal times and the fun just keeps growing. Obstacles Require Problem-Solving Obstacle courses can give Ninjas problem-solving skills that translate from the ninja gym into their everyday life. From moving faster the next time they go through the course, to being able to see a clearer way to get from point a to point b, problem-solving on obstacle courses can produce lasting effects because of the mental strategizing it takes to complete them. When they solve the puzzle of a new obstacle, your children are building new neural pathways to empower their critical thinking and problem solving on and off the course. Ninja Gyms Have Fitness AND Social Opportunities Creating a space where your children can socialize with others who share their interests and who open them up to new ideas can be challenging. While it is an individual sport, taking part in Ninja sports offer a great common ground to meet new friends. Whether it’s a guided class or a hosted birthday party, the obstacle courses open up new activities to build new relationships and meet new people. Ninja gyms promote teamwork and the skills to build each other up by working together and cheering each other on. Exercise Increases Bone Strength and Immunity Obstacle courses build muscle in a way that a Ninja can’t get from the typical workout. From climbing a wall to jumping high on the trampolines, every muscle is used and engaged to overcome their challenging terrain. Obstacle courses can improve cardiovascular health by increasing blood flow and strengthening the heart which can lower risks for diabetes and heart disease. Also, since 90% of human bone growth happens before age twenty , it is essential to increase bone strength with the high-impact exercises obstacle courses offer. Add in a boost to the immune system which can reduce the chance of some common illnesses as well as stress reduction stemming from intense exercise, and obstacle courses create numerous health benefits. There are many options to keep you and your little Ninja fit, and obstacle courses are one of the best choices. Combining fun, fitness, socialization, and problem-solving gets your kid moving, thinking, and teaches teamwork. Obstacle courses give you all of this while still maintaining a fun atmosphere, something that is challenging with common fitness regimens. So whether it’s at your nearest ninja gym, at the park, or in your backyard – get moving!

There is so much more to our Ninjas than being strong, healthy, and having the ability to flip off the wall like a boss. Our Ninjas are polite. They are respectful. They are focused. How are NinjaZone Ninjas successful? They do 8 key things. Whether you’re a parent, coach, or NINJA, take heed: 1. Ninjas listen. In class, at home, and at school. 2. Ninjas embrace the hard stuff. They aren’t afraid to fail, and if they do, they dust themselves off and try again. 3. Ninjas are focused. Whatever a Ninja does, he starts at 100%, and works his way UP. Ninjas never give up. 4. Ninjas are respectful to each other and adults. They know the value of friendships and understand their role in relationships with the adults in their life. 5. Ninjas separate work vs. play. They know when they’re in school, it’s time to focus. When it’s time for recess, it’s time to play. They do this while still continuing to embrace items 1-4 on this list. 6. Ninjas don’t take themselves too seriously. NINJAS. HAVE. FUN. 7. Ninjas help each other succeed. They support each other and lift each other up. 8. Ninjas have manners. They are polite and set a great example for others. Why are we so proud of our Ninjas? This list is why. We are literally TURNING ENERGY INTO AMBITION…ONE AWESOME KID AT A TIME. Here at NZ Corporate, we are proud of the work we do, the accomplishments that our Ninja kids are turning out, and the fact that we can rest our heads at night knowing that we are changing the world. We thank our club owners, trainers, parents, and most importantly: the kids.

There is an increasing trend in children’s recreational sports of single-sport specialization at a very young age. Although it seems like it could be beneficial to put all energy and focus on mastering one sport, the opposite is true. While multi-sport athletes are a sad rarity these days, they could have a leg up on the competition. Here are five reasons why you should foster your child’s love for and commitment to multiple sports. 1. Multi-Sport Athletes Avoid Burnout By the end of a sports season, everyone can be a little worn down. From seeing the same teammates a few times every week to running the same drills at practice, kids are at risk of developing some serious burnout. A fun way to combat against this burnout is to stay involved with different sports. This can provide a Ninja with different challenges and in turn, different types of fulfillment by giving the young athlete varied levels and types of challenges. 2. Develop Different Skills Playing in a wide range of sports can help young athletes with their overall athleticism. Each season can work a different set of muscles which results in better overall whole-body strength. Each sport that an athlete plays comes with a different structure and different set of challenges to overcome. For example, it may not seem like your soccer player could benefit from swinging a bat, but that can further develop the muscle groups needed for farther throw-ins. The broad physical developments offered by playing multiple sports can have far reaching benefits. 3. Reduced Overuse Injury Risk Overuse injuries such as tennis elbow, runner’s knee, swimmer’s shoulder are common in single-sport athletes and can end a season or even an athlete’s career. Multi-sport athletes run less of a risk of overtraining one specific muscle or group of muscles. By resting an overused shoulder or knee by playing a different sport in the off-season, an athlete builds a whole-body strength and puts less strain on specific areas, resulting in fewer injuries and downtime overall for the athlete. 4. Develop a Competitive Edge Learning to compete across sports and skill levels translates to more grit. Ninjas learn how to deal with adversity because even though you might be the star shortstop on your baseball team, it won’t mean you’re the star quarterback next football season. Each season the athlete will have to come out and give 100% effort. Skills that the athlete learns can transfer from sport to sport, as well as the conditioning gained. Running around the field as a center on a soccer team in the fall helps condition the athlete for running up and down a court during the basketball season. The focus required to compete at the highest level across different sets of rules and settings can take children far in both sports and life. 5. Discover Something New A final benefit of being a multi-sport athlete is the ability to discover new loves for different sports. By experimenting on the off-season, athletes can find a real talent or passion for something they wouldn’t have tried while only playing one sport. Trying things like a ninja gym, indoor soccer league, or swim team can give Ninjas a way to find not just what they are most talented at, but what they enjoy the most.

Casey Wright wanted to boost the number of boys in her gymnastics program. “We then had three gyms with three classes (total) with only 10 boys,” she said. “I was talking to a mom in the bleachers and she said her son would absolutely love this kind of activity, but her husband wouldn’t go for it because it was gymnastics." Originally, it was a way to re-brand and re-market a gymnastics-like program for boys. So she developed NinjaZone. Learn more via Current in Carmel .

“So, NinjaZone is just a fancy gym class, right?” NOPE! At least, not from where we sit. We have consistently witnessed kids emerging from NinjaZone with an empowered sense of self. It is not just a gym class. Kids, parents, and coaches agree that NinjaZone is a unique opportunity for kids to develop into unbelievably strong and confident individuals. Important characteristics of successful Ninja Kids start here: 1. CONFIDENCE On the first day of NinjaZone class, kids don’t know what to expect. Within weeks, they are doing flips, spins, and rolls, which they have never done before. With each passing day, they are gaining more confidence in themselves. They are understanding what it means to believe in themselves, which is laying an important foundation in their lives. 2. STRENGTH NinjaZone combines rolls, spins, flips, kicks, jumps, obstacle courses, dance, martial-arts, gymnastics, and cross-training. (In my best Chandler Bing ) “Could these kids BE any stronger?!” 3. PERSEVERANCE Ninja Zone is meant to allow kids to fall off balance and push themselves. Our program teaches kids that the slightest zig when they’re zagging is normal. If kids are convinced that they will never properly execute a flip, they become a self-fulfilling prophesy. Ninja Zone is there to help kids to revise their thinking, so feelings of self-doubt will not get the best of these amazing kids! 4. FOCUS The Ninja Mantra gets kids IN THE ZONE. It’s a reminder that they are there for a purpose, and that during their time in class, they will focus and succeed . The NinjaZone program allows kids to transfer their energy into a purpose, and that purpose molds kids in Ninja class, school, and at home. 5. PASSION NinjaZone allows kids to excel. If they have a passion for a certain facet of the Ninja program, we want them to shine. We want kids to outwardly display their passion, and we give them the platform to exhibit their strengths. 6. BALANCE (And not the kind you find on a balance beam) Refocusing energy does more than allow kids to run off steam in a controlled environment. It helps kids to practice impulse control, and provides them with a sense of emotional balance. This is a trait that carries over well beyond Ninja Zone. 7. GRIT NinjaZone builds gritty kids. These kids are confident, strong, balanced, and have a strong sense of self. How does this happen? See above. 🙂