Movin’ And Groovin’ Keiki

Aysha Tenouri
Owner of Keiki Klubhouse

Please tell us about your business. I teach music and gymnastic classes for children at the Storybook Theatre of Hawai’i in Hanapepe. I use curriculum such as Kindermusik, which is an international program.

What is Kindermusik?

It’s a fun, educational music and gymnastics class that you can attend with your child. It is for newborns to 10-year-olds. There is singing, where I sing or we do group singing, we dance, play music and we also do a story time. I do poems, and focus listening also. Everything is intertwined and revolves around music because every child benefits from music. It’s a 45-minute weekly class. The classes have different themes, like one week would be going to visit a friend; another week would be having a picnic.

What are your gymnastics classes like? I have an obstacle course that the kids rotate. They spend five minutes at each station – and each station has different skills that we’re working on, and that allows me to get time and individual attention with each child – and then they switch. That’s how the class is structured for ages 6 and up. For under 6, they have an obstacle course where they go in a circle and do every skill one time and keep going, because that helps with their attention span.

Why do you do what you do? I have 10 years’ experience coaching gymnastics. When I decided I was going to stay home and raise my child, Evie (almost 2), I thought that I would like to provide gymnastics and music for her, but that gets kind of costly. So, with my not working and having my background, I thought, ‘Why don’t I just start something and then I benefit in both ways?’

How is this beneficial for children? The gymnastics is beneficial in many ways, like coordination, balance, body awareness, flexibility, strength and self-esteem. Music is beneficial for learning and development. Just simply being surrounded by music is beneficial, and so are the social interaction and the parent-bonding time (parents are only involved up to 3 years old).

What’s the most rewarding aspect of what you do? Children get so excited when they learn new things, and they’re just so pure and great to be around. They’re really happy, especially when you’re teaching them something – they just live for that; they soak it up. When you see them do a skill for the first time, it’s exciting for me because I’m teaching them. They’re happy and I’m happy.

What’s the most challenging aspect of what you do? Trying to incorporate my daughter into this. It’s been a challenge juggling being a teacher and a mom at the same time.

What are your plans for the future? I would love to have my own land and gym and have a bigger facility. In the immediate future, I’m looking to hire an employee.

www.keikiklubhouse.com 492-2372