Darlene Sullivan, founder, who met her husband, Jerry, about the time they were both graduating from SJSU,together raised their family of 4 boys in Cupertino where Darlene was a stay at home Mom. Besides BA in Business, Darlene had an AA degree in early childhood education and had loved taking their sons to the Mt. School in Los Gatos. She and "the boys" were enrolled in Los Gatos Saratoga Observation Nursery School and one after another they attended together. By the time their last had finished preschool, Darlene had been in Observations School for ten years. For one year Darlene was what was called a "double mother" because she had two children enrolled that year. "All those observations really strerengthened my skills as a teacher, and I loved it there at the Springs!" said Darlene.

After their fourth son started kindergarten, what did Darlene do with her free mornings? (She had already been teaching "Fitness for Women" at the Cupertino Y for about a year) She become an assistant teacher at the Los Gatos Saratoga Observation Nursery School, of course! When Darlene was asked to take over a baby exercise program at the Cupertino Y.W.C.A., another adventure began. After initial success with baby class that year, and branching out to several Santa Clara County Ys, over a period of 5 years, where Darlene would load up her green Volvo wagon and go to a different Valley YWCA each weekday where she would put on 1 fitness class and 3 baby/toddler exercise classes and return home about the time "the boys" were due to arrive.

Never one for status quo, in early 1979, Darlene and a friend Jean, who was an artist, decided they would combine our talents. Darlene would lead the gym activities, and Jean would plan and present the art activities to start their own program. Minigym Explorations found a Cupertino logo design company to make their logo...which just happened to be the same company that gave Apple Computer their logo.

Minigym Explorations was born in the Lone Hill Church in San Jose, in September 1979.

After just their first year, having grown, and needing a space which would accomodate this growth, Minigym found the perfect spot at the old Cambrian Junior High School site that had been retired when a new bigger school was built. In their new home, Minigym now had their own space at 4115 Jacksol Drive. Darlene and Jean specialized in a program of gym and art directed towards infants to children up to three years of age. Their partnership continued until the early '90s when Darlene bought out her partner, but keeping and embellishing the artwork side of the program. Concurrent with this change, Darlene branched out into programs suitable for the preschool market. As a follow on, parents now had the choice of moving their child into preschool when age 2yrs. 9 months, where they could attend without Mommy. There were now other activities to enrich preschoolers, summer camp, special music classes taught by a talented music lady, who herself brought her children to first Minigym parent/child and then preschool at Minigym. There was the great play room with all that inviting gym equipment that made the setting for wonderful Birthday Parties!

There were those special few years when we were blessed with Canadian Susan Parker, singer, musician who was in our school,with her youngest two children, and also taught music, sang with our children and enhanced our learning while her husband was working towards his Doctorate at Stanford U.

As time marched on even as the children grew to be adults, some have come back with their children to become part of our program.

For Darlene Sullivan, Minigym Explorations is a dream come true.
It is not only a service to families, but a chance for children to have a special play and learning time early in childhood.

Darlene hopes parents will remember the spirit of Minigym Explorations and make play " their" time so that parents and their children will know the joy of playing together.