Helping Your Child with Gymnastics Skills at Home

Hello Parents! We wanted to provide this fun guide to help you practice gymnastics with your child at home. This is to help you review our most commonly used body shapes with your child for faster learning.

Backyard trampolines can provide enjoyable recreation; however, they can sometimes pose challenges to gymnastics advancement. In our classes, we often address the need to correct any techniques that may have been influenced by practicing on backyard trampolines and lovingly-intentioned but mistimed spotting by parents.

The muscle memory acquired from consistent practice at home can be incredibly challenging to overcome. The last thing we want is for a child to feel frustrated by our corrections without understanding the reason for their struggle.

Below is a guide to help you take an active role in developing a foundation of gymnastics skills. These simple skills will be helpful for any child, from beginner to advanced. It should take 3-5 minutes a day, and they can practice as many times as they want in a day.

These skills may seem very simple, but they must be done well while striving for accuracy to improve body tightness. It will be hard work, but it would be a great exercise for the whole family. Keep it simple, keep it fun, and don't overdo it!!

KINDERGYM & JR COMPETITION TEAM:

POSITIONS: Tuck, Pike, Straddle, Table Top, V-Sit, Cat Tail, Candlestick, Bridge (age 5 and up only), Lunge, TaDa

FORWARD ROLLS: Sometimes parents call this a “somersault.” We use the technical term and teach a tuck forward roll, pike forward roll, and straddle forward roll. For kids who have trouble tucking, we say “smell your belly button.” Yes it is silly but it works!! :)

CARTWHEELS: Hands down, kick your legs around. As the student progresses, as does our expectation of legs up, straight, pointed toes, and speed.

DONKEY KICK/HANDSTAND: Start and end the skill in the lunge position.

PRACTICE SKILLS FOR 1ST GRADE & UP:

POSITIONS (the fundamental body shapes of handsprings) These positions break skills into achievable parts using the part/whole method.

In class, we are training the kids to instantly go to the correct position as they are often flying through the air while doing these skills and there isn’t time for adjustment.

  • Superman

  • Hollow (Banana)

  • Bridge

  • Front Support (push up position, ears covered)

  • Handstand

SUPERMAN: on tummy on floor, arms by ears slightly lifted, toes slightly lifted and pointed, legs together, inverse of hollow position

HOLLOW (BANANA): small of back on floor, arms by ears slightly lifted, toes slightly lifted and pointed, legs together, inverse of superman position

BRIDGE:

  • Push with toes with squeezed legs (mermaid legs)

  • Triangle hands

  • Straight arms

  • Beginners hold 10 seconds, Novice and above hold 30 seconds

FRONT SUPPORT: flat body, arms covering ears, similar to push-up position

HANDSTAND:

  • Be as tall as you can be​.​

  • Triangle hands​/Hershey kiss hands, shoulder width apart.

  • Completely straight body from wrists to toes

  • Head neutral/ears by shoulders - this is an important one that creates good body position for handsprings​

    ​ (Don’t look down at your hands!)

  • Help them by catching/holding their feet to get steady, and then let go.

  • The goal is to hold a straight body handstand independently for as long as possible. 

    (5 to 10 seconds is great)

  • A strong, tight, independent handstand is the foundation for all gymnastics.

MORE FUN STUFF TO PRACTICE AT HOME:

  • Fast Cartwheels

  • Slow Cartwheels (really stretching to extend legs and toes)

  • Round-off to Front Support/Push Up Position

  • Simon Says Positions

  • Straddle & Pike Stretches

  • Splits

  • Handstand Contest