Gymnastics equipment

[4KookieKids]

I have an almost 5 yo who is really into gymnastics, and would like to be able to encourage her at home. However, I'm not willing to cough up a ton of money right now, since I don't know if this phase will pass quickly, and we also don't have a lot of storage space. Most things I'm finding online seem like they are expensive *and* bulky, and so won't work for us. We have long cold winters, and relatively hot summers, so going to the playground year round isn't a great option for us.

 

I've considered a door-frame pull up bar for practicing bar stuff. I need to do some more research on this idea, of course, since I'm not sure they can withstand the back-and-forth motions while staying stable (since pull-ups usually don't have that kind of motion). I'm wondering if anyone has other suggestions for us?

[Dmmetler]

DH added side supports to a 6x6 square beam for my DD to practice non-acrobatic beam skills outside.

 

A rebounder can be good for working on jumps (no flips).

 

We also have a balance disc to work on balance, which can also serve a secondary function as a wiggle disk for readalouds :)

 

DD just does cheer/tumbling now, but did gymnastics as well for several years (and still needs to practice at home).

 

The other useful thing-an empty wall-for handstands, walking down and up from backbends, and stuff like that. We realized quickly that we quite literally had no such wall anywhere in the house!

[maize]

I've done the pull-up bar in a doorway, it works fine for a small child.

 

My kids are growing so i got them a nice stable kip bar a couple of years ago. I made a balance beam from a 4x4 with stabilizer legs covered in a carpet remnant.

 

Ikea sells inexpensive tumbling mats.

[Aurelia]

Seconding the empty wall, you really do need one for things like handstands and learning to get into bridges for walkovers and stuff. Folding panel mats are excellent to use for cushioning when practicing. DD uses hers all the time. I also got a sticky beam because it's flat and velcro-backed, so you can put it on your carpet when using it, and roll it up when you're done without dealing with tape residue. It's long enough to practice cartwheels on for my more than 5' DD. I got her an outdoor trapeze several months ago, and while she can't use it every day, it really helps build core muscles and practice things like tap swings.

 

ETA: I found this site very helpful: Gymnastics HQ

Edited July 16, 2016 by Aurelia

[ElizabethB]

A foldable 4 x 8 x 2" mat. My son likes it too, and he does not like or do gymnastics, he just likes to lay on it, he often did some of his school work on it when it was in the school room. It has gotten a lot of use over the years. We now actually have 3 in a large room, my daughter loves the current set up. We got the first one 3 or 4 years ago and it has held up well, get a good one with good ratings and firm foam. The one we bought is currently unavailable. We got one with velcro on all sides, it allows for easy expansion.

[Jackie]

We have a foldable tumbling mat, which can be slid behind the couch when not in use. A folding incline mat that fits behind an end table. I should probably get a folding beam if my kid keeps up with as much as she's been doing lately. We do have a trampoline out back, but it's small enough to only be good for practicing jumps, not acrobatics.

[Mom22ns]

We had a large foldable tumbling mat, a balance beam made of a 4x6 with thin carpet cover and pipe legs/feet, and a kip bar. All of it was fun for years until her skills no longer fit in our house or on that equipment. It was a lot of fun though and didn't break the bank or take too much space.

[GeoKitty]

Well, we had way too much.  

 

Floor beam-  loved at first.  but the material wasn't close enough to the ones at the gym - even though when we bought it they said they used the same materials

Kip bar - loved even more - but didn't last very long - she got too tall to kip on it

Wedge (cheese) mat - great for learning basics…. 

Foor mats - Great while she was little

 

The only thing we still have  - a chin up bar attached to the door frame - for chin ups.  We still have one mat that lays under the pool table unused. 

 

Honestly, the chin up bar was the only thing we should have bought.  And put a masking tape line on the floor as a "beam"

 

DD is now an optionals gymnast.  Having home equipment did not help.  But she had fun with it!

[rebcoola]

Folding mats and a roll up floor beam.  

[fdrinca]

Well, we had way too much.  

 

Floor beam-  loved at first.  but the material wasn't close enough to the ones at the gym - even though when we bought it they said they used the same materials

Kip bar - loved even more - but didn't last very long - she got too tall to kip on it

Wedge (cheese) mat - great for learning basics…. 

Foor mats - Great while she was little

 

The only thing we still have  - a chin up bar attached to the door frame - for chin ups.  We still have one mat that lays under the pool table unused. 

 

Honestly, the chin up bar was the only thing we should have bought.  And put a masking tape line on the floor as a "beam"

 

DD is now an optionals gymnast.  Having home equipment did not help.  But she had fun with it!

 

I don't have optionals kids yet, but my older two are in their last year as compulsory. We quickly found that they outgrew the bigger equipment that we had. We still have all of the equipment up and around because we have little ones, and because the big kids use it in non-training ways. 

 

To do over, I'd have gotten a larger rectangular trampoline. Thankfully, our gym equipment was mostly second hand or gifts. 

 

Frankly, the best encouragement for your DD would be to open up as much floor space as you can and to turn a somewhat blind eye to the frequent handstands, cartwheels, forward rolls, and whatever else she uses as her forward momentum. 

[4KookieKids]

Lol. So I'm in the same spot now with my 3 yo that I was in last year with my then- 4yo: she's graduated out of the class at the Y, but is unable to take the next level because of her age. I feel like it's silly, even if I understand that there's a big difference in maturity between 3 and 4 yos, but oh well. So I think for Christmas, we're just going to get an inexpensive high density 2" mat (maybe two, so we can make a longer run) and a roll up beam and do our tumbling at home for the rest of the year. We do have a perfect stretch of empty wall for doing wall stuff.

 

 

SO, that brings me to the question of what exactly to do. Their ages will be 3, 5, and 7. Here's what I've thought up so far:

1) Different walks (bear walk, crab walk)

2) Tumbling (somersaulting, backwards rolls, rolling sideways down the hall)

3) Beam stuff - walking, jumping, eventually the other stuff from #4, but have to get that down first)

4) Stand stuff (head stands, hand stands, bridges, working on cartwheels)

5) Stretches

 

Any other ideas for me?

 

ETA: And what can they do on a trampoline besides jump? Grandparents are likely getting them one for Christmas.

Edited December 13, 2016 by deanna1ynne

[Jackie]

Found these:

 

Progression of skills on floor

 

Progression of skills on beam

 

For the trampoline, do a YouTube search for "trampoline tutorials". Some of these are definitely not for the faint of heart. "Beginner trampoline skills" nets some tamer stuff. Here's one that seems to cover about the same stuff DD has covered in her beginner trampoline/acro class.

[Sk8ermaiden]

The folding floor beams are the best if you don't have a lot of space! I can fold it in half and stand it in a corner. 

 

http://www.thebeamstore.com/gym-equipment/folding-beams

 

My FIL built us this, loosely based on this blog post. It lives outside. It's been awesome and the way he built it, we've been able to raise the bar as she's grown. 

 

http://gimmiefreebies.com/make-a-gymnastics-practice-mini-bar/

 

Sorry! I read through and realize I am late to the party!

Edited December 14, 2016 by Sk8ermaiden

[Sk8ermaiden]

Sooo...the current gymnastics standards are that kids under 5 really should not be bridging. And if they do, their feet should be on a mat (like a panel mat that is folded all the way up.) I just thought I'd throw that out there. I didn't think headstands are encouraged either, but I'm not as clear on that one.

[4KookieKids]

 

Sooo...the current gymnastics standards are that kids under 5 really should not be bridging. And if they do, their feet should be on a mat (like a panel mat that is folded all the way up.) I just thought I'd throw that out there. I didn't think headstands are encouraged either, but I'm not as clear on that one.

 

 

Oh really? Is it not good for them? My kids are 7, 5, 3, and 1 (though I doubt she joins in the fun... lol) and so my 3 year old tries to do everything the older kids are doing. If it's for health reasons, it might finally make sense why folks keep telling me that my kids have outgrown the "little kid" class (skill-wise), but still can't go into the "bigger kid" classes (that work on stuff like bridging). Is it bad for a kid to work on it when they *are* five (instead of 4 and under?)? Just seems particularly relevant, since my 5 year old does bridges all over the house, and I'd like to know if I need to stop her! :)

 

 

Is there a place where I can find out what's safe or good for them at each age? That some things aren't safe for certain ages is something I'd never considered (but seems foolish in hindsight, of course)!

[GeoKitty]

Even though we had lots of equipment, I feel the need to point out that coaches will say that gymnastics should stay at the gym.  In their classes they are taught the proper (safe) way to do skills.  At home, they learn improper ways, which could end up hurting them.  And also hurt their gymnastics progression because it is far easier to teach a new skill than to  fix a poorly done self-taught skill.  Trampolines are the biggest danger of all.  

[Sk8ermaiden]

  

 

Oh really? Is it not good for them? My kids are 7, 5, 3, and 1 (though I doubt she joins in the fun... lol) and so my 3 year old tries to do everything the older kids are doing. If it's for health reasons, it might finally make sense why folks keep telling me that my kids have outgrown the "little kid" class (skill-wise), but still can't go into the "bigger kid" classes (that work on stuff like bridging). Is it bad for a kid to work on it when they *are* five (instead of 4 and under?)? Just seems particularly relevant, since my 5 year old does bridges all over the house, and I'd like to know if I need to stop her! :)

 

 

Is there a place where I can find out what's safe or good for them at each age? That some things aren't safe for certain ages is something I'd never considered (but seems foolish in hindsight, of course)!

 

Really bridges and walkovers are the only things I've heard about. Even at older ages, excessive (most kids won't encounter that unless on team) walkovers are bad for the back. If the 5 year old wants to bridge everywhere, I'd encourage her to do it with her feet up (will decrease strain on the back) and work on her form...feet together, legs straight. And she can even practice her kickover from a bridge with her feet elevated. It's what our 5 yo preteamers do. Once they get really good, they bring them to the floor. 

 

At our gym, they encourage the preschoolers to do "tables", where they put hands and feet on the ground and make a flat "table" with their stomachs. Then they can practice lifting one leg at a time and one arm at a time, and even the opposite arm and leg at the same time! 

 

Chalkbucket.com is a great forum for learning stuff, but they can be a bit firm (militant?) in their opinions of no gymnastics at home, no equipment at home. But if you search, there is a ton about the backbend/bridge issue. 

 

I hope these don't come through too big (if they do I'll link instead) But here's DD at 3 doing a table (her butt could be higher!)

 

And at 5, a bridge with pretty good form

[4KookieKids]

 

And at 5, a bridge with pretty good form

 

 

Wow! That's amazing! We've visited a few gymnastics places around here and none of them have kids doing nice bridges like that (even the 8 and 10 year olds are still doing bridges with feet and arms splayed and legs bent at the knees). So I don't know that anyone near us is going to be much help... :-/ I get that what I'm about to ask is probably the exact reason you say folks should do it with coaches and not at home (though I haven't seen any coaches do it near us anyway, so...), but how on earth do they get nice form on their bridges by five if they don't do them previously? It seems like a huge step! Do they require them to start with their feet together and legs straight? I'm just curious because I'm truly impressed (and I know NOTHING about gymnastics).

[Sk8ermaiden]

From what I understand...part of it is a flexibility issue, so it happens like with stretching - they have to do it little by little. It will help the form a lot to have the feet elevated 4-5 inches. From what I observed, they worked on getting the feet together first, and then from there, straightening the legs. Then when they bring it to the floor, the same process happens again. Feet together, legs straight. She had done weekly work with feet on the mat prior to this and they would do them on the floor maybe once a month or 6 weeks? But if I zoomed out, you would see the rest of the girls were in various stages of form. :D Though by 6, they've all got it. 

 

THEN they start doing their bridges with their hands up against something like a wall or tall mat, and *pushing* with their feet - the goal being to get their forearms flat against the wall. I *think* it's for shoulder flexibility. 

 

There's a whole issue with open shoulders vs closed shoulders, but I'm not well versed enough in gym to discern it, much less talk about it. 

[4KookieKids]

That's good to know. My 5 yo walked in while your pic was up and was so awed she immediately went out and started trying to do it right. She could get her feet together, but not her legs straight. So I'll suggest she start with her feet elevated and see if she has an easier time of it. :)

 

I tend to have this outlook that (arrogantly, even if unintentionally) assumes that, whatever my young-ish children want or need to know, I can teach them (certainly at 3, but mostly at 5 as well) if I do a little homework and watch how the "pros" do it. What I've learned today is that that's just not true. lol. I would've liked to think I still had this for my 3 yo (she's the one who's currently really into gymnastics), since I've called around to and/or visited most of the less expensive places (YMCA and cheer places that also teach tumbling for <$50/mo) and they all seem to have the same weaknesses when actually teaching young ones (so that I never knew this stuff while watching them there), and so my next cheapest options for any sort of gymnastics seems to be places in the >$70/mo range, which I have a hard time coughing up for a 3 yo.

[Sk8ermaiden]

I think most preschool gymnastics can be taught for fun based off videos and such. Handstands, cartwheels, forward rolls and backward rolls are the big staples, as well as stretching and gaining strength and balance. And yes, if your kid wanted to one day go into competitive gymnastics, they would have a lot to unlearn and relearn, because good coaches are always shaping and spotting and know SO much about what the body should be doing at every moment. But if they just want to one day re enter recreational gymnastics, then it's less important. It's just for fun anyway. The bridges/walkovers (and maybe the headstands) are the only things I have ever heard of needing real caution about. 

 

The emphasis should always be on form though. A handstand that only goes halfway up, but starts and lands in a lunge, with tummy sucked in and arms to the sky is far preferable to one that is sloppy and archy but hits vertical. Splits that are far off the ground, but with proper form, hips forward, toes pointed, is preferable to splits all the way down with sideways hips and bent knees, etc. (Our gym only starts emphasizing form at 5 though, or 4 for hotshots. Everyone is just getting used to the motions and having fun until then. The handstands are "donkey kicks" and not real handstands until 4 or 5.)

 

Good programs do so much. Our preschoolers do these beam rotations our gym calls "puppy with a hurt leg" and "camel hops." DD did these at like...2-4 years old. They look weird. But I just found out last year that the puppy one is the very first drill training for handstands on beam, while camel hops prepare them for landing round offs and back handsprings on beam, while stretching the tendons in the heel or something that also will help with two-foot snapdowns in general. I love it when the coaches mention this stuff to us. They start drills 3 years before the actual skill they're drilling for enters the picture. 

 

Also, if you have anywhere to hang it, buy a climbing rope!! And there's a gorilla gym system that hangs in a doorway and you can hang rings from it and it's a pull up bar and has a little rope. It's awesome! There are lots of preschool gym things for girls and boys that use the rings. 

Edited December 15, 2016 by Sk8ermaiden

[4KookieKids]

 

I think most preschool gymnastics can be taught for fun based off videos and such. Handstands, cartwheels, forward rolls and backward rolls are the big staples, as well as stretching and gaining strength and balance. And yes, if your kid wanted to one day go into competitive gymnastics, they would have a lot to unlearn and relearn, because good coaches are always shaping and spotting and know SO much about what the body should be doing at every moment. But if they just want to one day re enter recreational gymnastics, then it's less important. It's just for fun anyway. The bridges/walkovers (and maybe the headstands) are the only things I have ever heard of needing real caution about. 

 

The emphasis should always be on form though. A handstand that only goes halfway up, but starts and lands in a lunge, with tummy sucked in and arms to the sky is far preferable to one that is sloppy and archy but hits vertical. Splits that are far off the ground, but with proper form, hips forward, toes pointed, is preferable to splits all the way down with sideways hips and bent knees, etc. (Our gym only starts emphasizing form at 5 though, or 4 for hotshots. Everyone is just getting used to the motions and having fun until then. The handstands are "donkey kicks" and not real handstands until 4 or 5.)

 

Good programs do so much. Our preschoolers do these beam rotations our gym calls "puppy with a hurt leg" and "camel hops." DD did these at like...2-4 years old. They look weird. But I just found out last year that the puppy one is the very first drill training for handstands on beam, while camel hops prepare them for landing round offs and back handsprings on beam, while stretching the tendons in the heel or something that also will help with two-foot snapdowns in general. I love it when the coaches mention this stuff to us. They start drills 3 years before the actual skill they're drilling for enters the picture. 

 

Also, if you have anywhere to hang it, buy a climbing rope!! And there's a gorilla gym system that hangs in a doorway and you can hang rings from it and it's a pull up bar and has a little rope. It's awesome! There are lots of preschool gym things for girls and boys that use the rings. 

 

 

Thanks. This gives me hope. I doubt my kids do competitive much, but we're open to it. When my current 5 yo reached a point where she really wanted ballet lessons, and she was willing to practice 6 days a week for four months straight (boy, did that ballet dvd get old... I knew it was bad when she'd memorized it and recited it so much that my 3 yo could also recite it, despite never seeing it herself...), we put her in ballet lessons. And yes, they're expensive, but it seemed the right thing to do given her interest. I expect my current 3 yo will be the same: either she'll stick with it and want more, and we'll do more formal lessons at a good place in a few years, or it'll stay relaxed and she'll just do the stuff at the Y when the offer it (two 6 week session in fall, the same in spring) and have fun with it at home. I'm ok with either and have no grand illusions of making her good enough to be competitive here at home. I just don't want to injure her either (a conversation we've had a lot with my 5 yo, because she's so desperate to do splits and dance en pointe and the like that she's pushing herself too hard too fast - despite me explaining that she can't dance en pointe until she's at least 10-11 anyway without causing lasting injuries, no matter HOW good she is...) So we'll be careful and I'll do some reading and we won't overdo it and hopefully we'll all have fun. :)

 

Thank you for all of your advice and encouragement and wisdom.

[4KookieKids]

OK I have another question that might seem very dumb: when you say some folks insist on gymnastics only at a gym, do you mean people don't even practice at home when they're taking weekly lessons? How do they improve then? I've always thought weekly lessons of ANYTHING was a waste if you didn't practice at home during the week so I'm just curious.

[Sk8ermaiden]

It's because of bad habits, and once you reach back handsprings, the tricks become dangerous too. There are some things considered OK/good to work on at home. Stretching and strength basically, and handstands. But kids usually don't want to practice THAT at home. They want to practice their newest tricks.

 

My DD practices stuff all the time at home, but I do it knowing it goes against the conventional wisdom. I also only let her practice things she's had a lot of instruction on in gym already, so she knows how they *should* be done. 

 

If you had a kid in gymnastics and asked on a gymnastics forum, they'd say she could do her stretches, and pull/push/sit ups. Stuff like that.

[Jackie]

I will say some coaches are apparently more lenient about this. The director of the gym DD goes to was completely comfortable recommending some home equipment for us. I was only asking about mats and beam, so I have no idea what her reaction would have been to anything else. Her attitude toward practicing at home is that you're unlikely to really be able to stop young kids anyway, so it's more important to keep it safe. She has three grown/nearly grown kids; she's practical.

 

At that time, however, DD was 4-5 years old and the most complex skills she was working on were roundoffs, handstand-to-bridge, and back kickovers. I'm guessing she'd nix her working on handsprings at home now even though she is working on them in class.

[4KookieKids]

If you had a kid in gymnastics and asked on a gymnastics forum, they'd say she could do her stretches, and pull/push/sit ups. Stuff like that.

So we ended up doing mostly this, but I figured I'd check back in and see if there were any other ideas of benign things we can do with the littles.

 

We ended up purchasing:

* A balance board (Alex brand) just so they can stand on it and practice balancing. They love it.

* A foam pogo jumper. Squeaks with each bounce, and my hubby is on the verge of gutting it, but my kids love it. Also mostly a balancing activity but also helps to burn energy.

* A set of small hula hoops. They're too small to actually hula hoop with, but great for jumping from one to the other and just generally being active.

* A set of yoga mats because dh and I do yoga and are tired of having to share, but the kids love each having their own for stretching, etc. They also love to put these up against the walls to practice their handstands (walking up the wall). I also let the older two practice cartwheels on their yoga mats.

* We got one larger mat, but use it only for somersaults right now (turns out 8' isn't nearly so big as it sounds... lol)

 

I like what we're going, because I feel like my kids are getting stronger and more coordinated and balanced, and I don't worry about safety (by and large). I've had no luck convincing them to stop bridging (my 5 yo was doing them with feet together and legs straight within two weeks of me showing her the pic of your daughter...) and I've flat out had to tell me 3 yo that if she starts bridging, she's not allowed to finish exercising with us (but she still does it and gets really mad at me for treating her like a "baby"). :P I'm always the bad guy! lol. So we do lots of crabwalking, bunny hopping, galloping, soldier marching, etc. around the living room, and also lots of stretching (my 5 yo leads that one because her ballet class is big on stretching), but I'm just wondering what else would be fun but safe to do at home (because they are not interested in doing push ups or sit ups... even though I kind of feel like walking up a wall backwards is just about the same as a push up, but what do I know! :) )