Gymnastics: key 0 Skill-work

Place some markers / cones on the floor as shown. Ask children to walk around the room. Get them to start by walking around with their arms by their side, then outstretched. Ask the children to run around then stop like a statue. Ask the children to sit by a marker then stretch their arms out.

Get the children to walk around the hall and then on the teachers command children should go as small as possible. Then get the children to continue running around before stopping and making themselves as big as possible. Keep repeating the exercises but vary the speed in which the children travel.

Start the lesson by getting the players to run around and focus on finding space. Encourage children to visit different places in the hall - e.g the corners and sides of the hall The next stage is to ask the children to run around making smalls steps then progress to big steps on the teachers command.

Start the practice by walking around the hall, on the command the children have to put their hands and feet on the floor and walk around on all fours, make sure they push their bottoms into the air. On a signal from the teacher the children have to put their arms and legs in the air. The next progression is for the children to stop on a command from the teacher and name the body parts they have in contact with the floor e.g. hands / head and feet.

The children start the exercise by walking backwards around the hall, changing direction as they do. Ensure that the children do not bump into each other. The next stage of the exercise is to get the children to hop around the hall then back to walking. Ask the children to walk in a straight line then walk back to your space again.

Ask the children to start by bouncing on the spot - Remember to push the balls of the feet onto the floor to make the feet and knees work harder. Gradually bouncing higher and higher. The next stage is to ask the children to bounce sideways before asking the children to hop around the room. Then get the children to crawl around on their hands and knees before changing and walking around like a crab.

Ask the children to bounce in different directions before progressing to bouncing close to the floor. The next stage is to ask the children to travel around on their hands and feet with their tummies facing the floor. Choose several children to demonstrate. Ask the children to travel around the floor on their hands and feet in a bouncing way, commonly known as a bunny hop. Another progression to try is travel on feet to a space then hands and feet to another.

Ask children if they know any other low positions and ask them to demostrate - sliding, sideways rolling, long and narrow shapes. Ask children if they know any high positions and ask them to demostrate.

Ask children to travel around the hall with as much of their body touching the floor as possible - sliding movements. Ask the children to travel into a space taking their weight on feet only and then travel to another space taking their weight on as much of the body as possible.

Ask the children to travel on their hands and feet in as many different ways and directions as possible. Ask children to walk forwards and backwards. Ask the children to then travel forwards and backwards on their hands and feet.

Ask the children to squat down low and make a light ball. Emphasise head and elbows in / arms pulling tightly around the knees. Choose some children to demonstrate. Ask is there another way you can curl up in a ball ?. Next, ask the children to stretch up as high as possible - emphasise strong bodies / stretched fingers and feet, reach for the roof ?

Start the exercise by asking the children to run around and then stop before making themselves small. Ask the children the different sides they can curl up on e.g. bottom, side, feet etc. The next stage is to demo to the children how you would roll over sideways then back on to your knees again. Ask the children to stretch up high, ensuring that you stretch the fingers and toes.

Ask the children to move into space and stop on command. When stopped, ask the children to curl up tightly, with all body parts tucked in - head in, knees bent and elbows in. Ask children to move around the floor space in a curled up position.

Ask children to move carefully and slowly around the hall in a curled up position. On teachers command, ask the children to stop and grow into a stretched out shape. Then, ask children to move around the hall with a bouncy action and on teachers command stop and curl up into a ball.

Ask the children to bounce in and out of each other, emphasising on keeping their bodies close to the ground. On teachers command, ask the children to stop and stretch up high and wide. Then on teachers command, ask the children to sink down low and curl up. From a curled position, ask the children to grow into a low stretched shape on the floor.

Ask the children to move around the hall in a stretched-out way. Ask the children to move around the hall in a curled up way. Ask the children to move around the hall in a bouncy, energetic way. On teachers command, stop the children and ask them to curl up. Then ask the children to stretch out slowly.

Ask children to go for a walk or run. Ask them to stop and make themselves as small as possible--no touching. Repeat. Next, as children are running, ask them to make themselves as big and wide as possible. Repeat these activities several times at varied speeds.

Run/step/start on teachers command. Run and visit diferent places in the hall - corners, sides, middle. Move to the corners of the hall using tiny steps. Come back to the center of the hall using big steps. Repeat with variations.

Ask children to find a space and with feet together, bounce in one spot. They should keep their heads up, knees and ankles working hard. . Next, they should move about the hall, still bouncing with their feet together. On the teachers signal, the children should run anywhere in the hall, find another spot and bounce up and down in that spot. Repeat. As children are running, teacher should clap hands for the children to jump and land on two feet.

Ask children to walk around hall. Ask them to walk using diferent parts of the feet--toes, heels, sides, etc. Change to moving around the room using any kind of hopping or jumping that they want.