Introduction to Gymnastics
Primary 4 · Physical Education
Introduction to Gymnastics
Lesson 1 of 3
20 min
Let's begin
Gatete watches his little sister tumble down the grassy slope behind their house, laughing. "That's a roll!" he says.
Rolling is fun, but rolling the wrong way can hurt your neck. Today you will learn three rolls, step by step, the safe way.
A roll moves you across the floor by turning your body over. Gymnasts use rolls to join moves together, and to fall safely.
The secret of every roll is to make your body round, like an egg or a ball. Round things roll smoothly. Flat things bump.
Lie on your back in a long pencil shape, arms stretched above your head and legs together. Roll sideways along the mat, keeping your body straight and tight like a log. Then roll back the other way.
Sit in a tuck: hug your knees and put your chin on your chest. Rock gently back onto your round back, then forward onto your bottom. Rock 5 times. Then try rolling sideways in your tuck: onto your side, your back, your other side, and up again.
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Rolling onto the top of your head | Tuck your chin tight to your chest. |
| Legs flop open and straight, and you land flat on your back | Stay in a tuck until your feet are back on the mat. |
| Rolling sideways off the mat | Push with both hands and both feet evenly. |
| Pushing on the mat with your hands to get up | Reach your arms forward to help you rise. |
Tip
Chin on chest, round like an egg. If you can see your tummy, your chin is tucked and you are ready to roll.
Think about each one first, then tap Show answer to check.
What shape should your body be when you roll?
Answer: Round and tucked, like an egg or a ball.
In a forward roll, what touches the mat as you go over: the top of your head or the back of your shoulders?
Answer: The back of your shoulders. Your chin is tucked so your head stays off the mat.
Mugisha's legs open in the middle of his roll and he lands flat on his back. What should he change?
Answer: He should keep hugging his tuck until his feet are back on the mat.
Put the forward roll steps in order: roll on a round back; squat with hands flat; stand up with arms forward; tuck chin and lift hips.
Answer: Squat with hands flat, tuck chin and lift hips, roll on a round back, stand up with arms forward.
Why do we practise the egg roll before the forward roll?
Answer: Rocking teaches your back to stay round and your chin to stay tucked, in a safe, easy way.
What you learned today
Sources and credits
The story, the forward-roll diagram, the step-by-step rolls, the mistakes table and the practice were written by Ganzaa.
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Quick check
Put the three rolls in the order you learn them.
Tap the cards in the right order.
