Introduction to Gymnastics
Primary 4 · Physical Education
Introduction to Gymnastics
Lesson 2 of 3
20 min
Let's begin
Umutoni's school has no gym hall. But on Friday her teacher brings out two benches, some hoops, a low wooden box and a thick mat.
"Today," she says, "the school field is our gymnasium!" In this lesson you will learn how to use simple equipment well and safely.
In the Olympic Games, women gymnasts use the floor, the uneven bars, the balance beam and the vault. Men use the floor, the parallel bars, the high bar, the pommel horse, the vault and the rings. The balance beam is only about 10 cm wide, about as wide as your hand!
At school, simple equipment trains the very same skills:
| Equipment | What you do | What it trains |
|---|---|---|
| Mat | Rolls, shapes and landings | Control and safe falling |
| Bench | Walk along it, balance on it, crawl along it | Balance |
| Hoops | Jump in and out, hop through a pattern | Quick, neat feet |
| Low box or step | Step up, jump off and land | Jumping power and landing |
| Rope on the ground | Walk along it like a beam, jump from side to side | Balance and rhythm |
Every jump ends with a landing, so learn it well:
Never land on straight, stiff legs. The bump goes straight into your knees and back.
A circuit is a set of stations. You spend about 2 minutes at each one, then move on when the whistle blows.
At home: draw a straight line on the ground to use as your beam, and draw circles in the soil instead of hoops. Never jump from high places such as walls or trees.
Tip
Land like a cat: soft feet, bent knees, arms forward, then freeze!
Think about each one first, then tap Show answer to check.
Which trains balance more: walking along a bench, or jumping in and out of hoops?
Answer: Walking along a bench. The hoops mostly train quick, neat feet.
Name two parts of a safe landing.
Answer: Any two of these: land on the front of your feet, bend your knees, feet hip-width apart, arms forward, freeze.
How many pupils should carry a bench?
Answer: At least two, one at each end.
Why should you never drag a mat?
Answer: Dragging tears the mat and makes it dirty, and a torn mat is no longer safe.
A circuit has 4 stations and you spend 2 minutes at each one. How long does the whole circuit take?
Answer: 4 × 2 = 8 minutes.
What you learned today
Sources and credits
The story, the equipment table, the circuit plan, the landing and carrying rules 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
Match each piece of equipment to what it trains.
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
