GYMNASTICS Back to the Basics of MOVEMENT
Friday May 1 2015 3:15-4:30 PM (Session C) BES Gymnasium Banff Alberta
Kelly Thompson –Human Kinetics Department ([email protected])
St Francis Xavier University, Antigonish Nova Scotia
Pre Amble: Kids inherently like to move in different ways and play gymnastics, we just need to
watch them on unsupervised playground, their home front lawn, at the swimming pool or on
skating rinks. Kids do like to twist, turn, be upside down and show various stationary positions
on their feet or head and hands. We unintentionally have been removing play and movement
adventures from our physical education programs!
Definition of Play: is a range of voluntary, intrinsically motivated activities normally associated
with recreational pleasure and enjoyment . Play is most commonly associated with children and
their juvenile-level activities, but play can also be a useful adult activity.
Values of Play: Play allows for a child to try new things, play tests boundaries and use
imagination, play foster motor function, creativity, decision making and problem solving, play
allows a child to work on his creative mind. play increase in physical health benefits, play
increase in cognitive, emotional and social development benefit
This session will introduce new ideas to play gymnastics while incorporating the 6
Foundational movement patterns into your Physical Education classes!
Let’s Play Gymnastics!
Just like in Math or English teachers teach their respected discipline related to numbers and
reading and writing. We as physical education teachers are expected to teach Children how to
Move and improve their Physical literacy!
With all the misnomers about gymnastics being a difficult and dangerous activity it’s time to
disguise and redefine it within other physical education games or activities we do! It’s time to
play Gymnastics!
List of Todays Activities and Games
**All games are hyperlinked to a you tube video with instruction for your own
resource
Activators (Let’s feel good about me)
Partner Tag
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_13jabtM6eE
Crazy Anatomy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1seSggxiUpU
Kings Court –Sir Lancelot, Maid Marian, King Arthur, Knights of the Round Table
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJtOcaTtaNw
(Say what I say, do what I say) (Say what I say, do opposite of what I say) (Say opposite of
what I say, but do what I say)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmtzJEXt0gU
Stationary Skills /Games and Activities
Ship Mates –captain coming, all hands on deck, man overboard, raise sail, raise flag,
submarines) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogBGRf8eOZc
Rock Paper Scissor (Static Challenge)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQEVtn9Lghc
Stone Bridge Tree relay (Tuck ball, Hands and Feet, Stand on one foot arms out to side)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQH9aagTvm0
Spider on a Mirror
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTjEXI8darU
Pat a cake –face to face hand tapping and pushing or bumping
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6JpRczs0bQ
Danish Wrestling –Plant opposing foot keeping it planted
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPKGkNK8Gzk
Hip Balance foot war –Balancing on hips us feet to knock or bump partner’s feet to loose
balance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBDNhR9CxYM
Star Wars -Face to face standing (grab hand with finger pointed forward)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tbd40oAk7Rg
Kneeling head tapping -on knees face to face (grab partner’s wrists and try and tap head
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M7tAjjdiKI
Foot Fencing –balancing on one foot try and use other leg as a sword trying to tap partners leg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI2nankLOzY
Rotational Activities
Storm Warning
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2AWzHroL6M
Step in Step out
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo_BlppToPA
Combine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRpdQcfOydE
Log Roll in Unison
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03MXrF0Q6uE
Conveyor Belt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C91sTAVl3JU
Springing Activities
Catch a Star -three springs and star position, only get tagged in star position.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXZVd0I7vNY
Human Basketball –dribbler and a human basketball. (spring on hands and feet)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GrCewqXHUs
Stationary Wheel Barrel Springs and Tandem Wheel barrel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg58erLFpZw
Locomotion Activities
Partner Row Boat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IHkihvyABw
Partner Train
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXYsZsPGW64
Partner Centipede
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jahZCpuzM5E
Partner Chariot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFby-fsZ2fc