With Beth Gardner
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Safety warnings for parents must be written.
Waivers
Release Forms
Signage posted around
the gym.
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Safety warnings for preschoolers must be VERBAL and
must be repeated OFTEN.
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Three purposes of a good warm-up:
1. Increase Heart Rate and Core
Body temperature.
2. Engorge Muscles with Blood
3. Move Muscles and Joints through
Appropriate Range of Motion for the Activities
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Ballistic vs. Dynamic Stretching
 Ballistic stretching includes bouncing during the stretches.
This tears the muscles and nerves. It should be avoided.
 Dynamic stretching is defined as moving through the various
stretch positions using short “hold times.”
 While older children and adults require longer hold times
during their stretches, preschoolers require very short hold
times of about 12-15 seconds.
 The window of flexibility is between ages 7-9 years old.
Two Keys to protecting the spine:
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Keep the Spine as straight as possible during
stretch to alleviate over-stressing the lower
back.
Eliminate unnecessary torque
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Avoid Yoga Plow Stretches
Keep the Head Up during butterfly, straddle and
pike stretches to help alleviate over-stressing the
lower spine.
Lateral Stretching:
Avoid Unnecessary Twisting and Torque to the
Spine
Protect the knees during splits. Prior to splits, the
foot should be in front of the knee so that the
knee angle never bends further than 90 degrees
during the lunge.
Use the adapted hurdler stretch
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Know the children’s names
Keep children within your field of vision
Place rotations facing away from the rest of the gym
Have enough stations to keep the children busy
Maintain one spotting station within a rotation.
Adapt activities if needed.
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Teach Parents in your Parent and Tot Classes
Safe torso and above the elbow spotting to
avoid Nursemaid’s elbow
Make sure that as you spot forward rolls in
preschoolers, that you support the neck and
lift at the hips. Be sure to teach parents how
to spot appropriately so they do not push
their children down the mats.
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Double-bouncing on the trampoline
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Staying with the class
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Outside information from articles and
certifications like the passive Heimlich
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If a preschooler is going to be on top of the bar, as in a
support position, the bar should be set chest-high to
the preschooler. If the bars are too high, mat up to
meet the standard.
Remember that preschoolers have small hands and can
easily slip off the bars, especially on the standard
uneven bars.
DO NOT allow parents to place hands on top of their
child’s hands while holding the bar. This can cause the
same injury as grip-lock.
When a preschooler is performing skin-the-cat, the bar
should be matted up so that the child’s feet hit the
floor before the child hits full extension. This is to
protect the shoulders.
Ligaments in a preschooler’s shoulders are not ready
to hang unsupported until around 18 months old.
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Like other events, the preferable spotting
technique is torso spotting
Remember to spot between the elbow and
shoulder to avoid nursemaid’s elbow, never
between the elbow and wrist
Spot Inversion. Anytime a preschooler is
upside down, they need to be spotted. They
will release at unexpected moments.
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The same standard for bar height applies to the
beam for preschoolers. If the child is going to be
on top of the beam, it should be set at a height
chest-high to the preschooler.
Keep the children on floor beams as much as
possible
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Remember to spot to avoid Nursemaid’s elbow
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Torso spotting is the best spotting method.
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One child per trampoline
Teach the children how to stop the bounce
by bending their knees
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Double-bouncing
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Teach the children to stay in the middle
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Nursemaid’s elbow
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Physiology of the Preschooler
 Large Heads
 Unstable musculature
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Strength
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Lack of flexibility within the shoulders
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Spondolysis is the pars fracturing in the spine
usually around the 4th or 5th Lumbar
vertebrae.
Left untreated, Spondolysis can become
Spondylolisthesis. This condition causes
chronic back pain.
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Seal stretch and Abdominal sag
Crab walk / Tabletop
Supported bridge work
Start the children with feet elevated at least 8 inches.
This applies not only to the preschool-aged child, but
also any beginning gymnasts, regardless of age
We do not use single point spotting such as
draping. The whole back needs to be supported
as the children bridge OR spot at the shoulder
and thigh to avoid placing pressure at a single
point on the spine.
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Down’s Syndrome / cervical neck x-ray
Add stations to help children who have
sensory integration needs into your regular
classes.
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Safety rules apply to special needs kids too
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Floater coaches