My son has the privilege of being in a kindergarten class with ample parent help. We have six room parents. No joke. It is wonderful. Room parties look like a Pinterest board, the teacher has help with testing, sight words, small groups, you name it. From time to time, the teacher sends out a sign up for additional classroom help and I cannot seem to open the email fast enough to get a shot at volunteering in the room.
Until Career Day.
Adam’s teacher asked for one parent to come in each day and teach the class about his or her career. I was thrilled. While I wear many hats at the gym, I chose to teach my favorite subject: coaching gymnastics.
I went over the basics of my job, asked if they knew other coaches, and then started the fun part: gymnastics!
So how do you teach gymnastics to 19 children in a school setting? Let’s get creative!
“Let’s tiptoe slow, here we go, tip toe, tip toe, tip toe…” (Buy it here)
Then, I had set up four sets of circuits, enough to keep all 19 kids moving, but not enough to cause chaos. I need gymnastics that was for anyone, anywhere.
Here are some ideas of gymnastics stations that can be recreated at home.
- Potato Head – works fine motor and grip strength
- Fishing – tie a string with an object at the other end, roll the bar until the string wraps around the bar and the object comes to the top
- Hopscotch – mix it up and jump apart together, one foot two foot, or hurdle to the farthest number
- Cartwheel mat – don’t have one at home? Use the back side of a yoga mat and draw line line, circle circle, line line (or foot foot, hand hand, foot foot)
- Backward roll – I used an incline, but try a more basic drill, a flap jack. Kids can lay on their backs on the couch and slide their head and hands to the carpet, then pull their toes over to stand
- Balance beam – use a piece of tape, make a web, a heart, or other shape and try to balance on it
- Balance board – use a pillow and try to balance on one foot
We had a blast and I hope you do, too!
And let’s not forget the Crazy Tiptoe Song!