New Preschool teacher!

[mgomez]

Hello just joined today! These forums are so helpful. Just wondering what the major no's are to teaching preschool gymnastics.

No bridges, headstands? Anything else that could be dangerous please let me know. Thanks in advance.

 

[gymdog]

Keep in mind that their head/body ratio is different from an adult or older child. The head is heavy. So we need to use caution in anything where the head could fall back. So when I see videos of little kids trying to do seat drops and their neck is bobbing back, this is not appropriate, as an example. If they can't hold their head up in a skill, shouldn't be doing it. This may seem like common sense but from what I see all over people are not using common sense. If spotting something (like a slow back hip circle on the bar) support near the head where possible and appropriate. By age 4 or so this all becomes less of a concern. But if you try to teach them something like a back handspring or back bend, you will probably find they continue to fall on their head. Again, not appropriate, but doesn't seem to stop some people anyway.

A lot of stretching like splits is not necessarily good either. Also I just don't think it is necessary. Warm up (running and jumping) and basic stretch with pike, straddle sit and reach is enough.

Anything that might be disorienting you also probably want to avoid, such as windmills that reach down and side to side simultaneously. For little kids it can be disorienting to do something like that. You just kind of have to use discretion here - most activities are okay, but if you think it's a lot of motion in different directions, limit it.