Of the four women's artistic gymnastics events -- vault, beam, floor and uneven bars -- that 4-inch-wide beam is the scariest event for many girls. Simple games that teach skills can help the beam seem less intimidating for beginning gymnasts and games that are more competitive can spice up practice for the more experienced gymnasts.
Object Games
When a gymnast first learns the beam, she instinctively looks at her feet as she walks across the beam when her eyes should be facing straight ahead. Once a gymnast becomes more comfortable with the beam, she can break this habit by holding a soft object on her head, such as a beanbag. Have gymnasts compete in object relays in two teams. Each gymnast must walk across the beam or preform basic turns and kicks across the beam without dropping the object. If a gymnast drops the object, she must start again from the beginning. The team that finishes first wins.
Follow the Leader Games
Follow the leader games can also help a gymnast focus on the task in front of her instead of looking at the beam below her. You can adapt the difficulty of the game to the class skill level. The follower must mimic every move of her leader. This game works best if you have two beams spaced apart end to end, so the leader can travel one beam and the follower the other, but you can also play with the gymnasts sharing the same beam, spaced safely apart. As an alternative, you can play a version of Simon Says, calling out the skills.
Animal Walks
Animal walks on the low beam can motivate a young child to tackle the beam in a way that seems more like play than standard skill practice. The doggy or the kitty crawl on all fours is the simplest animal walk to master. A child can try it forward and backward. Then she can progress to a bunny hop on two feet and a bird walk with her arms flapping gracefully at her sides. When the gymnasts are ready, they can try the game on the regulation-size beam.
Races
Races are a way for gymnasts to blow off steam and let loose at the end of practice. Two gymnasts compete at a time on two beams. The race can be as simple as running across the beam and dismounting in a simple jump to the mat, or you can decide what skills the gymnasts must execute. This will also help the girls connect their skills one to the other, as they will not want to pause lest they lose the race. If the beams end at the foam pit, have the gymnasts dismount into the pit and declare the first gymnast to climb her way out of the pit as the winner.
Member Comments