Bar Games

[lifesentencegymmie]

Does anyone have any suggestions of games that can be played on or around the uneven bars? I like to coach one day a session of just games, and bars makes this difficult! I don't have anything! Thanks

 

[kalgymcoach]

If they are younger gymnasts I play a game called breakfast (it's usually done on the floor) but some can be done on the bars. Sausage=Long hang, Toast = legs apart, banana = legs to one side, Egg = tuck position, Mushroom = turn around in tuck position. This can be done quite fast. My kids love this game. Hope this helps

 

[lifesentencegymmie]

That one sounds awesome!! Thanks so much!

 

[nevertooold]

Have them hang from a bar that is just high enough that their feet can still just barely touch the floor. Have them grab an item (beanie baby, ball, etc. ) with their feet and see how high they can lift it. A strong preschooler can get a stuffed toy up to touch the bar, while others may struggle just to coordinate picking something up with their feet. Also they can hang and lift an item and drop it in a basket.

 

[flippinlolly]

One that we've done before is you have a basket of toys or similar at one end of the bar and an empty basket at the other. Each girl has to see how many toys they can pick up in their feet and carry into the next basket (one at a time) in a certain time (depending on how long you have!). Its a good one and has been known to cause a lot of competition in my gym!!!

 

[KieQ]

Tie balloons to the high bar and have them swing to kick it. Tie a bell on one side and have them monkey across to ring it. Have chin hold /shin hold/ chin up/ contests. Hang a cargo net to have them climb....

 

[emacmommy]

This would work for winter, but would be difficult to theme for summer. We draw a three part, rather large, snowmen on the ground to one side of the bar with a block of chalk, the head furthest from the bar. We do casts from front support, so the snow man is behind them to see who can smash (land on) the snowman's nose. I then will raise the bar and we will swing 3x's and see who can let go and smash the snow man's nose that way. If they are the older 4-5 yr olds, I'll turn them so they let go on the back side of their swing too... underswing dismount prep.

This isn't a game, but it's fun for bars too. Just "discovered" how to use the set up for preschool last week. Doesn't work too well for 2-3 yr olds though, not enough muscle tone yet .

We had the single bar set up with a large mat at a steep incline for beginner clearhip drills for team to start with against the big mat at push up or higher, then drop to clear hip and aim feet as high up the mat as possible. I discovered if you lean a cheese wedge, fat side down, against the same set up the preschoolers could "climb the mountain backwards" as high as they felt comfortable. Some were climbing above pushup, so it would look like the top of a Level 4/Level 5 cast on bars. Pretty good for a preschooler. They then would get to where they could comfortably stand and slide down the rest of the cheese wedge. My kids thought it was great fun, and excellent for that whole body core strength.