Class I help in

[floorlover14]

Hi Everyone! I help my coach with a preschool class once a week and I am usually in charge of beam. Lately I feel like the kids are getting a little bored with what we are working on. We have been doing forward walks, sideways walks, backwards walks, bear walks, arabesques, knee scales, and V-sits. Most of them need work on the scales and backwards walks but they seem bored with this same stuff every week. What are some other ideas for beam skills they could work on?

 

[gymcoach26]

Using props makes it fun for preschoolers. We use rings around their wrists to remind them to keep their arms out straight. Balancing things on their head while doing all the walks. When teaching them to walk with hands in crown position we give them an actual crown to hold over their head. Also, Jumping over objects on the beam.

You could also do some competitions where they either have to balance in arabesque, v-sits, knee scales, or just hanging under the beam or in front support position to build strength.

Other skills.. how about candlesticks, forward rolls, inchworms, or have them walk across starting in standing position and slowly get lower and lower as they get closer to the other side, ending in squating position.

 

[gymmomntc2e6]

We do ice cream scoops - bend leg and dip one foot down side of beam, walk beam alterating which foot scoops the ice cream.

Bunny hops

jumping over a bean bag

forward rolls

somtimes I have them walk to the bean bag, bend down & pick it up, stand up then bend down and put it back.

Tippy toe walks

 

[gymnut29]

with pre school classes if you make even walking into a game or add props they will think its completely different and find it fun

Some of the ideas you have been given are great, others we use:

Climbing the Mountain: walking and or crawling up a beam on an incline just prop one end of a low beam up on mats have them climb up it

Over Under: make it into an obstacle course climb over blocks or stuffed animals on the beam and crawl under panel mats or other mats that are set up over the beam

Animal Race: Put baskets at the end of each beam then put 4 or 5 stuffed animals or other small items on the beam each kid has to walk to the first animal pick up bring it back to the basket and continue till all the animals are in the basket, key is they have to stay in the beam cant walk on the floor, we tell them its lava, first one gets to walk on the high beam or jump in the pit (whatever small award you would like to use)

 

[Aussie_coach]

Pre schoolers need classes to be fun, it should feel like a game. At this age they aren't interested in winning gold medals they want to have fun. So the trick for the coach is to disguise hard work as fun.

There are lots of things you can try to develop balance - jumping rope on beam, playing ball games on the beam, hula hooping around their arms while walking on the beam or walking through a hoop. Stepping over bean bags or small toys or jumping over them. Doing all their basic walks and kicks with bean bags on their heads, trying not to drop them.

Try making circuits with lots of different activities for the kids to go around and do. You can even give the circuits a theme. ie christmas could be stepping over tinsel, or themes for winter, easter, summer, animal themes or farms themes, under the sea. There are hundreds of idea's you could use.

 

[Bobby]

You could pretend there's water under the beam full of crocodiles or sharks so they really have to stay on.

 

[floorlover14]

Thanks so much to all of you! I will be sure to use some of those ideas.

 

[gymgurl]

What i used to do is play monkey's which is where there are different poses such as. dead monkey (off beam on ground), monkey hanging in a tree (hanging upside down off beam), monkey sitting in a tree (depending on strength they can either sit on the beam or hold themselves above beam with arms) monkey standing on a tree (standing on beam - vary this as you like). you call out one and they get to it as quickly as possible and last in position is out. The other game you can play using dismounts is stick it where you have a set order of dismounts (for us it is straight jump, tuck jump, star jump, , straddle jump, jump full turn and finally front sault) as this is a preschool class what you could do is stop at straddle jump or jump full turn depending on their capability. what happens is you have to stick the landing to move on (you be the judge on what is accepted - for us it is nothing short of stuck) little kids love these games hope this helps

xx

 

[tumble_acro_lizz]

A game that i always play with my class is simon says--so simple yet they love it
the great thing about that game is that you can cater for all skill levels and abilities. My kids are always begging to play again!!! we dont do to much beam work so i dont really have any others.