Gymnastics Drills

Walk the line

Goal: This drill will help to develop balance, coordination, and focus, key foundational skills for all areas of gymnastics.

How it works: Create a straight line on the floor using tape or chalk, or use a floor-based balance beam if your child is fortunate enough to have one. Have your child stand at one end of the line with their arms stretched out to the sides for balance. Instruct them to walk slowly along the line, placing one foot directly in front of the other (heel-to-toe) while keeping their eyes up and looking forward. Once they reach the end, they can turn and walk backward along the same line. If they find this easy, ask them to try walking along the line backwards, or on their tiptoes.

Gamify it: The key to this drill is balance, not speed. Have them walk the line while balancing a small beanbag or soft toy on their head. If they master that, see if they can walk the line backwards, on tiptoes, or while adding small kicks to their steps.

Animal Walks

Goal: Animal walks build strength, coordination, and body control through movement. They’re also a lot of fun!

How it works: Find a soft surface, such as grass or a carpet, and ask your child to move from one point to another using a variety of animal-inspired movements. For instance:

🧸 The Bear Walk: Ask them to walk on their hands and feet with their hips raised. They need to keep their legs and arms straight and walk as fast as they can. This builds the shoulder strength needed for handstands and cartwheels.

🦀 The Crab Walk: Have your child sit down, place their hands behind themselves, and their feet in front. Ask them to lift their hips off the floor and move backward or forward between the two points. This strengthens the arms and the core.

🐸 Frog jumps: Ask your child to crouch low with hands on the floor and jump forward using both hands and feet. This develops explosive power for tumbling and vault.

Encourage your child to switch between animal types and keep the activity short and fun to maintain energy and interest.

Gamify it: We’re going to mix things up in this game. Starting at a marker, ask your child to Bear Walk across the room to a second marker. Then ask them to Crab Walk back. Finally, Frog Jump back the way they came. Time them on the ‘course’ and keep a scorecard of their fastest times.

balancing on one foot (an introduction to scales)

Goal: This drill will introduce basic balance and body control, which are foundational for all gymnastics skills. And don’t worry: we’re not going to make it too easy!

How it works: Ask your child to stand on a flat surface and lift one foot off the ground. They should try to hold the position for at least 5 seconds without wobbling or losing their balance. Their arms can be extended to the sides in a “T” shape or raised overhead to help with balance. Remind them to squeeze their tummy and bottom muscles to stay steady.

If they find this easy, they can start practicing basic levers, also called ‘Scales’. Standing on one leg, your child extends the other leg straight in front of them. They should target a comfortable height (up to 90 degrees) and hold for 2 seconds. They can also try Back Scales (leg behind them) and Side Scales (leg out to the side).

Gamify it: Gamifying Scales is something that should only be done once your child is comfortable balancing on one foot. When they are ready have them practice the Statue Game: See who can hold their balance the longest without wobbling. Can they hold it for 20 seconds? 30 seconds?

🤸‍♀️ Add a challenge: While balancing, have them try to close their eyes for a few seconds. It makes balancing much harder!

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