Navigate the subsections of Primary School Gymnastics for Reception and Key Stage 1 by using the links above.

Primary School Gymnastics
for Reception and Key Stage 1

Primary School Gymnastics for Reception and Key Stage 1 themed units of work have a description, learning objectives, unit framework, expected learning outcome, references to specific skill development and TOP GYMNASTICS linkss and six detailed lesson plans. There are four units of work for each year group giving 72 lesson plans for Key Stage 1.

Click on the year group below to view the relevant sample lesson material:

Reception - Learning Objectives
Reception - Stretching and Curling
Year One - Learning Objectives
Year One - Flight- Bouncing, Jumping, Landing

Year Two - Learning Objectives
Year Two - Pathways - straight, zig-zag, curving
Example From The Specific Skills Teaching Section
Some Examples of Extension Activities

Reception Unit B

Stretching and Curling

Learning Objectives

Children should learn:-

• to travel and balance with control when holding stretched or curled shapes.
• to stop and start on a given signal and share space safely.
• to show an awareness of contrasts in level.
• to link two movements together.

Stretching and Curling
Unit Framework

1. Curled-tip balances on different parts of the body.
   Travelling in different curled-up positions.
2. Stretched out balances on different parts of the body. High / low.
   Travelling in different stretched out positions.
3. Travelling stretched out high, away from the ground / apparatus.
   Travelling stretched out low - as close to the ground as possible.
4. Feeling the difference between stretching and curling.
   Joining together balances and travelling to show stretch / curl.
5. These ideas should be transferred to apparatus at every stage.
   High / low / off / over / under / along / against / in and out

Reference for detailed skill teaching:

"Teaching Specific Skills" (yellow pages)

Travelling on hands and feet - page 205
Rolling sideways - page 176
Balance on large parts of the body - page 221

"TOP GYMNASTICS" cards - 232
"ACTION KIDS" references are indicate on the bottom of each page.

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this unit most children should be able to:-

1. demonstrate wide, thin, tall and curled body shapes when travelling or holding a balance.
2. know they can take their weight on different body parts to make different shapes
3. hold a strong, controlled balance and show an awareness of levels.
4. use space safely and stop on a given signal.
5. link together:
   (i) two contrasting balances
   (ii) a travelling movement and a balance
6. adapt and safely transfer curled and stretched travelling and balancing onto apparatus.
   
   

Children should be guided continuously to:-

• dress and undress independently
• start and stop on a given signal and listen to instructions
• talk about what they are doing and use the correct vocabulary
• develop positive attitudes towards a healthy lifestyle.
  

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Reception Unit B

Lesson 3

Stretching and Curling

Warm-up

1. Can you travel in and out of each other and into spaces - STOP.
   (Repeat several times - check on body tension to hold the shape and one foot in front of the other to hold a balanced position)
   
   
2. Travel in and out of each other and into spaces - STOP small.
   (Repeat several times and remind about pulling muscles in)
   
   
3. (Repeat (ii) but when the children are stopped in a small curled position, can they... ) Slowly grow up tall and thin with stretched fingers and toes. (Repeat several times)
   
   

Floorwork

1. Curl up tightly - head in, knees bent, elbows in, etc. Can you remember the different parts we can be small on? Backs, sides, knees, feet, shoulders etc. (Demonstrations and all try ideas)
   
   
2. Travel slowly in a small curled up position - can you go in different directions when you are curled up on feet - or rolling over on your side?
   
   
3. Stretch out as tall or as wide as possible.
   (Tight, strong bodies, stretched fingers and toes).
   Can you move to another space in a stretched-out shape?
   (Stretched out shape can be wide from side to side or from front to back)
   
   
4. Do we always have to be stretched out standing up? What other stretched out positions can you find?
   (Demonstrations and have another turn - possibly teach the sideways stretched-out "log" roll.)
   
   

Apparatus

1. Travel over/undedaround your apparatus - explore it.
   
   
2. Travel over / under / around your apparatus and find places where you can stretch out wide. (Demonstrations and establish if they are wide/thin/high/low shapes then repeat the task.)
   
   
3. Travel in and out of the apparatus in a curled way and make a stretched shape on the apparatus or under it. (Repeat several times)
   
   

Concluding Activity

Can you travel along the ground slowly sometimes stretched and sometimes curled?

("ACTION KIDS" ref: G7, G8, D2)

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Year 1 Unit D

Flight - Bouncing, Jumping, Landing

Learning Objectives

Children should learn:-

• to bounce, hop, spring and jump using a variety of take offs and landings
• to observe, recognise and copy different body shapes
• to link together two or more actions with control and be able to repeat them
• to describe what they see using appropriate vocabulary

Flight - Bouncing, Jumping, Landing
Unit Framework

1. Hopping (one foot to the same foot) high and low
   Skipping (more easily taught when developed from the hop)
2. Bouncing (two feet to two feet, alternately one foot to two feet) - repeating bouncing patterns
3. Jumping - One foot to two feet and one foot to the other
4. Travelling in different directions whilst hopping / skipping / bouncing / jumping
5. Jumping two feet to two feet showing different shapes in the air e.g. long thin shape, star shape and linking two jumps with a low movement
6. Careful attention paid to teaching points of landing from a jump - particularly from apparatus
7. All these ideas should be transferred to apparatus at every stage of development with special regard for safety teaching on landing from apparatus

Reference for detailed skill teaching:

"Teaching Specific Skills" (yellow pages)

Jumping - page 168
Sideways rolling - page 176
Bunny hop - page 207
"Top Gymnastics" cards - page 232

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this unit most children will be able to:-

1. hop, bounce, spring and skip in different directions i.e. forwards, backwards and sideways
2. bounce using feet in different combinations and repeat a pattern of movements
3. jump from one foot to two feet and from one foot to the other and understand how to land safely
4. identify, describe and show "thin" and "wide" shapes and turning jumps
5. understand high and low levels and link two jumps with a low-level movement
6. apply, adapt and transfer all these ideas, actions and linked movements to simple, low level apparatus at every stage of learning

Children should be guided continuously to:-

• use appropriate vocabulary to describe what they and others are doing
• recognise how their bodies feel when they are active and understand that exercise improves health, makes you feel good, and helps the body to work well
• lift, carry and erect their own apparatus in a co-operative and safe way

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Year 1 Unit D

Lesson 3

Flight - Bouncing, Jumping, Landing

Warm-up

1. Run in and out of each other and into spaces - STOP
   (Remember to run on the balls of your feet)
   
   
2. Run in and out of each other into spaces, bounce on the spot.
   (Repeat several times)
   
   
3. In twos. No. 1 lie down on the ground long and thin.
   No. 2 run in and out of people lying down and when you come to a person in a clear area - jump over his/her ankles. Change over roles. (All stand stretched and thin to feel how you should be, then all lie on ground stretched and thin before repeating the exercise.)
   

Floorwork

1. Bounce on the spot - remember ankles and knees working hard. Bounce from side to side, forwards and backwards bounce like a ball.
   (Remind about keeping head up and using arms)
   
   
2. On the spot jump high into the air using arms to help us - stretch in the air and make the landing "Squashy". How high can you jump up and land on the same spot?"
   (QUESTION - Is the jump making a thin or wide shape?
   ANSWER - THIN - repeat the jump then "feel" the stretched, wide,
   star shape whilst standing on the floor. Try a jump showing that shape in the air.)
   
   
   
3. Run in and out of each other and jump into a space - from two to two feet - which shape are you showing?
   
   
4. Lie in a long thin stretched shape on the floor, then run and jump to show a wide star shape in the air.
   
   OR lie in a wide star shape on the floor then run and jump to show a long thin shape in the air.
   
   

Apparatus

1. Explore your apparatus by traveling over/under/around and along it.
   
   
2. Can you explore your apparatus, and when you come to a clear low part, jump from it and let me see which shape you are making. (Demonstrations to show "thin" and "wide". Remind children they must only jump from low parts of the apparatus.)
   
   
3. Can you travel in and out of all the apparatus, and when you come to a clear piece can you use it and then jump from a low part of ft showing a thin shape or wide shape in the air?
   

Concluding Activity

Curl up tightly on the floor then SLOWLY uncurl into a wide star shape on the floor, curl up again and SLOWLY uncurl into a long thin shape on the floor.

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Year 2 Unit I

Pathways - Straight, Zig-zag, Curving

Learning Objectives

Children should learn:-

• to travel confidently and competently in different ways and on different body parts.
• to understand and create different pathways and move in different directions.
• to link together three different movements showing contrasts in speed and level.
• perform a limited range of skills with a partner.
  

Pathways - Straight, Zig-zag, Curving
Unit Framework

1. Experiencing and identifying different patterns or pathways on the floor, straight, zig-zag, and curving.
2. identifying the different directions of different pathways.
3. Making pathways on the floor which are large or small.
4. Travelling on the pathways with high or low movements.
5. Experimenting with different movements.
   Finding appropriate movements to travel different shaped pathways
   e.g. run and turning jump repeated several times will create a zig-zag pathway.
6. Partnerwork. "Follow-my-leader" showing different shaped pathways, and appropriate movements for travelling on them.
7. All these ideas, at every stage, are transferred to appropriate apparatus and adapted and developed as necessary.
   

Reference for detailed skill teaching:

"Teaching Specific Skills" (yellow pages)

Jumping - page 168
Rolling sideways - page 176
Travelling on Hands and Feet - page 204
Spring onto / from apparatus - page 226
" TOP GYMNASTICS" cards - page 232

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this unit most children will be able to:-

1. understand and show different pathways on the floor e.g. straight, zig-zag and curving and travel along them in different directions.
2. show an understanding of different speeds and levels.
3. understand and identify appropriate movement to travel along different shaped pathways.
4. select and link together three different ways of travelling to create an interesting pathway. The sequence should show a definite beginning; middle and end.
5. observe and copy a partner in "Follow-my-leader" formation to show different pathways and link appropriate movement.
6. transfer and apply the knowledge, understanding, individual skills and linked movements to apparatus at every stage of learning.
   

Children should be guided continuously to:-

• use appropriate vocabulary to describe what they and others are doing.
• recognise how their bodies feel when they are active and understand that exercise improves health, makes you feel good and helps the body to work well.
• lift, carry and erect their own apparatus in a co-operative and safe way.
  

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Year 2 Unit I

Lesson 5

Pathways - straight, zig-zag, curving

Warm-up

1. To the teacher's rhythm
   – bounce forward for four beats
   – backwards for four beats
   – sideways for four beats
   – other side for four beats
   
   Practise it on your own.
   Can you repeat it several times in a pattern?
   
   
2. With a partner - can you do the pattern side by side keeping the rhythm together?
   
   

Floorwork

1. Can you travel with your feet or one foot above your head?
   (Demonstrations and look at ideas and give any appropriate teaching points.)
   
   
2. Can you travel using different step patterns?
   (Hop, skip, jump, jump side to side, 2 feet - 1 foot - 2 feet etc.) (Demonstrations and get quality performance)
   
   
3. Can you travel in a turning or spinning way on different parts of your body? (Demonstrations and all try.)
   
   
4. Show me all the different shaped jumps you can think of. (Demonstrations and reminders.)
   
   
5. Using some of these ideas, can you trace a large square on the floor and travel along its lines in different ways?
   
   
6. Can you now trace a pattern on the floor which has both a straight line and a curved line in it and travel along it on different body parts.
   (Allow time for children to complete the task and then take out demonstrations. Have they used the short straight line for a run - jump? Have a neat starting and finishing position.)
   

Apparatus

1. Explore your own apparatus over, under, along, through etc.
   
   
2. Travel onto the apparatus, turn around and travel back to where you started from in straight lines.
   
   
3. Travel, using an interesting pathway on the apparatus - sometimes using straight lines, sometimes using curved lines, and sometimes using zig-zags.
   
   

Concluding Activity

Slide along the floor with your feet higher than your head.

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Example From The Specific Skills Teaching Section

Forward Rolling

1. In the initial stages of this gymnastic skill it is possible to teach all the class at the same time regardless of their ability. The instructions might be....
   
   "Sit on a mat with your feet on the floor" (side by side with others on mat)
   
   
2. "Curl up and pull your knees to your chest".
   
   
3. "Roll backwards and then forwards again to sit". (Keep curled all the time)
   
   
4. "Can you rock backwards and forwards three times?"
   
   
5. "At the end of three "rocks" can you stand up?"
   
   
6. "At the end of your third "rock" tuck your heels close to your bottom and push forwards with your hands to stand up."
   
   
7. "Can you rock twice and stand up?"
   
   
8. "Can you rock just once and stand up?"
   

Children will all be at different stages, but all will have achieved something, and the essential point -rocking with a curled-up body will have been established.

1. The next stage would establish the essential points of hips being high and chin tucked on chest. (Throughout any of these activities children can continue working at a level they feel comfortable with and when they are ready the teacher can move them on to the next progressive activity.)
   
   "Hands on the floor - bottom up in the air".
   
   
2. "Walk your feet up towards your hands - legs straight." (Legs can be parallel or astride as children feel comfortable.)
   
   
3. "When you can't walk any nearer and you begin to wobble, put your chin on your chest, look right through your legs at the wall behind you and overbalance over into a roll.

When children can easily and confidently perform (iii) then in order to acquire and develop the specific skill of forward roll, and to enable them to evaluate and improve another child's performance, specific teaching points must be emphasised.

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Some Examples of Extension Activities

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES
MOVING INTO A FORWARD ROLL FROM DIFFERENT POSITIONS (To encourage problem-solving and evaluation skills)

Combining movements will encourage children to select and apply skills when creating sequences.

CARD 1   Take up this position Take up this position Can you forward roll out of it? Can you forward roll out of it?

e.g. for extending the more confident child.

Gymnastics Skills - Forward Roll Ways of travelling into a forward roll CARD 4   How many of these different ways of travelling into a forward roll can you perform? Can you think of any other ways?

Suggestions for moving out of a forward roll

1. Push up from two feet into a "bunny-hop"/handstand.
   
   Come out of the forward roll; place hands straight onto the mat, fingers pointing forward, arms straight, keep head up and push from feet to raise hips in the air.
   
   If the child is strong and controlled in the movement a greater thrust from both feet will take him/her into a handstand position.

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