Informal Gymnastics

Informal Gymnastics is for 5 to 12 years old and older. In informal gymnastics, as laid out in the book, the students start out creating different shapes, then advance to moving these shapes in different ways. The overall procedure is: floor exercises first, then mats, then benches with the wide side up, then benches with the narrow side up, then all the gym equipment (except the climber) and lastly, the climber is added. Each of these stages are based on what was learned previously, with the addition of appropriate skills that relate to the equipment to be used.

Rather than the formal method where every move is structured, informal gymnastics give commands in such a way that they can be met successfully by the beginner and the advanced student. For example, if asked, “How many ways can you move across the mat?”, the performance of each participant in fulfilling the command will vary as their skill levels vary, yet all will be successful. Safety is a primary consideration throughout the 40 tasks which are presented in a progression of difficulty. The advanced student may cover more than one task per lesson while the young beginner may take more than one lesson per task. Either way, the tasks work out to fit the situation. Included are lots of games that are adapted to the given tasks and which add fun and interest to the program.