Lesson 1
EVALUATION &
LEARNING INTENTION
Warm up the children with
travelling and making fundamental
gymnastics shapes.
Spend time on the shapes we
have made in the warm up.
Introduce travelling over and
under other children whilst
creating the shapes.
Teach the class the beginnings of
rolling.
Cool down with a calming activity.
FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTION TO TEACH THE SKILLS VISIT: WWW.HEADOVERHEELSGYMNASTICS.CO.UK
Reception & Year 1
ACTIVITY SIGNS OF SUCCESS IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Place 30 spots around the hall get the children to run around • Children learning to find space • Observe how they travel and
the hall, when you clap your hands ask the children to make • Children becoming familiar with how easy/difficult they find the
various shapes on a spot. Include Star, Stretch, Tuck, L-sit, shapes and names of skills skills
Standing with good posture, Landing Shape, Crab, Tucked Dish • Introduce harder ways of
• All involved and constantly
and Straddle. In time introduce different ways of travelling. moving and vary the direction
moving
Discuss how we can make each of the skills smarter, taller, • Children performing skills to • Clear improvement when
longer etc. Allow the children time to have a go and improve. the best of their ability spending time on the skills
Teacher to demonstrate or choose a child to demonstrate. • Children having fun and • Increase difficulty if children
enjoying themselves are very capable. Introduce
the supports
Half of the children (number them or choose boys and girls if • Children safely travelling • Children attempting new skills
half and half) to make Crab shapes with the other half going • Children performing correct • Children being aware and
under 3 crabs before they return to their spot. Repeat with skills careful with partners
• L-sit – jumping carefully over the legs • Children developing posture • Increase difficulty if class
• Tuck – sidestepping around • Children continually gaining are very capable. This could
• Lying down stretch – bear walk on all fours confidence be done with speed, direction or
introducing harder skills
Children to have a mat to practise rocking and rolling forwards • Full participation • Vary expectation with different
and backwards in a tuck position. To roll side to side in a tuck • Children building confidence abilities
and stretch position (log roll) If capable to then practice rolling with rolling movements • Note how the children cope with
backwards and forwards and standing up without using their this activity to enable evaluation
• Children enjoying activity
hands. through the sessions
With their eyes closed slowly ask the children to curl up into • Children calming down before • Children should be able to calm
a ball and be as small as they can be, to stretch as wide as they return to class down and relax
they can curl back up again and then become as tall as they • Enjoyable stretch for the • Evaluate the lesson
can. Encourage them to become as small as they can and as youngest children
large as they can.
 Lesson 2
LEARNING INTENTION
Warm the children up with a fun
imaginative and engaging activity.
Children to be given opportunity
to explore large apparatus.
Cool down with a calming activity.
FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTION TO TEACH THE SKILLS VISIT: WWW.HEADOVERHEELSGYMNASTICS.CO.UK
Reception & Year 1
EVALUATION &
ACTIVITY SIGNS OF SUCCESS IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Children to imagine that they are going to the beach. Teacher • Children having fun • Observe how they travel and
to set the scene. Put on their sun cream – stretch their • Children continually on the how easy/difficult they find the
arms and legs. Put on their imaginary hat and socks whilst move commands
continuing to stretch. Get the children moving – running along • Speed up the instructions and
• Use of imagination
the beach, jumping over sand castles, running forwards and add more commands
backwards in and out of the sea. Ask for a suggestion of
something they have done or seen at the beach eg.bat and
ball, flying like a seagull. Encourage the children to use their
imagination and move in these ways.
Split the class into five groups on the following apparatus; • Children gaining confidence on • Observing good technique. If
• Large wall climbing apparatus, with matting around the apparatus they may not have not encourage this
bottom used in this way before • Increase/decrease difficulty if
• Large section of mats for circle rolls, also known as • Working safely and quietly needed
Teddy Bear rolls, this station to be assisted by a teacher • Technique improving with all • Evaluate how well the children
or Assistant to enable correct technique the children have learnt from cope with heights. Try to
• Floor beams, benches, bean bags and hoops in a series the previous lessons encourage all the children to be
joined together. Bean bags to encourage jumping over brave in their own way at some
and the hoops put over the beams so that they have to point. Discuss this
be travelled through
• Benches and spring board in a circuit, encouraging correct
technique for the spring board. Stepping off the floor/
bench to a two foot take off the spring board
Children to be given time to safely explore the apparatus,
rotating around all pieces.
Children to pretend to be a car on the road going slowly • Children calming down before • Children should be able to
around the apparatus. Avoiding equipment - going around, over, they return to class carefully travel around
under and carefully through. Avoid other traffic on the road. • Enjoyable activity for the equipment and other children.
(Discuss safety) Slow the car down until you are a complete children • Children should be able to show
stop, park the car get out etc. a clear change of speed
• Evaluate the lesson
 Lesson 3
LEARNING INTENTION
Warm the children up with a fun
and engaging activity.
Explore gymnastics and co-
ordination through the use of a
rope.
Children to learn to take their
own body weight on their hands
through performing bunny hops
forwards and sideways.
Children to cool down with a fun
mirroring activity.
FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTION TO TEACH THE SKILLS VISIT: WWW.HEADOVERHEELSGYMNASTICS.CO.UK
Reception & Year 1
EVALUATION &
ACTIVITY SIGNS OF SUCCESS IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Children to pair up and play follow my leader. One child to • Children having fun. • Children moving confidently,
lead the other with different ways of travelling. Children • Children continually on the move teacher encouraging imagination
encouraged to travel in all directions and at various speeds. and the children providing ideas
• Good co-operation in pairs
• Different movements
Use the long rope to travel from one side of the hall to the • Children becoming aware their • Children given time to repeat
other over and under, crawling under, jumping over with two bodies in relation to the rope and improve
feet, limbo, skip. Request the children’s ideas and use them. • Children generating their own
ideas
Children learning to bunny hop on the spot, forwards and • Children gaining confidence in • Allow the children plenty of
backwards, once they are competent to then carefully follow taking their own weight on time to practice
the lines. Encourage the children to move their hands then their hands • Encourage the children that are
their feet not both as the same time. • Good technique very capable to make their
• Performing the same skill in bunny hops longer
another direction • Similarly keep it simple for
• Safe traveling those that find it hard
• Correct technique
Children to be put into pairs and explore mirroring whilst • Children focused on mirroring • Have the children understood
sitting facing each other. Keep the activity sitting and calm, • Children working quietly and the concept of mirroring?
encourage the children to swap and discuss speed and how it confidently • Encourage more/less movement
is easier to follow someone when they are controlled.
• Concentration • Allow time for improvement
and swap around partners if
necessary
 Lesson 4
LEARNING INTENTION
Warm the children up with a fun
and engaging activity.
Children to develop rolling and
weight bearing on hands through
breaking down the skills on
various apparatus.
Children to cool down with a
rolling activity.
FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTION TO TEACH THE SKILLS VISIT: WWW.HEADOVERHEELSGYMNASTICS.CO.UK
Reception & Year 1
EVALUATION &
ACTIVITY SIGNS OF SUCCESS IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Children to pretend to be animals – ask the children for the • Children having fun • Children moving confidently,
ideas. Try to incorporate different ways of travelling – high, • Children continually on the teacher encouraging imagination
low, forwards, backwards, sideways, slowly and quickly. move and the children providing ideas
• Children offering their own • Different movements
ideas
• Imagination developing
Circuit of activity for the children to rotate in a big circle • Children understanding what to • Children given time to move
around. do on each station more than once around
• Benches to pull along and then roll off with the • Children moving confidently the circuit and improve
assistance of a teacher around the circuit • Challenge those that are really
• Slope to roll sideways down (log roll) • All children attempting the capable to improve the
activity and building confidence technique
• Picking up bean bags with feet and placing them over
their heads • Good technique • Children moving around the
circuit confidently and
• Rolling backwards and forwards in a ball • Competent rolling
continually developing
• Rolling down a slope forwards
• Standing up without using their hands – table in front to
reach towards and hold if they can’t
• Bench to front support walk along with hands on the
floor and feet on the bench
• Same as above with the bench but hands on the bench
feet on the floor
• Table to walk their feet up towards and handstand –
teacher to assist
Children to roll backwards and forwards on the spot then side • Children showing improvement • Children understanding that this
to side. Can we think of any animals from our warm up that in their rolling from their work is a progression for their rolling
do this? Hedgehogs etc. Children to then stand up out of their on the circuit • Control and concentration
roll without using their hands, Children to then stand up using • Children working quietly and • Allow time for improvement and
their hands but only one leg. confidently practice
• Concentration
• Thinking about different body
parts
 Lesson 5
LEARNING INTENTION
Warm the children up with a fun
and engaging activity.
Children to develop balancing,
jumping and climbing, through
breaking down the skills on
various apparatus.
Children to cool down with a
balancing activity.
FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTION TO TEACH THE SKILLS VISIT: WWW.HEADOVERHEELSGYMNASTICS.CO.UK
Reception & Year 1
EVALUATION &
ACTIVITY SIGNS OF SUCCESS IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Children to pretend to be different types of transport – ask • Children having fun • Children moving confidently,
the children for the ideas. Try to incorporate different ways • Children continually on teacher encouraging imagination
of travelling – high, low, forwards, backwards, sideways, slowly the move and the children providing ideas
and quickly. • Different movements
• Children offering their
own ideas
• Imagination developing
Circuit of activity for the children to rotate in a big • Children understanding what to • Children given time to move
circle around. do on each station more than once around the
• Large wall apparatus with the assistance of a • Children moving confidently circuit and improve
teacher or assistant around the circuit • Challenge those that are
• Tables of various sizes to squat onto and jump off • All children attempting the really capable to improve the
activity and building confidence technique
• Hoops to jump through in a line on the floor
(feet together) • Good technique • Children moving around the
circuit confidently and
• Bench with the spring board at the end to jump on and off • Competent Jumping, Climbing
continually developing
• Beams in succession of various heights and directions and balancing
• Bench on a slope leading up to a table to jump off onto
a landing mat
• Hoops for balancing in (3 secs) give the children set body
parts to balance on eg. One foot, two feet and one hand
Children to practice balancing for 3 seconds on different body • Children showing improvement • Control and concentration.
parts. Teacher and children to offer ideas, explore and then in their balancing from their • Allow time for improvement and
develop. work during the circuit practice
• Children working quietly and • Children to work in pairs
confidently and then develop if they
• Concentration are extremely capable
• Thinking about different body
parts
 Lesson 6 Reception & Year 1
EVALUATION &
LEARNING INTENTION ACTIVITY SIGNS OF SUCCESS IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Warm the children up using the
parachute.
Children to all hold onto the parachute – when a the colour • Children having fun • Children moving confidently
is called that they are holding children to run under the • Children continually on the move • Speed up/slow down the
parachute to the other side. Parachute raised and lowered so parachute
• Children enjoying using the
that the children run under when it is lifted.
parachute • Travel in different ways
• Children running under the
parachute in time before it
lowers to the floor

Children to further develop using
the parachute.
• Children to spread out around the parachute, 3 children • Children developing good • Clear improvement in throwing
to go onto the parachute and 3 to run around the outside. throwing skills actions
Those in the middle to throw the pom poms out and those • Children safely travelling on • How well do the children cope
on the outside to throw them back in and around the parachute with the pom poms constantly
• Cat and mouse game with 3 children going under and 3 • Children evading their peers returning?
on top of the parachute the ones on the top aiming to • Limit the time that they have
• Children having fun
catch those underneath to play each game/ extend the
• Children choosing their own
• Make a dome with the parachute, place a mat in the time
gymnastics skill to perform
middle. Children to then all perform a gymnastics skill one • Request specific skills to
at a time on the mat before the dome collapses challenge the children

Children to develop their
gymnastics using hoops.
Children to learn to hurdle step (preparation skill for using • Children learning good technique • Control and concentration.
a spring board) using two hoops placed in a line with a mat • Spatial awareness developing • Allow time for improvement and
at the end. Children to place one foot in the first hoop then with where their feet should go practice
two in the second hoop and land onto the mat in their landing
• Concentration • Increase the difficulty of jumps
shape. Starts with stretch jumps then increase the difficulty
• Thinking about different as much as possible without
to Star Jumps, Tuck Jumps and Half Twists as they develop.
body parts losing technique
Move this skill onto the spring board and the trampette if
they grasp the skill. • Timing

Cool down with a hoop game.
Children to make a circle holding hands with a hoop linked • Teamwork
through. The circle must then pass all around the group • Concentration
without the children letting go.
• Perseverance with a tricky and
frustrating skill
• Allow time to pursue this
without breaking hands.
• Observe how they manage
this task and introduce timing if
apropriate

FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTION TO TEACH THE SKILLS VISIT: WWW.HEADOVERHEELSGYMNASTICS.CO.UK