Jump and land softly
Ready when: nothing needed.
What you are learning
Jumping with a clear shape in the air and landing softly: bent knees, knees over the toes, arms out, and holding still. Soft landings protect the knees and are judged in every routine.
Words on this card Shapes, Quarter turn, Sequence
- Shapes
- Body shapes. Tuck: knees hugged to the chest. Pike: legs straight, folded at the hips. Straddle: legs straight and wide apart. Star: arms and legs spread wide. Straight: the body long and tight.
- Quarter turn
- Turning a quarter, half or whole way round in a jump.
- Sequence
- Moves joined together without stopping, with a start and a held finish.
Show it first for the one teaching
- Bend the knees, swing the arms up and push through the toes to jump.
- Show a star shape in the air.
- Land on both feet with the knees bent over the toes and arms out, quietly, and hold still for 2 seconds.
Your part while they practise
Count the "quiet" landings.
Step by step
- Bend the knees, swing the arms up, push through the toes and jump.
- Land with bent knees, arms out, and hold still.
- Jump in and out of a circle.
- Quarter turns.
- Jumps with a clear shape: straight, tuck, star, straddle.
How much: 8 jumps of each kind 8 min a session 4 days a week
Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.
The game: Quiet landing
Only a silent, held landing scores.
Who plays: the child against their own best, or two children taking turns.
How to play, turn by turn
- Turns
- Jump into the hoop with a shape you call
- Land and hold still for 2 seconds
- You listen: a landing you cannot hear scores
- 10 jumps
- Fair play
- A grown-up adds a quarter turn to every jump.
- Points
- 1 point for a silent landing held for 2 seconds; 1 point for the right shape.
- Fouls
- No points for that jump
- A loud, stiff-legged landing
- The knees falling inward
- A step after landing
- Winning
- Beat your best from 10 jumps.
- 8 points for 1 star
- 14 points for 2 stars
- 18 points for 3 stars
Easier or harder
Small jumps.
Half turn, then a full turn.
What you will see, and what to say
- a loud, stiff landing
Land soft, bend your knees
Like a cat landing. - the knees fall in
Knees over toes
Point the knees where the toes point.
Self-check
8 of 10 jumps land quietly on both feet with the knees bent.
Stop and get a coach when
Pain in a knee after landing.
Fitness for this
Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.
This card trains jumping, landing, safe body habits.
awiseathlete.com/sports/gymnastics/gymnastics-b2