Gymnastics 2 - Lesson 3

In the third lesson of a gymnastics series for Year 6, students aim to master the handstand. The learning objectives are clear: pupils should be able to take weight on their hands, perform donkey kicks, and support themselves against a person or wall. Key vocabulary for this lesson includes terms such as 'handstand', 'balance', 'hips', and 'bunny hops'. To ensure safety and facilitate learning, the lesson requires a class set of cones and gymnastic mats. The warm-up involves a series of stretches, including hamstring pushes, butterfly groin stretches, quadriceps stretches, and deltoid shoulder stretches, to prepare the body for the physical demands of performing a handstand.

The main part of the lesson, lasting 30 minutes, is dedicated to practising handstands. Pupils work in pairs and begin by laying mats around the hall near a wall. They are taught key points from the previous lesson, such as pressing hands flat and pushing off the toes, and they practise kicking up into a handstand with the help of a partner or a wall for support. The lesson progresses to include variations such as walking the feet up the wall and controlling the hands' movement. An advanced step introduces the handstand roll, where pupils enter a handstand and exit using a forward roll. The lesson concludes with a cool-down activity called 'Under and Overs', where pupils work in pairs and reflect on their performance, using the key vocabulary to discuss what went well and how they could improve further.