All our kids love Gymnastics. Danny goes to Gym Club and regularly takes part in competitions. The older girls also went to classes, which initially they loved and progressed well but these got too popular and overcrowded so we decided to leave until more classes become available.
The kids were really excited when we were asked to review the Head Over Heels Gym App and Book by Gymnastics Coach Gemma Coles. As you know my kids are only allowed limited “Tablet time” and I also feel it’s important that the time spent on the tablets is spent wisely, so I love that there is an app to encourage kids to stretch, get moving and learn a useful skill.
The App was easy to install on our family Asus tablet and the self standing book arrived quickly. It is bright, clear and easy to use.
I found the warm up and stretch sections very useful for two reasons. Firstly, when I take Danny to his gymnastics competitions further afield, I have to be his (untrained!) coach. I have a print out of his actual routine but always find it hard to remember the warm ups I see him do in gym. I will definitely be bringing this book from now on. Secondly, my kids, like most children often just randomly start doing rolls and headstands around the house (usually right in front of the tele when my favourite show starts, of course!) now I can ensure they warm up and stretch properly before these impromptu displays.
The bite sized video tutorials are very useful to ensure that positions are held correctly.
The book and app work progressively from warm up, posture, stretches, shapes, jumps, skills, rolls and leaps. These are then put together at the end so your child can complete a gymnastics routine. When Danny first started gymnastics years ago we had no idea about things like how to present at the beginning and end of the routine, so it would have been useful if we’d had a learning tool like this to prepare us for his first classes.
At the end of the book are judging sheets so kids can see how well they have done and where they need to improve. This is great to help kids move forwards and work hard to achieve the skills they’re aiming for, such as to do a cartwheel or a headstand.
I’m always envious seeing how flexible my children are so I have been adding some of the stretches to my running stretching routine too and I can already see an improvement in my limberness.
The book and app are great for children at all stages of gymnastics. My youngest daughter is a complete beginner and enjoys working through it with her older siblings. For my middle daughters it’s useful to keep them supple until a new gym class opens up and for Danny it’s a useful aid for him to continue his gymnastics practice at home safely and correctly.
Gymnastics is such a good way for kids to improve their balance, posture and fitness, and is fun too!
Find out more at : www.headoverheelsgymnastics.co.uk
We were sent the Head over Heels Books and App to review. All opinions are honest and our own. We love these resources and will continue to use them.
