If you are looking to kit out your school gym certain pieces of apparatus are an integral part of any exercise space. One of the first things to take into consideration is the amount of space you have at your disposal, as that will play a significant part in what pieces of apparatus you can fit in there. While this may mean some larger pieces of equipment are not feasible there are plenty of other smaller pieces of apparatus available, that will allow you to run sessions that are not only enjoyable but also beneficial to the participants.
So, in this article, we thought we would have a look at some of the smaller pieces of apparatus available that could help make your school gym an enjoyable and usable space for pupils and staff members alike.
Kids Balance Beams
Now one of the most important aspects of any form of exercise is balance, and one of the best ways to improve balance is by use of a kids balance beam. By using a balance beam pupils will be able to improve not only balance but also stability and strength. They can do this by simply moving backwards and forwards on the beam or by trying more complex moves like turns or stepping on and off the beam.
Vaulting Horse
A vaulting horse has many uses when it comes to improving gymnastic skills. It can be used to help improve coordination. This can be done by practising running starts and landings. If you combine your vaulting horse with another piece of equipment like a springboard it offers you the chance to undertake a wide range of athletic activities.
Crash Mats
Crash Mats are possibly the most important piece of equipment in any gymnasium when it comes to health and safety. It is imperative in any type of gymnastic activity that participants have somewhere safe to land. Crash mats come in a variety of sizes and densities, but you should always work on a minimum density of between 10 and 13cm, however, if you envisage your pupils will be falling onto them from a height it may be worth going for a larger one with more thickness. Crash mats reduce any risk of injury by absorbing impact and in our opinion if there is one piece of apparatus you choose to spend more on this is it.
Trampettes
Trampettes are specifically designed to develop jumping and landing skills for young would-be gymnasts. I mean which children don’t find jumping and leaping around a fun activity. Trampettes are designed to provide spring and rebound and are often used in conjunction with vaulting horses and crash mats. This fun-filled activity allows the pupils to run towards the vaulting box and leap over it landing safely on a crash mat. While this is probably the most common exercise associated with trampettes they can also be integrated into other types of activity.
Gymnastic Ribbons
Ribbons are usually used in rhythmic gymnastics, but they can be used in a wide variety of routines. They can be used to encourage dance, help students improve rhythmic skills and generally have some fun. A relatively inexpensive piece of equipment gymnastic ribbons is inclusive where all pupils can participate in an activity at the same time.
While there are undoubtedly many other pieces of apparatus we could add to the article, The observations we have made will hopefully give you food for thought if you are looking for some new equipment for your school gym
