At HSSS we appreciate the cuts to funding schools have taken in 2024-2025 and we are here to help you minimise your spending! We know sports equipment isn't the cheapest, so within our sessions we minimise the use of equipment by creating progressions for different skills using the same apparatus. We have gone out of our way to trial and test equipment to find the cheapest that doesn't reduce quality.just for you!
In this short blog we will show you the best gymnastics equipment for your school and what progressions you can complete with these (along with direct links to the websites to buy them).
Safe Matting!
These Beemats are fantastic as they come in various sizes! We recomend the 2m x 1m x 32mm ones as they offer enough cushion and wider surface area if a child makes a mistake.
We love the fact these mats are non-slip and withstand years of use wihtout losing this!
Benches!
These are one of the most useful peices if equipment you will use in gymnastics however... unfortunately one of the most expensive pieces but use the benches we recommend and they will last years!
Padded Benches are inceredibly rare to find in schools, but we external coaches we love seeing them as this helps to reduce the risk of injury as well as increase the chance of progress for your budding pupils. These benches are great for:
Bunny hops on/over the bench.
Rebound down a bench.
Crab walks/bear crawls along the bench.
Cartwheels over or on a bench.
Wooden Benches are just as useful and can be used for the above exercises but can also be used to develop upper body strength in KS1 during:
Penguin slides.
Penguin pushes.
Various jumps off benches.
When choosing your bench ensure you don't choose one too short and check the base is sturdy/wide enough to be able to complete exercises safely without them wobbling.
Springboards!
It is very rare we come into schools and find a springboard. So, if you have one then WELL DONE! They're great to develop rolling, jumping/landing, and any higher level vaulting exercises.
Our coaches use this Springboard when we deliver schools gymnastics and we love the small size of it as you can easily move it around!
Things you can use your springboard for:
Placing it under a mat to create a ramp for backwards and forwards rolls.
Standing take offs and landings.
Extra boost when learning squat on vaults
Running and taking off.
If you would like another larger springboard. This helps gie older children more bounce when completing jumps and vaults and also a steeper ramp.
The Extra Bits...
We have a few extra little bits we use with a list underneath for ideas you can use with them:
Bear crawls/crab walks through cones.
Hopping/jumping through a coned area.
Jumps to landing position.
Markers to land from areas.
"Floor climbing" - Simply place 30-40 markers downa nd area and they use them like climbing holds to make their way down.
Create areas to land into..
Hand placement areas for bunny hops.
Harder level bear crawl sections.
Overall we use minimal gymnastics equipment to focus on body awareness, strength, and skill development. With a solid plan, movements and skills can be effectively and safely achieved without relying on equipment.
For more help with your PE development dont hesistate to get in touch with us!
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