Can you name the most important skill of all? It’s a handstand of course!!! Not only are handstands SUPER fun for kiddos, but if we do a great job teaching them this basic we are setting them up for success for virtually any skill that requires them to be upside down on their hands!
There are a million ways to teach handstands, so here are a few photos & videos with various progressions (from preschool to precomp) that might provide some inspiration for new ways to introduce and perfect the skill.
First, here are some lever kicks to start figuring out just how hard you have to kick to get off the ground!
Same idea, but in the one its the front leg that does the kicking!
Some great strategies and options for learning all the different parts of the handstand (lunge, levers, kicks, handstand position, etc)
Next is a classic. Nose & toes only up against the wall!
A few more variations. I like how this one really teaches kids about having strong arms and then also goes over some common mistakes and corrections.
While the next photo isn’t that great, you hopefully will get the idea about holding a tight body between two panel mats.
Last but not least, there are so many gems in this next video by JAO. I use the half-handstand technique all the time with my beginners and it makes a huge difference!
PS – and some extra fancy learning here for you — check out this video about “saving handstands”. Really cool to break down what happens/what to do when handstands aren’t quite vertical and need “saving” to prevent coming down! 🙂 Enjoy!
