Star Jump
The star jump is a dynamic skill that involves jumping into the air and opening the arms and legs wide, creating a "star" shape with the body. It develops body control as children learn to extend their limbs while maintaining balance in the air. It can be introduced in the early years and used as a progression for more advanced gymnastics skills in the upper years.
Teaching cues
- Bend and swing: bend your knees and swing your arms back.
- Jump and stretch: jump up and stretch your arms and legs out wide like a ‘star’.
- Motorbike landing: land softly with bent knees and arms in front to balance.
Teaching strategies
- Introduce and reinforce the Motorbike Landing position.
- Practice the jumping motion first without fully extending the arms and legs, focusing on timing and coordination.
- Encourage children to focus on quickly opening the arms and legs to create the “star” shape.
- Use a mirror or visual prompts to help students understand the star shape and body positioning.
- Encourage more height in the star jump.
- Introduce using the star jump as a dismount from a low step, box or beam (jump and land safely from a small height).
- Incorporate the star jump into a gymnastics movement sequence or routine.
Skill criteria
- Arms and legs fully extended wide, creating a “star” shape.
- Maintains stability and control in the air.
- Soft landing with knees bent, feet flat and arms in front to balance.
Common errors
- Not fully extending the arms and legs, resulting in a small or incomplete jump.
- Jumping without control, leading to an uncontrolled landing or lack of balance.
- Landing too hard or stiff, not absorbing the impact with bent knees.
- Not swinging the arms back enough before jumping, which can affect the height of the jump.
