Mastering The Cart Wheel
2 mins read

Mastering The Cart Wheel

The cartwheel is the most commonly requested trick when people find out your kid is in gymnastics (says experience). Luckily, it’s a skill your little one can practice at home and safely show off! Below are some great descriptions on how to do a cartwheel step by step to help your gymnast master the coveted trick! But, before you start sharing these cartwheel ideas with your kiddo, read the ever-so-important disclaimers!

Disclaimer #1: make sure practicing is YOUR CHILD’S choice. Using gymnastics at home as a chore or assignment, is a quick way to ruin the sport for your child.

Disclaimer #2: most skills are not appropriate to practice at home, please don’t take the liberty of applying the “practice @ home” idea to other tricks. I will provide ideas for safe skills only.

Disclaimer #3: make sure your child is practicing in an open area, and on a soft surface.

CARTWHEEL

HOW TO DO A CARTWHEEL STEP BY STEP

First Steps of Learning a Cartwheel

Step 1: Choose an object such as a mat {purchase here} or couch cushion.
Step 2: Stand on one side of the object.
Step 3: Place hands on the object (sideways -perpendicular to hips).
Step 4: Hop feet over to the other side.

(Notice which direction your child naturally places their hands – if they point their fingers to the right, they are most likely a right-footed cartwheeler. If they usually point their fingers to the left, they are probably a left-footed cartwheeler.)

Tricks to Learning a Cartwheel

Step 1: Place a sticker or stamp on your child’s preferred starting leg (see above).
Step 2: Place the sticker foot in front.
Step 3: Reach hands in the sideways position (explained above) and kick feet over.
Step 4: Finish with the sticker foot behind! Gymnast should look for their feet as they land to see if the sticker “disappeared” (starting foot should land behind).

Perfecting the Cartwheel

Step 1: Place a masking tape line on your carpet or use a Cartwheel Mat {purchase here } or Floor Beam {Folding Floor Beam, Nastia Foam Beam}.
Step 2: Stand on the line (Sticker foot in front).
Step 3: One at a time, reach hands onto the line.
Step 4: Land with both feet on the line (one at a time with sticker foot in back).

Is your child ready for the next step? Purchase great low beams here. I don’t recommend anything higher for the home.