When you’re getting into the world of gymnastics and tumbling, it can be a little confusing what exactly is the difference between the two, which one would be the best for your child, and more. Both are extremely beneficial for not only great exercise, getting out pent up energy your little one has, but also teaching them structure and discipline. In this blog, we wanted to break down the two so you know which one is right for you.
What is gymnastics?
Gymnastics is broader than tumbling. There are several skills that you learn and develop depending on how far you want to go. For kids, the main development focus is on:
- Coordination & Flexibility: Because kids are still growing and learning every day, starting gymnastics at a young age really helps hone in on their coordination and flexibility. It helps them orient themselves and understand the movement of the moves.
- Strength & Power: Alongside coordination and flexibility, naturally they will gain strength helping them gain power as they grow.
- Confidence: Gymnastics takes a lot of confidence. As your child starts to understand how each move works their confidence builds because they know what they need to do. Completing these moves builds their self-esteem up each time they progress.
- Social Skills: Your kids work closely with the coach and other kids in the class. They’ll be interacting with new people, building friendships, and setting them up for the future.
- Hard Work Ethics: Gymnastics is not something to learn in a day or a week. It’s a physical activity that you need to build up towards. It takes hard work and patience to achieve each move.
What is tumbling?
Tumbling is actually a form of gymnastics that sometimes goes by power tumbling. The main practice is on a 25 meter long sprung track where the performer does a series of jumps, flips, whips, and other movements. It doesn’t need any equipment such as bars, rings, pommel, etc. For children, this is scaled down to help the kids get used to the movements and building their strength up. Tumbling is also used hand-in-hand with the cheerleading sport for competitions.
