Karla Eshleman, Aerial Express, Monroe, MI
Writes: We use them for fishponds for the preschool. They throw stuffed fish into them and cartwheel into to get them out. For recreational we use them for dive rolls & T-pee handstands.
Jcc Richmond gym, Staten Island, NY
Writes: Donut halves � I used to teach skills, like dive rolls, Front handsprings and front tucks. I use it for a lot of front tumbling skills.
Whole Donuts � I used to teach round off backhand spring to bigger girls. Round off in front of donut jump back on to it and roll them over for the back handspring.
Amy Mann, COM Gymnastics, Midland, TX
Writes: Donuts- cartwheels, bridge kickovers, leaps, handstands, animal walks (motor skill, directional training)
Donut halves- bankrolls, leaps, rocking chair relaxation, over unders, directional training/learning
Sue Krum, Bloomsburg Sportsplex, Bloomsburg, PA
Writes: 1. Half donut on ends -- lay belly on top & "fly like superman" to strength back muscles.
2. Mom & Me class: half donuts like a rocker -- straddle stand & rock to teach weight transfer
3. Donut on side: flank in & flank out
Noelle Caylor, Monarch Gymnastics, Branson, MO
Writes: Walkovers, balancing, tumbling, crawling, seesawing/rocking......these are quite useful for preschoolers.
Lida Chiarelli, Classical Dance Acad, Ottawa
Writes: Back walkovers and back handsprings
Brenda, Uzelac Gymnastics , Johnstown , PA
Writes: I use the halves for Birthday parties when we do obstacle courses -example -tunnel to go under. I use them for conditioning for dips with the little kids -stand on the inside of the 1/2 place your hands behind you and do a dip.
Aerial Express, Monroe, MI
Writes: I have my classes do round-offs over the donut half. I also use the donut to play games, mostly as a target.
Kimberly Clark, Clark's Gymnastics, Connellsville, PA
Writes: We Teach Balance, strength, stretching, tumbling, walkovers and crawling for our tiny tumblers. The funniest thing we do is use the whole donut and roll it across the floor as it goes by the children do a mounting forward roll through the donut. Looks really cool and fun to do.
Becky, Gymnastics Unlimited, West Seneca, NY
Writes: With the donut halves, we teach backward rolls. Having the child lay in the 1/2, they stay tucked. Rock them and on 3 they put their hands down and feet on the floor.
Stephanie Rogers, GAA CENTRAL, Kennesaw, GA
Writes: We use the donuts for many skills.
*Backward Rolls (laying down hanging off the donut)
*Dive Rolls (over the upside down half)
*Stomach crunches (lay down on 1/2 and rock back and forth using tummy muscles to get up)
*Pullovers on bars (walking feet up donut)
*Climbing/crawling (use in obstacle courses to climb around and over)
*Chin-Ups (we put our feet on and do chin ups)
*Tuck/Straddle On/Off (we tip the donut sideways)
*Front Supports (on bars we have the 1/2 turned sideways and we jump to the bar)
*Arch Ups (we sit on top of the half and someone holds feet and we hang down and come up and back down for conditioning)
*Straddle presses (we sit on the half on its side and practice pressing up in our straddles)
*For fun we velcro the donut together and push kids around in the circle
*Jumping (We velcro the donut together and place foam blocks inside and have the kids jump in the small pit that it makes)
We love the donuts and use them every day in most all of our classes. They have great uses and are a lot of fun to use.
Rebekkah, Houser Gym, Valley View, TX
Writes: Donut halves - back rolls and front rolls
Lorna Spellman, Boerne Gymnastics Center, Boerne, TX
Writes: Set the donut halves side by side aprox 3 feet apart and have athletes do cartwheels between them. It helps them go straighter and learn to kick higher without getting hurt. Push closer together as they get better. Or you can even set them on a panel mat to make them higher.
LeaAnn Bohn, Blue Angels Gymnastics, Galesville, WI
Writes: We have kids walk the circle like a beam. The parent/me kids love it. Older kids love to use for of course �the fun roll" get in and roll each other across the floor.
Wendy Gomez, Wendy's Gymnastics, Columbus, OH
Writes: Our little ones love to do a cartwheel into the donut, then hide themselves (they think it's the greatest!) as the instructor or their mom asks "Where's Katie?". Then they pop up, everyone laughs and they cartwheel out. The same age group thinks it's a blast to rock in the "boat", aka donut half. To make it a bit more challenging, we instruct the children to rock back & forth without using their hands or feet.
Kim Dykes, The Gymnastics Company, Indianapolis, IN
Writes: We use the Donuts and Donut halves for preschool aged children to climb over, under and through.
Jennifer Daley, JD Sports Mobile Gym, Arlington, TX
Writes: My favorite is preschool vaulting. Several children at one time can put their hands on the donut and work knees-on, tuck-on, straddle-on vault. Then, turn-around, jump down and practice their landings. Also, springboard entry drills-while standing on donut, lifting one leg then, jumping down to land on two feet together followed by a straight jump. (Going up the donut if they're older)
Kay Leonard, Kauai Gymnastics , Lihue, HI
Writes: I use two donuts against each other on our 10 x 10 TumblTrak bed so that our Parent and Tots kids (ages 1 - 3) can jump safely to build up their leg strength. We have one slightly deeper donut that we often use for the same kids by filling it with balls (ball-pit balls) that they love jumping in to. And although it may not be called a skill per se, we often take one, two or three and put them together to form a "Tree Tunnel" (the name of a landmark here on the island) for crawling through when we have obstacle courses.
Lisa, Bay Aerials, Fremont, CA
Writes: We teach bridges, bridge kickovers, handstands, headstands, forward rolls, back handspring drills, and the tots do all kinds of rocking, spinning, and sliding.
Michelle Carnes, Imagymnation, Eagle, ID
Writes: Bridge kickovers, snake slithers, balancing walks, "hop over the wall/hot tub"
Jaime, Infinity Gymnastics , El Paso, TX
Writes: *Back bent to a kick over
*R-off jump to a 1/2 donut to a back handspring position
*Dive roll on top of a 1/2 donut
*Roll on inside 1/2 donut to a back roll off.
*Front handspring drill at front of 1/2 donut to a front limber position
*Inside donut complete shape. forward roll position
Rolling the donut across the floor and keeping the front roll position inside.
Patrice Troyer, Dreams Gymnastics, Glenview, IL
Writes: Leap frog, a bridge on top of two standing barrels for parties, back limbers for classes, mini-pit as a donut for tot classes
Kristi Smith High, KADG, Kansas City, KS
Writes: Backbends, Backwalkovers, BHS prep, rolling
Ron Ferris, Ohio Gymnastics Inst, Austintown, OH
Writes: Headstands inside the donut. We have two or three go at the same time and they all push off each other, laughing and having a great time
Douglas Stockton, Piney Woods Gymnastics, Longview, TX
Writes: Donut Half teaching a Healey on P-Bars easier than sliding a mat over P-Bars.
Laura Kaiser, Green Mountain Gymn, Williston, VT
Writes: Preschool obstacle course- climbing in under and through� jump in and over them for plyometrics�fill a donut with pit foam or plastic balls- little ones jump in it�dive rolls
Judy Tucker, Gymnastics City, Claremore, OK
Writes: Handstands-bridge kick over-wheelbarrow walks, balance & co-ordination-back bend out-jump & land- climb in & out-under & under concepts-rocking-dive through-dive over-leap over-dive CW- & many more Birthday Party things.
