Practice a straddle roll
Practice a straddle roll by warming up, learning arm and leg positioning, rolling safely on soft mat, and repeating drills with spotter supervision.
Step-by-step guide to practice a straddle roll
PE Planning Gymnastics Lessons | Side Roll, Safety Roll
Step 1
Put on comfortable clothes and remove any jewelry or sharp accessories.
Step 2
Lay the soft mat flat in an open space with plenty of room around it.
Step 3
Warm up for 5 minutes by jogging lightly in place to raise your heart rate.
Step 4
Do 10 standing straddle leg swings on each side to loosen your hips.
Step 5
Sit on the mat with your legs wide in a straddle and reach both arms forward until you feel a gentle stretch.
Step 6
Practice tucking your chin to your chest and rolling your shoulders forward while sitting to feel the roll path.
Step 7
Ask your spotter to stand in front of you and show the hand placement near your hips for support while you watch.
Step 8
With your spotter's hands at your hips, lie back and gently roll over your upper back while keeping legs wide and arms reaching forward.
Step 9
Repeat the assisted roll five times focusing on tucking your chin and keeping legs wide throughout the roll.
Step 10
Attempt a slow unassisted straddle roll while your spotter stands ready to guide or catch your hips.
Step 11
Rest for one minute and drink some water between attempts.
Step 12
Repeat the unassisted roll and rest sequence three more times to build confidence and smoothness.
Step 13
Share a photo or short description of your finished straddle roll on DIY.org to show your progress.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use if we don't have a soft mat or can't find a spotter?
If you don't have a soft mat, fold two to three thick blankets or use a thick yoga mat on carpet, and if a trained spotter isn't available have a responsible adult stand in front as your spotter to follow the instructions for hand placement near your hips.
I'm struggling to tuck my chin and roll over my upper back during the assisted roll—what should I try?
Practice 'tucking your chin to your chest and rolling your shoulders forward while sitting to feel the roll path,' have your spotter keep hands at your hips during the 'assisted roll five times,' and start with small rocking motions before lying back fully.
How can I adapt the steps for younger children or make it more challenging for older kids?
For younger children reduce the warm-up to 2–3 minutes, cut the '10 standing straddle leg swings' to 5 per side and keep every attempt assisted, while older kids can keep the full warm-up and swings, progress from the 'assisted roll five times' to attempting the unassisted roll and repeating the 'unassisted roll and rest sequence three more times' for refinement.
How can we extend or personalize the activity once the basic straddle roll is working?
To extend and personalize the activity, video your attempts to analyze and improve smoothness, set a goal to increase the number of clean unassisted rolls between rests, and 'Share a photo or short description of your finished straddle roll on DIY.org' as a documented outcome.
Watch videos on how to practice a straddle roll
How To Do A Straddle Lever To Handstand In One Day
4 Videos
How To Do A Straddle Lever To Handstand In One Day
Gymnastics for Children - Master the Straddle Roll - Coach Amy Eggleston
Straddle Rolls. Spotting and drills. Ages 7 and under. 
How to Straddle to Handstand | Gymnastics Tutorial
Facts about gymnastics for kids
⏱️ Short, frequent practice sessions help kids learn motor skills like the straddle roll faster than long, rare practices.
👥 A good spotter guides the hips and shoulders so beginners learn the motion safely and with confidence.
🛡️ Practicing on a soft, well-padded mat greatly reduces the chance of bumps and strains while learning new rolls.
🧠 Straddle rolls help develop core strength, hip flexibility, and coordination all at once.
🤸♀️ Forward rolls are usually one of the first tumbling skills taught because they build safe body awareness for rolling.
How do I teach my child to practice a straddle roll safely and correctly?
What materials do I need to practice a straddle roll at home or in class?
What ages are suitable for learning a straddle roll?
What safety tips should parents follow when teaching a straddle roll?
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